Free vibration of super-graphene carbon nanotube networks via a beam element based coarse-grained method

Abstract

A new beam element based coarse-grained model is developed to investigate efficiently the mechanical behavior of a large system of super-graphene carbon nanotube (SGCNT) networks with all boundaries clamped supported. The natural frequencies and mode shapes of the SGCNT networks made of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with different diameters and lengths are obtained via the proposed coarse-grained model. The applicability of the coarse-grained model for the SGCNT networks is verified by comparison with the molecular structural mechanics model. The natural frequencies and associated mode shapes obtained via the coarse-grained model agree well with the results obtained from the molecular structural mechanics method, indicating that the coarse-grained model developed in this study can be applied for the dynamic prediction of the SGCNT networks.