Analysis of nonlinear dynamic stability for carbon nanotube-reinforced composite plates resting on elastic foundations

This article studies nonlinear dynamic stability of carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (CNTRC) plates resting on an elastic foundation. The single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are aligned and distributed in the form of uniformly distributed (UD) and functionally graded (FG) reinforcements. The governing equations are established based on classic plate theory, which is converted to a Mathieu-type equation by using a two-step perturbation technique, and then solved by adopting an incremental harmonic balanced (IHB) method. In numerical results, the effects of nonlinear geometric factor, distribution and fraction volume of CNTs, and foundation stiffness on principle dynamic unstable regions are discussed.