Investigating the bending and buckling behaviors of composite porous beams reinforced with carbon nanotubes and graphene platelets using a TRPIM path following mesh-free approach

Abstract

The aim of the present work consists in investigating the nonlinear behavior of porous beams reinforced with graphene platelets (GPL) and supported carbon nanotubes (CNT), termed functionally graded graphene platelets reinforced composite beam (FG-GPLRC) and functionally graded nanotube carbon reinforced composite beam (FG-CNTRC), respectively. Notably, the distribution of GPL/CNT is explored in both uniform and non-uniform patterns across the beam's thickness. What sets this research apart is its utilization of a refined beam model as enhanced FSDT incorporating nonlinear shear terms which is a crucial advancement in accurately capturing the post-buckling response in certain boundary conditions, a feature lacking in the existing FSDT literature. Innovatively, the post-buckling load-deflection relationship is derived through the solution of governing equations incorporating cubic nonlinearity. This is achieved by employing Galerkin's method alongside a non-iterative high-order continuation technique based on the asymptotic numerical method coupled with the Tchebychev-radial point interpolation method (TRPIM), using a path-following where the solutions are obtained branch-by-branch by eliminating the need for iterative processes. In essence, this research underscores the pivotal role of porosity and GPL/CNT reinforcement in shaping the post-buckling configuration of both perfect and imperfect nanocomposite beams, thereby advancing our understanding of structural behavior in porous nanocomposite materials. The findings of this study illuminate the significant influence of parameters such as porosity coefficient, porosity distribution, GPL/CNT distribution, and GPL-weight/CNT-volume fraction on the nonlinear buckling behavior of porous beams.