INVESTIGATIONS ON THE MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NANOBEAMS BASED ON THE NONLOCAL STRAIN GRADIENT THEORY1)

基于非局部应变梯度理论,建立了一种具有尺度效应的高阶剪切变形纳米梁的力学模型. 其中,考虑了应变场和一阶应变梯度场下的非局部效应. 采用哈密顿原理推导了纳米梁的控制方程和边界条件,并给出了简支边界条件下静弯曲、自由振动和线性屈曲问题的纳维级数解. 数值结果表明,非局部效应对梁的刚度产生软化作用,应变梯度效应对纳米梁的刚度产生硬化作用,梁的刚度整体呈现软化还是硬化效应依赖于非局部参数与材料特征尺度的比值. 梁的厚度与材料特征尺度越接近,非局部应变梯度理论与经典弹性理论所预测结果之间的差异越显著.     

Nonlocal Thermo-Electro-Mechanical coupling vibrations of axially moving piezoelectric nanobeams

This work is concerned with the thermo-electro-mechanical coupling transverse vibrations of axially moving piezoelectric nanobeams which reveal potential applications in self-powered components of biomedical nano-robot. The nonlocal theory and Euler piezoelectric beam model are employed to develop the governing partial differential equations of the mathematical model for axially moving piezoelectric nanobeams. The natural frequencies of nanobeams under simply supported and fully clamped boundary constraints are numerically determined based on the eigenvalue method. Subsequently, some detailed parametric studies are presented and it is shown that the nonlocal nanoscale effect and axial motion effect contribute to reduce the bending rigidity of axially moving piezoelectric nanobeam and hence its natural frequency decreases within the framework of nonlocal elasticity. Moreover, the natural frequency decreases with increasing the positive external voltage, axial compressive force and change of temperature, while increases with increasing the axial tensile force. The critical speed and critical axial compressive force are determined and the dynamical buckling behaviors of axially moving piezoelectric nanobeams are indicated. It is concluded the nonlocal nanoscale parameter plays a remarkable role in the size-dependent natural frequency, critical speed and critical axial compressive force.     

Theoretical analysis on elastic buckling of nanobeams based on stress-driven nonlocal integral model

Several studies indicate that Eringen's nonlocal model may lead to some inconsistencies for both Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beams, such as cantilever beams subjected to an end point force and fixed-fixed beams subjected a uniform distributed load. In this paper, the elastic buckling behavior of nanobeams, including both EulerBernoulli and Timoshenko beams, is investigated on the basis of a stress-driven nonlocal integral model. The constitutive equations are the Fredholm-type integral equations of the first kind, which can be transformed to the Volterra integral equations of the first kind. With the application of the Laplace transformation, the general solutions of the deflections and bending moments for the Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beams as well as the rotation and shear force for the Timoshenko beams are obtained explicitly with several unknown constants. Considering the boundary conditions and extra constitutive constraints, the characteristic equations are obtained explicitly for the Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beams under different boundary conditions, from which one can determine the critical buckling loads of nanobeams. The effects of the nonlocal parameters and buckling order on the buckling loads of nanobeams are studied numerically, and a consistent toughening effect is obtained.     

On the truth of nanoscale for nanobeams based on nonlocal elastic stress field theory： equilibrium, governing equation and static deflection

This paper has successfully addressed three critical but overlooked issues in nonlocal elastic stress field theory for nanobeams： （i） why does the presence of increasing nonlocal effects induce reduced nanostructural stiffness in many, but not consistently for all, cases of study, i.e., increasing static deflection, decreasing natural frequency and decreasing buckling load, although physical intuition according to the nonlocal elasticity field theory first established by Eringen tells otherwise？ （ii） the intriguing conclusion that nanoscale effects are missing in the solutions in many exemplary cases of study, e.g., bending deflection of a cantilever nanobeam with a point load at its tip; and （iii） the non-existence of additional higher-order boundary conditions for a higher-order governing differential equation. Applying the nonlocal elasticity field theory in nanomechanics and an exact variational principal approach, we derive the new equilibrium conditions, do- main governing differential equation and boundary conditions for bending of nanobeams. These equations and conditions involve essential higher-order differential terms which are opposite in sign with respect to the previously studies in the statics and dynamics of nonlocal nano-structures. The difference in higher-order terms results in reverse trends of nanoscale effects with respect to the conclusion of this paper. Effectively, this paper reports new equilibrium conditions, governing differential equation and boundary condi- tions and the true basic static responses for bending of nanobeams. It is also concluded that the widely accepted equilibrium conditions of nonlocal nanostructures are in fact not in equilibrium, but they can be made perfect should the nonlocal bending moment be replaced by an effective nonlocal bending moment. These conclusions are substantiated, in a general sense, by other approaches in nanostructural models such as strain gradient theory, modified couple stress models and experiments.     

