Stability analysis of an electrically cylindrical nanoshell reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets

Due to a rapid development of process manufacturing, composite materials with graphene-reinforcement have obtained so much commercially notices in the promoted engineering applications. With this regard, the critical voltage and frequency characteristics of a graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) composite cylindrical nanoshell coupled with the piezoelectric actuator (PIAC) are investigated. The material properties of piece-wise graphene-reinforced composites (GNPRCs) are assumed to be graded through the thickness direction of a cylindrical nanoshell and are estimated based on a nanomechanical model. For the first time, the current study is considering the effects of the piezoelectric layer, GNPRC and size-effects on the natural frequency and critical voltage of the GNPRC cylindrical nanoshell coupled with PIAC. The governing equations and boundary conditions have been developed using minimum potential energy, and have been solved with the aid of generalized differential quadrature (GDQM). In addition, because of the piezoelectric layer, Maxwell's equation is derived. The results show that piezoelectric layer, GNP distribution pattern, length scale parameter and GNP weight function, play important roles on the natural frequency and critical voltage of the GNP cylindrical nanoshell coupled with PIAC. The results of the current study are useful suggestions for the design of materials science, micro-electromechanical systems and nanoelectromechanical systems such as nanoactuators and nanosensors.