A one-dimensional model for designing functionally graded materials to manage stress waves (Q1580861)

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are structures constituted from two base materials: an elastic homogeneous material, and a layered material whose properties vary along the longitudinal direction. FGMs find applications in many situations: impact protection, thermal isolation etc. Since now, the behaviour of FGMs was investigated in the frequency domain only. Here, the author considers the time-domain evolution of stresses along two base material (a one-dimensional model). The interest in such an approach stems from the fact that the stress wave (more precisely, its peak value) can produce material failure or cracks. Here the author presents some numerical experiments which allow to perform a good design of FGMs (to determine the optimal gradient of property variation along the layered medium).