Comparison between HPM and finite Fourier solution in static analysis of FGPM beam under thermal load

Linear and nonlinear phenomena play important role in applied mathematics, physics and also in engineering problems in which any parameter may vary depending on different factors. In recent years, the homotopy perturbation method (HPM) is constantly being developed and applied to solve various linear and nonlinear problems. In this paper, static analysis of functionally graded piezoelectric beams based on the first-order shear deformation theory under thermal loads has been investigated. The beam with a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) is graded in the thickness direction and a simple power law index governs the piezoelectric material properties. The electric potential is assumed linear across the beam thickness. The governing equations are obtained using potential energy and Hamilton's principle and may lead to a system of differential equations. We suggest two methods to solve this problem, the homotopy perturbation and analytical solution obtained by the finite Fourier transformation. The homotopy perturbation method and a proper algorithm are suggested to solve simultaneous differential equations. The results are presented for different power law indexes under uniform thermal gradient. The results are compared with the analytical solution obtained by the finite Fourier transformation for simply supported boundary conditions.