On the vibration of aligned carbon nanotube reinforced composite beams

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes have exceptional mechanical, thermal and electrical properties, and are considered for high performance structural and multifunctional composites. In the present study, the natural frequencies of aligned single walled carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced composite beams are obtained using shear deformable composite beam theories. The Ritz method with algebraic polynomial displacement functions is used to solve the free vibration problem of composite beams. The Mori-Tanaka method is applied to find the composite beam mechanical properties. The continuity conditions are satisfied among the layers by modifying the displacement field. Results are found for different CNT diameters, length to thickness ratio of the composite beam and different boundary conditions. It is found that the use of smaller CNT diameter in the reinforcement element gives higher fundamental frequency for the composite beam.