METHOD OF INITIAL FUNCTIONS OF V. Z.

VLASOV

V. G. Babadzhanyan, A. K. Galin'sh, UDC 539.3

and A. V. Sachenkov.

A. I. Lur'e [5, 6] suggested a method for the symbolic integration of equations of the theory of
elasticity. His method includes an expression obtained by means of transcendental differential operators
of displacements and stresses at any point of a plate in terms of the displacements of the middle-plane
points and the derivatives of these displacements with respect to the variable z. in addition, he indicated
ways of finding these initial functions. The generalization of the method to anisotropic media was carried
out by Lekhnitskii [4]. Nigul [7, 8] carried out a practical application of Lur'e's symbolic theory for the
analysis of the basic stressed state and the edge effects in problems of plate bending.
Vlasov [2] suggested a mixed method for solving problems of the theory of elasticity for thick
plates which is known as the method of initial functions. According to this method, the basic desired func-
tions are the displacements and stresses Txz, Tyz, crz, the system of differential equations for which is
obtained from equations of Hooke's law and equilibrium equations by replacing the stresses O-xx, O-yy, and
rxy by the displacements according to elasticity relations.
The procedure of reducing the three-dimensional problem to a two-dimensional one according to
Vlasov's method consists of the following: the basic functions are expanded in the variable z in Maclaur[n
series, where the expansion coefficients are expressed in terms of six initial functions -- the values of
the basic functions on the initial plane z = 0. To obtain equations determining the initial functions, Vlasov,
following [3, 6], uses surface conditions of equilibrium. In further studying problems of determining the
stress--strain state, symmetrically and antisymmetrically distributed with respect to the middle plane,
Vlasov introduces in both cases only one potential resolving function, thereby eliminating vortex boundary
layers from consideration.
We note that the presence of a vortex boundary layer (an edge effect of Reissner type) allows us in
refined theories of plate bending to satisfy three natural boundary conditions. The question of contructing
solutions corresponding to the edge effects has not beer/studied by Vlasov and his followers.
In the present study another derivation of the basic equations of Vlasov's method is presented in
transcendental form, and by introducing all types of boundary layers into the study we show that the final
functions of the indicated method are analogous to th e functions obtained according to Lur'e's method.*
w I. Notation and Basic Relations. Let E and G be the elastic moduli [(3 = E/2(I + v)]; v is Poi-
sson's ratio. Following Vlasov, we introduce notation for the displacements U = Gu, V.= Gv, and W = Gw,
and for the StressesTxz =X, Ty z =Y, ando-z =Z; U 0, V 0, W 0, X 0, Y0, andZ 0arevalues of the correspond-
ing quantities for z = 0; r = 3/0z, a = 0/0x, fl = 0/0y, and y2 = 02/0x2 + 02/0y2 are symbols of differentia-
tion.
The initial system of differential equations [2] with respect to the six basic functions is written as
follows:

rU = - - a W + X; rV~--~W + Y;
v I -- 2v
rW = - - ~ (aU + I3V) -} 2 (1 - - v) Z; rZ = - - (tzX + [3Y); (1.1)

* A g a r e v ' s m o n o g r a p h is d e v o t e d to s u b s t a n t i a t i n g the m a t h e m a t i c a l f o r m a l i s m on the m e t h o d of initial

functions [1].
K a z a n ' State U n i v e r s i t y . T r a n s l a t e d f r o m P r i k l a d n a y a Mekhanika, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 15-21,
J a n u a r y , 1975. O r i g i n a l a r t i c l e s u b m i t t e d August 30, 1973.

9 76 Plenum Publishing Corporation, 22 7 West 17th Street, New York, N. Y. 10011. No part o f this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, pho}oeopying, microfilming,
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ii
 2
r Y = -- 1 --V ~(=u+~v)+ a ( ~ u - ~ v ) - V z - ~ _ V
~z;

2 ~ (1.1)
rx = - y _ _ ~(~u + l~V)- 13(~u--~v) - F - . ~ ~z.
If we introduce the functions
U+=~U+~JV; U-=~U--ctV; X+-~X+}Y; X--=~JX--c~Y, (1.2)
that naturally appear in the equations, then we can represent system (1.1) by means of simple transforma-
tions as
rU + = - - y2117 + X+; rZ -- - - X+;

riV = - - I ~ U "-~) Z;
+ + 2-(iI--2v" _ rX + --- I --2v Y~U+-- } --~-v~Z; (1.3)

rV- = X-; r X - ------7~U - . (1.4)

w e note in p a r t i c u l a r , that the known equation (T2 + r 2) U- = 0 (an e l e m e n t a r y rotation), which is
a harmonic function, follows f r o m Eq. (1.4).
According to [5], we integrate (1.3) and (1.4) as a s y s t e m of ordinary differential equations over the
variable z under c o r r e s p o n d i n g initial conditions. By r e p r e s e n t i n g the initial functions U0, V0, X0, and Y0
in the f o r m
uo--~r vo=f~U,--~u~; x o = , z , + ~ ; Yo=t~(P--,~z. (1.5)
we write the l a t t e r equations as

for z = 0 U +=u U-=?2G

X+=?2tp; X------~,~X; W = Wo; Z = Z ~ . (1.6)

