Vibration analysis of CNT-reinforced functionally graded composite cylindrical shells in thermal environments

• Frequency characteristics of CNT-reinforced cylindrical shell are studied.
• Vibration responses computed by different shear deformation theories are compared.
• Free and forced vibration behaviors of CNT-reinforced cylindrical shell are analyzed.
• Effects of different parameters of CNTs on vibration response are examined.

Vibration characteristics of CNT-reinforced functionally graded composite closed cylindrical shells are studied. Thermal effect is taken into account. In the structural modeling, Reddy's high-order shear deformation theory is applied. Hamilton's principle and the assumed mode method are used to formulate the equation of motion of the CNT-reinforced functionally graded cylindrical shell. Vibration properties of the cylindrical shell are analyzed through the time- and frequency-domain methods. Influences of temperature change, CNTs distribution as well as CNTs volume fractions on the natural frequency of the CNT-reinforced cylindrical shell are investigated. Vibration responses of the cylindrical shell computed by the FSDT and TSDT are compared to verify the necessity of the high-order shear deformation theory in the vibration analysis for thick CNT-reinforced structures. The effects of CNTs volume and distribution on the free and forced vibration of the cylindrical shell are studied. The influences of thermal effect on the vibration responses of the CNT-reinforced cylindrical shell are also investigated.