Higher-Order Thermo-Elastic Analysis of FG-CNTRC Cylindrical Vessels Surrounded by a Pasternak Foundation.

This study analyses the two-dimensional thermo-elastic response of functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) cylindrical pressure vessels, by applying the third-order shear deformation theory (TSDT). The effective properties of FG-CNTRC cylindrical pressure vessels are computed for different patterns of reinforcement, according to the rule of mixture. The governing equations of the problem are derived from the principle of virtual works and are solved as a classical eigenproblem under the assumption of clamped supported boundary conditions. A large parametric investigation aims at showing the influence of some meaningful parameters on the thermo-elastic response, such as the type of pattern, the volume fraction of CNTs, and the Pasternak coefficients related to the elastic foundation.