By integrating (1.3) and {1.4) and taking into account the e x t r a c t e d initial conditions, we obtain

W -----u + L22Wo+ L41Zo "at- y~Laaq~;

Z = y2L34Un + LsIWo+ Lz~Zo + ?~Ls2q~; (1.7)

U + = ,,r (Nt + N~); U - = ?~ (L'~Ub + L~X);

(1.8)
X + = ?2 (M~ + M,.); X - = ?2 ( _ ?2L~IJ~ + L~X),
where

N t = L,U~ + L4sZo; Mz = L52Un + L3~Zo;

(i .9)
Ns = L~2Wo + L4~q); M~ = L34Wo + LHep.
We d e t e r m i n e the differential o p e r a t o r s Lij of infinitely high o r d e r according to the equations

"~Z
Lu ----cos yz -}- (-- l)~ 2(I--v) sinyz (i= 1,2);

Lai = 2(17_v )- cos?z+(--l) ~ (1 --2~) sinyz ] ;

w J

L4i = 4 (1 - 1- ~) y [ (3 - - 4,) sinyz + (-- I)'?zcosyz 1; (1.10)

z sin ?z .
L,~= - - ] j~ v[sin?z + (-- l)iyzcos?z]; L43 = -- 4 (I - - ~ ) y '

La4 = ~ yz sin ?z; L~, = cos ?z; L ~ = sin yz .

?

The s t r e s s e s X and Y and the displacements U and V according to the determined quantities (1.7)-
(1.9) can be found s u c c e s s i v e l y f r o m (1.1) or according to the equations

12
 v = 7 , (l~U+ - ~ u - ) ; Y= + (~x + - ~ x - ) ,
(1.11)

w h i c h r e s u l t f r o m (1.2). T h e s t r e s s e s O-xx, Cryy, and ~'xy, t a k i n g into a c c o u n t (1.7) and ( l A D , are ex-
p r e s s e d in t e r m s of the i n i t i a l f u n c t i o n s a c c o r d i n g to e q u a t i o n s of H o o k e ' s l a w

% v = B . U . + B~W o + B~Z o + B~qo - - ATUo - - A7%; (1.12)

T, x y ~ 1 [2~U + _ (~2 _ i~2) U - I .

H e r e the A ' s a r e t h e d i f f e r e n t i M o p e r a t o r s of the f o r m

A. " ~ [2 (a ~ + v~~) cosyz - - ~2%,zsin ?z];

- - - - - - - ~ ) cz~zcos ?z + [(3 - - 2 v ) ~ + 2v[3~]

2(i --

A~- = 2r cos ?z; A~- = 2al~ sin?z (1.13)

?

We o b t a i n e q u a t i o n s f o r the o p e r a t o r s ]3 f r o m t h e e x t r a c t e d q u a n t i t i e s a and/3 by i n t e r c h a n g i n g
these quantities.
If we w r i t e in E q s . (1.11) a n d (1.12) t h e i n t r o d u c e d q u a n t i t i e s Un . . . . . a c c o r d i n g to (1.5) in t e r m s
of V l a s o W s i n i t i a l f u n c t i o n s , t h e n we o b t a i n e q u a t i o n s t h a t f u l l y a g r e e with t h e c o r r e s p o n d i n g e q u a t i o n s of
[2].
H o w e v e r , it is m o r e a d v i s a b l e to m a i n t a i n the i n t r o d u c e d f u n c t i o n s which a l l o w t h e b a s i c q u a n t i t i e s
to g i v e a f o r m f r o m which we c a n i s o l a t e t h e s t r e s s e d s t a t e s c o r r e s p o n d i n g to t h e e d g e t o r s i o n (the v o r t e x
b o u n d a r y l a y e r d e t e r m i n e d b y the f u n c t i o n s U - and X - ) . In a d d i t i o n , it is m o r e s u i t a b l e to c o n s t r u c t t w o -
d i m e n s i o n a l t h e o r i e s with n a t u r a l b o u n d a r y c o n d i t i o n s .

w 2. L o a d T h a t is S y m m e t r i c with R e s p e c t to the M i d d l e P l a n e . (The P r o b l e m of C o m p r e s s i o n and

