Airy Stress Function (Plane Stress Problems)

Equilibrium

Let

V
x
V
fy =
y
fx =

V, potential function

xx yx
+
+ fx = 0
x
y
xy yy
+
+ fy = 0
x
y
2
xx = 2 + V
y
2
yy = 2 + V
x
2
xy =
xy
, Airy stress function

Then equilibrium conditions are automatically satisfied


2
1 2
=

e
V
( )
2
Strains from stress-strain xx E y 2

relations

1 2
2
eyy = 2 2 + (1 ) V
y
E x

2 (1 + ) 2
xy =
xy
E

Placing these strains into the compatibility equations

2
2
2 exx eyy xy
+
=
2
2
y
x
xy

gives

or

2V 2V
4
4 4
+2
+
= (1 ) 2 + 2
x 4
xy y 4
y
x

4 = (1 ) 2V
biharmonic operator

Laplacian operator

compatibility equation in terms of the Airy stress function

4 = (1 ) 2V
compatibility in terms of stresses

2 ( xx + yy ) = (1 + ) 2V

For no body forces

4 = 0
or

2 ( xx + yy ) = 0

Polynomial Solutions of the Homogeneous

Biharmonic Equation

4 = 0
N

= Amn x n y m
n =1 m =1

Polynomials up to third order (cubics) satisfy the biharmonic equation

without any restrictions on the As. Fourth order and higher polynomials
require that those coefficients be related to satisfy the biharmonic equation.