Effects of Electro-Thermal Fields on Buckling of a Piezoelectric Polymeric Shell Reinforced with DWBNNTs

Abstract

Using principle of minimum total potential energy approach in conjunction with Rayleigh-Ritz method, the electro-thermo- mechanical axial buckling behavior of piezoelectric polymeric cylindrical shell reinforced with double-walled boron-nitride nanotube (DWBNNT) is investigated. Coupling between electrical and mechanical fields are considered according to a representative volume element (RVE)-based micromechanical model. This study indicates how buckling resistance of composite cylindrical shell may vary by applying thermal and electrical loads. Also, applying the reverse voltage or decreasing the temperature, increases the critical axial buckling load. This work showed that the piezoelectric BNNT enhances on the whole the buckling resistance of the composite cylindrical shell.

Keywords

• Axial buckling
• Boron nitride nanotube
• energy method
• Electro-thermo-mechanical loadings