E x t e n s i o n ) . tt f o l l o w s f r o m the c o n d i t i o n of s y m m e t r y of the s t r e s s e d s t a t e with r e s p e c t to the m i d d l e
p l a n e of a p l a t e t h a t W 0 = X 0 = Y0 = 0, f o r z = 0. By a s s u m i n g t h a t W0 = (p = = 0 in (1o7)2(1.9), t a k i n g into
a c c o u n t (1.11), we o b t a i n the e q u a ~ m n s f o r t h e d i s p l a c e m e n t s and the s t r e s s e s

U = r l + [;L~Ub; X = czM l - - [5y~L~Ub;

(2.1)
v = ~N, --,zL~Ub; v = pM, + ~r
W = y 2L31 U n -1- L41Z0; Z = ~,2L34U,,+ L22Zo.

F o r d e t e r m i n i n g t h e r e m a i n i n g t h r e e i n i t i a l f u n c t i o n s Un, Z0, and U b we u s e t h e b o u n d a r y c o n d i -

t i o n s on the e n d p l a n e s z = :Lh.

We e x a m i n e the c a s e when o n l y n o r m a l l o a d s act on the p l a t e . Thus, for z = we have X = Y

= 0, Z = Z h and f r o m (2.1) it f o l l o w s t h a t
(aM,- ~y~L~U,)t, ~- 0; (~M 1 @ o~v2L~Ub!h = 0;

(v2L34~ + L~J0)h = Zv (2.2)

T h e f i r s t two e q u a t i o n s of s y s t e m (2.2) will be s a t i s f i e d if we i n t r o d u c e t h e p o t e n t i a l f u n c t i o n 4, a c c o r d i n g
to the e q u a t i o n s

13
 u = L~,r Z0 = - - L~@, (2.3)
and if we d e t e r m i n e Ub f r o m the equation
sin 7 h Ub = 0.
7 (2.4)
H e r e and below the s u b s c r i p t h for o p e r a t o r s Lij denotes that in these o p e r a t o r s d e t e r m i n e d by Eqs. (1.10)
we m u s t substitute h f o r the v a r i a b l e z.

F r o m the third equation of s y s t e m (2.2) we find an equation for d e t e r m i n i n g the function ~,

(y~Lz4La, - - L~L52)a~ = Za,

or, by expanding the o p e r a t o r s Lij, we have
Y2h ( 1 + sin27" )
1 -- ~ 2y--'--'--h- 9 = Z h. (2.5)

Equation (2.5) fully a g r e e s with the c o r r e s p o n d i n g equations of [2], though the additional equation
(2.4) that d e t e r m i n e s the v o r t e x boundary l a y e r holds.

We note that we can obtain a m o r e g e n e r a l solution of s y s t e m {2.2) by introducing a third r e s o l v i n g

function. A s s u m i n g that
a
Un = L~.~tDI a
+ LalO.~; Zo = - - y ~L a4
a (1) i - - L52tI)~,
n

we reduce s y s t e m (2.2) to the f o r m

~zDl@] + ~'l,~-(LE)hU b = 0; [~Dl~l- - a,y2 (L~)t~U b = 0;

Dl(I)~=Zh; D~= __ 1+- 97h

However, c o n s i d e r i n g that the function (ha, w h i c h d e s e r i b e s one of the s e r i e s of potential edge effects of St.
Venant type, does not affect the b a s i c stressecl s~ate, we can set (I,t - 0 f o r a b r o a d c l a s s of p r o b l e m s .
w 3. Load T h s t l s A n t i s y m m e t r i c with R e s p e c t to the Middle P l a n e (Bending P r o b l e m ) . In this
c a s e U 0 = V 0 = Z 0 0 f o r z = 0 . Thus, a s s u m i n g that i n E q s . ( 1 . 7 ) - ( 1 . 9 ) U n = U b = Z 0 = 0 , we obtain

U : aN2 + [~L]~X; V : [3N2--r W --: ~IVo + 72L4sq);

X = aM2 -]- [~L~z; Y : [3M2--ccL~z; Z = LslWo + y2Ls2q). (3.1)
F o r d e t e r m i n i n g the initial functions Wo, q, and X, with E q s . (3.1) satisfying the boundary condi-
tions on the end planes z = i h , X = Y = 0, Z = =LZh, we write the s y s t e m of differential equations

(~M2 + 13Lll-X)h= 0; ([~M2--aLF]x)h = 0 ;

(L~W0 + ?2L32~)h = Zh. (3.2)

By introducing the potential function 9 according to the equations

We = L~I(D; ~o: - - L3n4(I)" (3.3)
and a s s u m i n g that
cos yhx --: 0, (3.4)
we satisfy the f i r s t two equations of (3.2) identically, and a f t e r expanding the o p e r a t o r s we d e t e r m i n e f r o m
the t h i r d equation

72h (1 sin 27h-) (I) ~ 0. (3.5)

1 -- v 2yh

Thus, the bending p r o b l e m r e d u c e s to an integration of the b a s i c equation (3.5) that a g r e e s with

V l a s o v ' s method and of the additional equation (3.4) that d e t e r m i n e s the v o r t e x boundary layer, whose
p r e s e n c e allows us in p r o b l e m s of plate bending to obtain a solution that s a t i s f i e s the natural boundary
conditions.

