Using 3D theory of elasticity for free vibration analysis of functionally graded laminated nanocomposite shells

The primary objective of this study is to analyze the free vibration behavior of a sandwich cylindrical shell with a defective core and wavy carbon nanotube (CNT)-enhanced face sheets, utilizing the three-dimensional theory of elasticity. The intricate equations of motion for the structure are solved semi-analytically using the generalized differential quadrature method. The shell structure consists of a damaged isotropic core and two external face sheets. The distributions of CNTs are either functionally graded (FG) or uniform across the thickness, with their mechanical properties determined through an extended rule of mixture. In this research, the conventional theory regarding the mechanical effectiveness of a matrix embedding finite-length fibers has been enhanced by introducing tube-to-tube random contact. This enhancement explicitly addresses the progressive reduction in the tubes' effective aspect ratio as the filler content increases. The study investigates the influence of a damaged matrix, CNT distribution, volume fraction, aspect ratio, and waviness on the free vibration characteristics of the sandwich cylindrical shell with wavy CNT-reinforced face sheets. Unlike two-dimensional theories such as classical and the first shear deformation plate theories, this inquiry is grounded in the three-dimensional theory of elasticity, which comprehensively accounts for transverse normal deformations.