Thermomechanical deflection responses of porous functionally graded curved panel structures using higher-order FEM

Purpose The purpose of this article is to study the thermomechanical deflection responses of functionally graded (FG) doubly curved shell panels. The study has been extended to analyze the influence of variable design parameters on the deflection responses of FG panels. Design/methodology/approach A computer code is developed in MATLAB to compute deflection parameters, utilizing the mathematical formulation, including the temperature-dependent (TMDP) and independent (TIDP) properties of the graded structure to ensure the real-time characteristics of the structure/structural components in service. The responses are obtained by solving the system governing differential equations through the variational technique in association with the finite element (FE) technique. Findings The FE solution consistency is verified by checking the mesh independence test. Additionally, the model accuracy is established by comparing the deflection values with those published results available in the public domain. Further, a few numerical experiments are carried out for different parameters (material and geometry) to check the derived model's adaptability for the thermomechanical deflection prediction of graded structures. The outcomes against the loading, geometrical forms and parameters are discussed in detail. Originality/value The analysis brings clarity regarding the requirement of the present developed mathematical model to address the influence of a variety of design-associated parameters on the static deflection responses of the FG curved panels, considering TMDP material properties.