Flexural Analysis of Functionally Graded CNT-Reinforced Doubly Curved Singly Ruled Composite Truncated Cone

Abstract

The flexural analysis of functionally graded carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced doubly curved singly ruled composite truncated cone is studied. The mathematical model contains the expansion of Taylor’s series up to third degree of thickness coordinate and normal curvatures in in-plane displacement fields. Because the distribution of transverse shear strain across the thickness coordinate is parabolic, the need of shear correction factor is removed. The condition of zero-transverse shear strain at the upper and lower surface of the truncated cone is applied in the present formulation. The advancement in the present mathematical model is the simultaneous inclusion of normal curvatures in deformation field and twist curvature in strain-displacement equations. The proposed new mathematical model is implemented in finite-element code written in FORTRAN. The present results are in good agreement with the experimental results as well as results from other methods. After validation, a large number of flexural problems are presented by varying different boundary conditions, volume fraction, loading pattern, and geometric parameters.