Analyzing wave propagation in graphene-reinforced nanocomposite annular plates by the semi-analytical formulation.

Graphene-based reinforcements can enhance mechanical performances of composite structures by altering the distributions of graphene platelets (GPLs), which determines wave propagation characteristics. Dispersion behaviors of elastic waves in the nanocomposite annular plates are investigated in this work. Utilizing the modified micromechanical model and the rule of mixtures, four types of distribution patterns are considered to evaluate the effective material properties of the nanocomposites. Elastodynamic equations of wave motion are expressed and parameterized in the semi-analytical formulation based on Reddy's higher-order shear deformation theory and the isogeometric analysis. Dispersion characteristics of the in-plane and out-of-plane wave modes are studied in detail. The cutoff frequencies are discussed in order to confirm the accuracy of the results. Besides, parametric studies are conducted to analyze the influences of distribution, weight fraction and size parameters of GPLs on phase-velocity and group-velocity curves of waves. The results indicate that the concentration of GPLs on the boundaries of composite plates can improve the propagation characteristics of wave modes. In the case of FG-V, there exists the interesting phenomenon of mode conversion. It is concluded that dispersion characteristics of elastic waves in nanocomposite annular plates can be flexibly modulated by changing significant parameters of the reinforcement GPLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]