Ritz solutions for asymmetric/axisymmetric buckling of temperature-dependent FG-CNTRC hemispherical shells under thermal loads

This paper presents a parametric investigation of the thermal buckling behavior of temperature-dependent functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) hemispherical shells with hinged and sliding supports under a uniform temperature rise. The shell material is assumed to be temperature-dependent and consists of polymer matrices (PMMA) reinforced with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Both uniform (UD) and functionally graded (FGX, FGO, FGA, and FGV) distributions of CNTs across the shell thickness are examined. The strain formulations are derived using the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) to describe the displacement fields associated with shell deformation. The displacement components are approximated using Fourier series expansions, and the thermal buckling results for FG-CNTRC hemispherical shells with temperature-dependent materials are obtained through the Rayleigh-Ritz method with iterative procedures. The convergence and accuracy of the results are verified by comparison with the commercial finite element method (FEM) software, ABAQUS. This study provides novel insights into the axisymmetric and asymmetric thermal buckling of FG-CNTRC hemispherical shells, presenting key results and corresponding mode shapes. Furthermore, the effects of geometrical parameters, including shell thickness and support conditions, on the thermal buckling behavior are thoroughly analyzed and discussed for various volume fractions and distribution patterns of CNTs.