Vibrations of Carbon Nanotubes: nonlinear models and energy distribution

Vibrations of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for various boundary conditions are considered in the framework of the Sanders-Koiter thin shell theory. A double series expansion of displacement fields, based on the Chebyshev orthogonal polynomials and harmonic functions, is used to analyse numerically the natural frequencies of shells having free or clamped edges. A reduced form of the Sanders-Koiter theory is developed by assuming small circumferential and shear deformations; such approach allows to determine an analytical solution for the natural frequencies. The numerical model is validated with the results of molecular dynamics and finite element analyses present in literature. The analytical model is validated by means of comparisons with the numerical approach. Nonlinear vibrations and energy distribution of carbon nanotubes are then considered.