Thermo-elastic analysis of functionally graded materials using Voronoi elements

In this study, the thermo-elastic behavior of a bi-material and a functionally graded material is investigated using a special hybrid finite element analysis. The algorithm evolves from the natural discretization of the domain into basic structural elements, Voronoi elements, by Dirichlet tesselation. For heterogeneous microstructures, the Voronoi elements contain a second phase of which the effects on the displacement and temperature fields are accurately accounted for. The accuracy and the efficiency of the algorithm are verified by comparing the solutions with results obtained from a standard finite element analysis. The advantages of the algorithm for studying the micromechanistic behavior of heterogeneous solids, such as functionally graded materials, are elucidated.