Dynamic analysis of three-layer cylindrical shells with fractional viscoelastic core and functionally graded face layers

Natural frequency and damping behavior of three-layer cylindrical shells with a viscoelastic core layer and functionally graded face layers are studied in this article. Using functionally graded face layers can reduce the stress discontinuity in the face–core interface that causes a catastrophic failure in sandwich structures. The viscoelastic layer is expressed using a fractional-order model, and the functionally graded layers are defined by a power law function. Assuming the classical shell theory for functionally graded layers and the first-order shear deformation theory for the viscoelastic core, equations of motion are derived using Lagrange’s equation and then solved via Rayleigh–Ritz method. The obtained results are validated with those in the literature, and finally, the effects of some geometrical and material parameters such as length-to-radius ratio, functionally graded properties, radius and thickness of viscoelastic layer on the natural frequency, and loss factor of the system are considered, and some conclusions are drawn.