14
 If in (3.2) we set:
2 h ~ h
Wo = L~O~ + ~, L a ~ ; q~ = - - La~O~ - - LsI(1)~,

then we can reduce the s y s t e m to the f o r m

7~h ( 1 sin27h ],
D~O~ = Z~; D~ -- 1 - - v 2yh

which is identical to the f o r m of the equations p r e s e n t e d in [7], where it is shown that we can set +~ - 0
for a l a r g e c l a s s of p r o b l e m s .
By expanding the t r i g o n o m e t r i c functions entering the above equations in exponential power s e r i e s
and retaining a definite n u m b e r of t e r m s in them, we can c o n s t r u c t v a r i a n t s for refined t h e o r i e s of plate
bending of v a r y i n g a c c u r a c y , where in the zeroth approximation (h ~ 0) we obtain the Kirchheff equations.
In the f i r s t approximation, by r e t a i n i n g t e r m s of o r d e r h 2 in c o m p a r i s o n with unity, we have

Dy4~D0= 2Zh; 72X- - 82Z = O;

w= 1+ 2(l--v) vz2 + 5 h ~ ~72 0)a; (s .6)

2-+-3v ) ] _^ sinSz
1
10 h2 13272~~ zc/---'T-- @~;

,Ez 2 / 2 -- v 2 2+3v) ] sinSz

au.~ = ~ ~ 2[ (f~ + v~) cD~+ l----6~ z 10 h ~ ~7200 -- 26 ----8--- ~15~;

.Ez [
1 - - . v 2 (1 - - v) ~ 0 o
2 + 3v h 2) czj~y~Oo
] ^ s i n 6z
10 J--U--8 - (2_~)X;

E (h ~ - - z 2) mflOo + q cos 5z. 13X;

-c~ = 2 (1 - - ~-)

E (h~-- z2) ~37~0o- Gcos6z~ (3.7)

xu~ = 2 (1 - - v3
where 5 is a root of the equation cos 5h = O; the function r is r e l a t e d to 4, by the equation

h 2 ~,2)
@=G l+--ft- ~o.
By neglecting [n Eqs. (3.6) the terms characterizing the compression of the plate along the thick-
ness, we obta[~ equations close to those of Reissner's theory.

LITERATURE CITED
1. V. A. Agarev, The Method of Initial Functions for Two-Dimensional Boundary-Value Problems
of the Theory of Elasticity [in Russian], Izd-vo Akad. Nauk Ukrainian SSR, Kiev (1963).
2. V. Z. Vlasov, "The method of initial functions in problems of the theory of elasticity, " Izv. Akad.
Nauk SSSR, Otd. Tekh. Nauk, No. 7 (1955).
3. M. O. Kil'chevski[, "Basic equations of shell theory and certain methods of integrating them,"
in: Works of the Mathematics Institute [in Ukrainian], Akad. Nauk URSR, No. 6 (1941).
4. S. G. LekhnitsM[, "Elastic equilibrium of a transversally isotropic layer and a thick plate, "
Prikl. Mat. i Mekhan., 26, No. 4 (1962).
5. A. I. Lurre, "Theory of thick plates, " PriM. Mat. i Mekhan., 6, Nos. 2, 3 (1942).
6. A. I. L u r ' e , T h r e e - D i m e n s i o n a l P r o b l e m s of the T h e o r y of E l a s t i c i t y [in Russian], GITTL, M o s -
cow (1955).
7, U. K. Ntgul, "Application of A. I. L u r ' e ' s s y m b o l i c method to the a n a l y s i s of s t r e s s e d s t a t e s and
t w o - d i m e n s i o n a I t h e o r i e s of e l a s t i c plates, " P r i M . Mat. i Mekhan., 27, No.3 (1963).
8. U . K. Nigul, "The a p p r o x i m a t e computation of St. Venant type edge effects in b o u n d a r y - v a l u e
p r o b l e m s of the s t a t i c s of plates, " P r i k l . Mat. i Mekhan., 28, No. 1 (1964).

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