Nonlinear Thermo-Elastic Analysis of Functionally Graded Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Composite Cylindrical Panel

In this study, nonlinear bending analysis of functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) cylindrical panels subjected to a uniform transverse mechanical load and thermal gradient along the radial direction is investigated. The equilibrium equations are derived based on first-order shear deformation shell theory (FSDT) and nonlinear von karman strains. Four types of uniform and functionally graded distributions of the reinforcement along the thickness direction of panels are considered. The nonlinear coupled equations of motion are solved by combination of dynamic relaxation (DR) and finite difference methods for different combinations of simply supported and clamped boundary conditions. In order to verify the current work, some obtained results are compared with the solutions reported in the literature and also ABAQUS finite element packages. In the presented parametric study, the effects of distribution of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), thickness-to-radius and length-to-radius ratios, boundary conditions, volume fraction of CNTs and panel angel is considered on the deflection and stress resultants in detail. The results show that FG-O and FG-X distributions of CNTs have the maximum and minimum values of deflection, respectively, for both simply supported and clamped boundary conditions.