This article presents the free vibration of piezoelectric functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite conical panels with elastically restrained boundary conditions. The material properties of carbon nanotube-reinforced composites are assumed to be temperature-dependent and are obtained using the extended rule of mixture. First-order shear deformation theory is adopted to obtain the kinematics of the hybrid panels, and the boundary spring technique is used to implement arbitrary boundary conditions. Meanwhile, two types of electrical boundary conditions, closed circuit and open circuit, are considered for the free surfaces of the piezoelectric layers. The complete sets of electro-mechanically coupled governing equations are obtained using the Rayleigh–Ritz procedure with the Chebyshev polynomial basis functions. The resultant eigenvalue problem is solved to obtain natural frequencies and mode shapes of the hybrid panels. Convergence and comparison studies have been conducted to verify the stability and accuracy of the proposed method. Several numerical examples are examined to reveal the influences of the carbon nanotube volume fractions, carbon nanotube distribution types, boundary conditions, geometrical parameters, and temperatures on the natural frequencies of the hybrid panel. Moreover, the mode shapes of the hybrid panels under various boundary conditions are also presented.

This paper presents a simple and effective approach based on the Haar wavelet discretization method (HWDM) for the nonlinear vibration analysis of carbon nanotube‐reinforced composite (CNTRC) beams resting on a nonlinear elastic foundation in a thermal environment. Material properties are assumed to be functionally graded (FG) in the thickness direction and temperature‐dependent and are evaluated through the extended rule of mixture. Based on the first‐order shear deformation beam theory in conjunction with the von Kármán nonlinearity, the nonlinear governing equations of CNTRC beams on nonlinear elastic foundations are derived as well as the related boundary conditions. Moreover, the initial thermal stress due to uniform temperature rise is considered in this study. To evaluate the nonlinear natural frequencies, the obtained equations are discretized into a set of nonlinear algebraic equations through HWDM and then the direct iteration technique is employed to solve the resulting algebraic equations. The convergence and comparison studies are carried out, and the results indicate that the numerical rate of convergence of the proposed method is in agreement with the convergence theorem, and good accuracy of the present results is observed. Studies on the effects of different parameters such as CNT volume fraction, distribution type of CNTs, foundation stiffness coefficients, boundary condition, slenderness ratio, temperature rise, and initial thermal stress on the linear frequencies and the nonlinear frequency ratios are also reported. This study offers an insight into the vibration behaviors of CNTRC beams resting on nonlinear elastic foundation subjected to the uniform temperature rise.

Wave energy, as a vast renewable resource, remains underutilized despite its high potential. The oscillating water column (OWC) is one of the most efficient way to harvest wave energy. Due to the randomness of ocean wave excitation, a control strategy is needed to keep the conversion efficiency of OWC at a certain level. In this paper, an adaptive model predictive control (AMPC) method is proposed to optimize the efficiency of the air turbine and improve the overall efficiency of the OWC. Experiments were conducted in a wave flume to obtain realistic wave data, which were fed into the AMPC model for simulations. Results indicate that AMPC-optimized turbine efficiency exhibits improved performance under regular wave conditions and significantly enhances efficiency within certain intervals under short-period irregular waves. However, as the wave period increases, optimization becomes less stable. Overall, the study concludes that the adaptive MPC model effectively optimizes turbine efficiency under most conditions, highlighting its potential for enhancing OWC performance.

The deposition status and profile dimension of deposited filaments have an impact on the quality of the printed parts fabricated by direct ink writing (DIW). Previous works often failed to realize the full quantitative characterizations of the detailed influence of the process parameters on the deposition status and profile dimension. Herein, we predict and analyze the deposition status and profile dimension by proposing an improved three-dimensional (3D) numerical model. The prediction accuracy of the proposed numerical model is verified through filament deposition experiments. The maximum relative errors of width and height between the experimental and simulation results of cross-sections are 10.13% and 7.37%, respectively. The effect of process parameters on the deposition status and profile dimension has been quantified. Critical process parameters are identified as the dimensionless nozzle velocity (V*) and the dimensionless height (H*). Three deposition statuses named over-deposition, pressed deposition and freeform deposition are characterized depending on the combination of V* and H*. The current work demonstrates an effective approach for the prediction of the deposition status and profile dimension of the deposited filaments along with the investigation of the effects of process parameters in DIW based on numerical simulations.

Wave energy is one of the most widely distributed and abundant energies in the ocean, and its conversion technology has been broadly researched. In this paper, a structure that combines a traditional center pipe oscillating water column and a triboelectric nanogenerator is proposed. Firstly, the structural characteristics and geometric parameters of the device are designed. The working process of the device is introduced, the motion equation of the device is established, and the power generation principle of the triboelectric nanogenerator is deduced and analyzed theoretically. Secondly, hydrodynamic modeling and simulation are carried out, the influence of the bottom shape of the main floating body and the structural parameters of the sag plate on the hydrodynamic force of the device is analyzed, and an electric field simulation of the generation process of the friction nanogenerator is carried out. Finally, experiments involving the wave water tank of the proposed device are conducted, including charging the capacitor of the device under different wave conditions and directly lighting the LED lamp. The performance of the proposed device under different wave conditions is discussed. According to the test results, the feasibility of the proposed device for wave energy conversion is confirmed.

Functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composites (FG-CNTRCs) are a novel breed of polymer nanocomposite, in which the nonuniform distribution of the carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforcement is adopted to maximize the macro-mechanical performance of the polymer with a lower content of CNTs. Composite conical–cylindrical combined shells (CCCSs) are widely utilized as loading-bearing components in various engineering applications, and a comprehensive understanding of the vibration characteristics of these shells under different external excitations and boundary conditions is crucial for engineering applications. In this study, the free vibration behaviors of FG-CNTRC CCCSs supported by an elastic foundation are examined using the Haar wavelet discretization method (HWDM). First, by means of the HWDM, the equations of motion of each shell segment, the continuity and boundary conditions are converted into a system of algebraic equations. Subsequently, the natural frequencies and modes of the CCCSs are achieved by calculating the resultant algebraic equations. The convergence and accuracy are evaluated, and the results demonstrate that the proposed method has stable convergence, high efficiency, and excellent accuracy. Furthermore, an exhaustive parametric investigation is conducted to reveal the effects of foundation stiffnesses, boundary conditions, material mechanical properties, and geometric parameters on the vibration characteristics of the FG-CNTRC CCCS.