Reliability analysis and optimization of in-plane functionally graded CNT-reinforced composite plates

Abstract

This paper focuses on the uncertainty quantification in the mechanical behavior of CNT-reinforced polymer composite and its effect on the reliability-based optimization of in-plane functionally graded plates. Random process representations were adopted to model the spatial randomness of the elastic properties. A plate under uniform pressure loading was optimized to maximize the plate stiffness using the minimum amount of the reinforcement by in-plane grading the CNT volume fraction. The functionally graded plate used 45% less reinforcement compared to the homogeneous plate. The First Order Second Moment method is used for the reliability analysis of the plate. The uncertainties led to an average increase of 48% in the CNT volume fraction compared to the deterministic design. The functionally graded plate showed the same uncertainty level in the overall stiffness as its equivalent homogeneous plate.