Differential quadrature solutions for the nonconservative instability of a class of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Purpose The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the nonconservative instability of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) with an added mass through nonlocal theories. The governing equations are discretized by means of the differential quadrature (DQ) rules, as introduced by Bellman and Casti. DQ rules have been largely used in engineering and applied sciences. Recently, they were applied to enhance some numerical schemes, such as step-by-step integration schemes and Picard-like numerical schemes. Design/methodology/approach In the present paper, the DQ rules are used to investigate the nonconservative instability of a SWCNT through nonlocal theories. Findings To show the sensitivity of the SWCNT to the values of added mass and the influence of nonlocal parameter on the fundamental frequencies values, some numerical examples have been performed and discussed. Yet, the effect of the different boundary conditions on the instability behaviour has been investigated. The validity of the present model has been confirmed by comparing some results against the ones available in literature. Originality/value Applying the nonlocal elasticity theory, this paper presents a re-formulation of Hamilton’s principle for the free vibration analysis of a uniform Euler–Bernoulli nanobeam. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the free vibration response of an SWCNT with attached mass and for various values of small scale effects.