Mechanical behavior of BNNT/PM/CF composite shells in flexure using finite element method and first-order shear deformation theory

Abstract

This study investigates the flexural behavior of composite cylindrical panels (CCPs) subjected to static loads (SLs) under various boundary conditions (BCs). The CCPs consist of a polymer matrix (PM) reinforced by a combination of two reinforcements at different scales: single-walled boron nitride nanotubes (SWBNNTs) with a functionally graded (FG) distribution and uniformly distributed carbon fibers (CFs). The material properties of the CCPs are evaluated using a hybrid homogenization procedure (HHP) combining the Halpin–Tsai (HT) model, the rule of mixtures (RM), and a micromechanical approach (MMA). The governing equations (GEs) for flexural behavior are derived from the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT), while the finite element method (FEM) is employed to determine the panel deformations. The validity of the proposed approach is demonstrated, followed by illustrative parametric studies aimed at examining the effect of different reinforcement schemes on the flexural response of the cylindrical nanocomposite panels, as well as the influence of the SWBNNT and CF volume fractions.