3D heat conduction-induced postbuckling behaviour of thin-walled imperfect laminated cylindrical panels reinforced with graphene platelets

Abstract

This work reports, in virtue of IGA (isogeometric analysis) method, 3D state heat conduction-induced postbuckling behaviour of thin-walled laminated cylindrical panels with geometric imperfection where GPLs (graphene platelets) are scattered in a functional gradation manner. Shear deformation theory of first-order suited for the numerical nonlinear and buckling analysis of thin-walled shells that takes geometric imperfection into account is established. To accurately describe the initial imperfection, imperfection function capable of modelling the amplitude and localization of geometric imperfection is employed. An equation based on the effective thermal conductivity of the GPL-strengthened cylindrical panel to determine the temperature distribution by 3D steady-state heat conduction is presented as well, and a new formula to dictate the volume fraction of GPLs which is valid regardless of the number of layers is proposed. The present isogeometric approach, through testing the analysis capacity via several benchmark problems, is substantiated to be accurate in predicting the critical thermal buckling temperature and in following the whole postbuckling trace. Effect of the initial imperfection on the nonlinear postbuckling response behaviour of the thin-walled GPL-reinforced cylindrical panels in 3D state heat conduction is discussed in detail through the further parameter analysis.