Thermoelastic stability of thin CNT-reinforced composite cylindrical panels with elastically restrained edges under nonuniform in-plane temperature distribution

In order to fill the evident lack of investigations on nonlinear response of nanocomposite curved panels under nonuniform temperature, this paper aims to analyze the nonlinear thermoelastic stability of cylindrical panels made of carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced composite, rested on elastic foundations and subjected to sinusoidal-type in-plane temperature distribution. Reinforcement is carried out through functional rules of CNT volume fraction. An extended rule of mixture is adopted to estimate the effective properties of CNT-reinforced composite. Governing equations are derived based on classical shell theory accounting for von Kármán–Donnell nonlinearity, initial imperfection, interactive pressure from elastic foundation, and preexisting lateral pressure. In addition, the elasticity of in-plane constraints of boundary edges is included. Approximate analytical solutions are assumed to satisfy simply supported boundary conditions and Galerkin procedure is adopted to derive nonlinear closed-form relation between thermal load and deflection. Parametric studies are carried out and interesting remarks are obtained. The present study finds that, unlike case of uniform temperature rise, thermal instability of cylindrical panels under sinusoidal temperature distribution still occurs even though all edges are movable and load carrying capacity is the weakest for an intermediate value of CNT volume fraction. Under sinusoidal temperature distribution, the cylindrical panel may be deflected at the onset of loading and, for the most part, has no longer bifurcation-type buckling response. Furthermore, small values of preexisting external pressure have beneficial influences on the stability of nanocomposite cylindrical panels under nonuniform thermal loads.