• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제64권3호
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• pp.381-390
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• 2017

Present paper deals with the large amplitude flexural vibration of carbon nanotube reinforced composite (CNTRC) plates. Distribution of CNTs as reinforcements may be uniform or functionally graded (FG). The equivalent material properties of the composite media are obtained according to a refined rule of mixtures which contains efficiency parameters. To account for the large deformations, von $K{\acute{a}}rm{\acute{a}}n$ type of geometrical nonlinearity is included into the formulation. The matrix representation of the governing equations is obtained according to the Ritz method where the basic shape functions are written in terms of the Chebyshev polynomials. Time dependency of the problem is eliminated by means of the Galerkin method and the resulting nonlinear eigenvalue problem is solved employing a direct displacement control approach. Results are obtained for completely clamped and completely simply supported plates. Results are first validated for the especial cases of FG-CNTRC and cross-ply laminated plates. Afterwards, parametric studies are given for FG-CNTRC plates with different boundary conditions. It is shown that, nonlinear frequencies are highly dependent to the volume fraction and dispersion profiles of CNTs. Furthermore, mode redistribution is observed in both simply supported and clamped FG-CNTRC plates.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.155-169
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• 2022

In the present paper an analytical model was developed to study the non-linear vibrations of Functionally Graded Carbon Nanotube (FG-CNT) reinforced doubly-curved shallow shells using the Multiple Scales Method (MSM). The nonlinear partial differential equations of motion are based on the FGM shallow shell hypothesis, the non-linear geometric Von-Karman relationships, and the Galerkin method to reduce the partial differential equations associated with simply supported boundary conditions. The novelty of the present model is the simultaneous prediction of the natural frequencies and their mode shapes versus different curvatures (cylindrical, spherical, conical, and plate) and the different types of FG-CNTs. In addition to combining the vibration analysis with optimization algorithms based on the genetic algorithm, a design optimization methode was developed to maximize the natural frequencies. By considering the expression of the non-dimensional frequency as an objective optimization function, a genetic algorithm program was developed by valuing the mechanical properties, the geometric properties and the FG-CNT configuration of shallow double curvature shells. The results obtained show that the curvature, the volume fraction and the types of NTC distribution have considerable effects on the variation of the Dimensionless Fundamental Linear Frequency (DFLF). The frequency response of the shallow shells of the FG-CNTRC showed two types of nonlinear hardening and softening which are strongly influenced by the change in the fundamental vibration mode. In GA optimization, the mechanical properties and geometric properties in the transverse direction, the volume fraction, and types of distribution of CNTs have a considerable effect on the fundamental frequencies of shallow double-curvature shells. Where the difference between optimized and not optimized DFLF can reach 13.26%.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.649-662
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• 2018

In this study, based on the three-dimensional theory of elasticity, free vibration characteristics of sandwich sectorial plates with multiwalled carbon nanotube-(MWCNT)-reinforced composite core are considered. Modified Halpin-Tsai equation is used to evaluate the Young's modulus of the MWCNT/epoxy composite samples by the incorporation of an orientation as well as an exponential shape factor in the equation. The exponential shape factor modifies the Halpin-Tsai equation from expressing a straight line to a nonlinear one in the MWCNTs wt% range considered. In this paper, free vibration of thick functionally graded sandwich annular sectorial plates with simply supported radial edges and different circular edge conditions including simply supported-clamped, clamped-clamped, and free-clamped is investigated. A semi-analytical approach composed of two-dimensional differential quadrature method and series solution are adopted to solve the equations of motion. The material properties change continuously through the core thickness of the plate, which can vary according to a power-law, exponentially, or any other formulations in this direction. This study serves as a benchmark for assessing the validity of numerical methods or two-dimensional theories used to analysis of laminated sectorial plates.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제37권6호
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• pp.711-731
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• 2020

This paper deals with free vibration of FG sandwich annular sector plates on Pasternak elastic foundation with different boundary conditions, based on the three-dimensional theory of elasticity. The plates with simply supported radial edges and arbitrary boundary conditions on their circular edges are considered. The influence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) waviness, aspect ratio, internal pores and graphene platelets (GPLs) on the vibrational behavior of functionally graded nanocomposite sandwich plates is investigated in this research work. The distributions of CNTs are considered functionally graded (FG) or uniform along the thickness of upper and bottom layers of the sandwich sectorial plates and their mechanical properties are estimated by an extended rule of mixture. In this study, the classical theory concerning the mechanical efficiency of a matrix embedding finite length fibers has been modified by introducing the tube-to-tube random contact, which explicitly accounts for the progressive reduction of the tubes' effective aspect ratio as the filler content increases. The core of structure is porous and the internal pores and graphene platelets (GPLs) are distributed in the matrix of core either uniformly or non-uniformly according to three different patterns. The elastic properties of the nanocomposite are obtained by employing Halpin-Tsai micromechanics model. A semi-analytic approach composed of 2D-Generalized Differential Quadrature Method (2D-GDQM) and series solution is adopted to solve the equations of motion. The fast rate of convergence and accuracy of the method are investigated through the different solved examples. Some new results for the natural frequencies of the plate are prepared, which include the effects of elastic coefficients of foundation, boundary conditions, material and geometrical parameters. The new results can be used as benchmark solutions for future researches.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.649-661
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• 2017

This paper is motivated by the lack of studies in the technical literature concerning to the influence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) waviness and aspect ratio on the vibrational behavior of functionally graded nanocomposite annular sector plates resting on two-parameter elastic foundations. The carbon nanotube-reinforced (CNTR) plate has smooth variation of CNT fraction based on the power-law distribution in the thickness direction, and the material properties are also estimated by the extended rule of mixture. In this study, the classical theory concerning the mechanical efficiency of a matrix embedding finite length fibers has been modified by introducing the tube-to-tube random contact, which explicitly accounts for the progressive reduction of the tubes' effective aspect ratio as the filler content increases. Parametric studies are carried out to highlight the influence of CNTs volume fraction, waviness and aspect ratio, boundary conditions and elastic foundation on vibrational behavior of FG-CNT thick sectorial plates. The study is carried out based on three-dimensional theory of elasticity and in contrary to two-dimensional theories, such as classical, the first- and the higher-order shear deformation plate theories, this approach does not neglect transverse normal deformations. The annular sector plate is assumed to be simply supported in the radial edges while any arbitrary boundary conditions are applied to the other two circular edges including simply supported, clamped and free. For an overall comprehension on 3-D vibration of annular sector plates, some mode shape contour plots are reported in this research work.

• Advances in nano research
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.237-250
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• 2020

An accurate plate theory for assessing sandwich structures is of interest in order to provide precise results. Hence, this paper develops Layer-Wise (LW) theory for reaching precise results in terms of buckling and vibration behavior of Functionally Graded Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Composite (FG-CNTRC) annular nanoplates. Furthermore, for simulating the structure much more realistic, its edges are elastically restrained against in-plane and transverse displacement. The nano structure is integrated with piezoelectric layers. Four distributions of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) along the thickness direction of the core layer are investigated. The Differential Quadrature Method (DQM) is utilized to solve the motion equations of nano structure subjected to the electric field. The influence of various parameters is depicted on both critical buckling load and frequency of the structure. The accuracy of solution procedure is demonstrated by comparing results with classical edge conditions. The results ascertain that the effects of different distributions of CNTs and their volume fraction are significant on the behavior of the system. Furthermore, the amount of in-plane and transverse spring coefficients plays an important role in the buckling and vibration behavior of the nano-structure and optimization of nano-structure design.