A.H Ghorbanpour-Arani - School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
A Rastgoo - School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

This investigation deals with the vibration analysis of the sandwich beam with electro-rheological (ER) core embedded within two functionally graded (FG) carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) layers. In this regard, the governing equations are extracted by the Hamilton principle and the rule of mixture is employed to calculate the effective mechanical and physical properties of the CNTRCs face-sheets. Don and Yalcintas shear modulus models are applied to simulate shear modules of the ER core of the beam. The elastic medium is simulated by Winkler-Pasternak model and then, the governing equations are analytically solved. Finally, a parametric study is carried out in details and the effects of some main designing parameters such as applied voltage, Winkler coefficient, Pasternak coefficient, core to face-sheets thickness ratios and the different pattern of the CNTs along the face-sheets and loss factors are examined on the natural frequency. Based on the obtained results, volume fraction of CNTs in face-sheets have significant influence on the natural frequency in which by increasing the volume fractions the flexural rigidity of the sandwich beam increases as well as natural frequency.

Electro-rheological core, Carbon Nanotube, Composite material, Functionally graded layers