A new nonlocal bending model for Euler–Bernoulli nanobeams

This paper is concerned with the bending problem of nanobeams starting from a nonlocal thermodynamic approach. A new coupled nonlocal model, depending on two nonlocal parameters, is obtained by using a suitable definition of the free energy. Unlike previous approaches which directly substitute the expression of the nonlocal stress into the classical equilibrium equations, the proposed approach provides a methodology to recover nonlocal models starting from the free energy function. The coupled model can then be specialized to obtain a nanobeam formulation based on the Eringen nonlocal elasticity theory and on the gradient elastic model. The variational formulations are consistently provided and the differential equations with the related boundary conditions are thus derived. Nanocantilevers are solved in a closed-form and numerical results are presented to investigate the influence of the nonlocal parameters.     

Thermal Buckling Analysis of Size-Dependent FG Nanobeams Based on the Third-Order Shear Deformation Beam Theory

In this paper,the thermal effects on the buckling of functionally graded(FG) nanobeams subjected to various types of thermal loading including uniform,linear and non-linear temperature changes are investigated based on the nonlocal third-order shear deformation beam theory.The material properties of FG nanobeam are supposed to vary gradually along the thickness direction according to the power-law form.The governing equations are derived through Hamilton's principle and solved analytically.Comparison examples are performed to verify the present results.Obtained results are presented for thermal buckling analysis of FG nanobeams such as the effects of the power-law index,nonlocal parameter,slenderness ratio and thermal loading in detail.     

Analytical solutions for thermal vibration of nanobeams with elastic boundary conditions

A nonlocal Euler beam model with second-order gradient of stress taken into consideration is used to study the thermal vibration of nanobeams with elastic boundary.An analytical solution is proposed to investigate the free vibration of nonlocal Euler beams subjected to axial thermal stress.The effects of the nonlocal parameter,thermal stress and stiffness of boundary constraint on the vibration behaviors of nanobeams are revealed.The results show that natural frequencies including the thermal stress are lower than those without the thermal stress when temperature rises.The boundary-constrained springs have significant effects on the vibration of nanobeams.In addition,numerical simulations also indicate the importance of small-scale effect on the vibration of nanobeams.     

Deep postbuckling and nonlinear bending behaviors of nanobeams with nonlocal and strain gradient effects

In this paper, multi-scale modeling for nanobeams with large deflection is conducted in the framework of the nonlocal strain gradient theory and the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory with exact bending curvature. The proposed size-dependent nonlinear beam model incorporates structure-foundation interaction along with two small scale parameters which describe the stiffness-softening and stiffness-hardening size effects of nanomaterials, respectively. By applying Hamilton's principle, the motion equation and the associated boundary condition are derived. A two-step perturbation method is introduced to handle the deep postbuckling and nonlinear bending problems of nanobeams analytically. Afterwards, the influence of geometrical, material, and elastic foundation parameters on the nonlinear mechanical behaviors of nanobeams is discussed. Numerical results show that the stability and precision of the perturbation solutions can be guaranteed, and the two types of size effects become increasingly important as the slenderness ratio increases. Moreover, the in-plane conditions and the high-order nonlinear terms appearing in the bending curvature expression play an important role in the nonlinear behaviors of nanobeams as the maximum deflection increases.     

Nonlinear vibration analysis of laminated composite Mindlin micro/nano-plates resting on orthotropic Pasternak medium using DQM

The nonlocal nonlinear vibration analysis of embedded laminated microplates resting on an elastic matrix as an orthotropic Pasternak medium is investigated. The small size effects of micro/nano-plate are considered based on the Eringen nonlocal theory. Based on the orthotropic Mindlin plate theory along with the von Kármán geometric nonlinearity and Hamilton's principle, the governing equations are derived. The differential quadrature method (DQM) is applied for obtaining the nonlinear frequency of system. The effects of different parameters such as nonlocal parameters, elastic media, aspect ratios, and boundary conditions are considered on the nonlinear vibration of the micro-plate. Results show that considering elastic medium increases the nonlinear frequency of system. Furthermore, the effect of boundary conditions becomes lower at higher nonlocal parameters.     

Nonlinear resonance responses of geometrically imperfect shear deformable nanobeams including surface stress effects

In this work, a thorough investigation is presented into the nonlinear resonant dynamics of geometrically imperfect shear deformable nanobeams subjected to harmonic external excitation force in the transverse direction. To this end, the Gurtin–Murdoch surface elasticity theory together with Reddy’s third-order shear deformation beam theory is utilized to take into account the size-dependent behavior of nanobeams and the effects of transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia, respectively. The kinematic nonlinearity is considered using the von Kármán kinematic hypothesis. The geometric imperfection as a slight curvature is assumed as the mode shape associated with the first vibration mode. The weak form of geometrically nonlinear governing equations of motion is derived using the variational differential quadrature (VDQ) technique and Lagrange equations. Then, a multistep numerical scheme is employed to solve the obtained governing equations in order to study the nonlinear frequency–response and force–response curves of nanobeams. Comprehensive studies into the effects of initial imperfection and boundary condition as well as geometric parameters on the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of imperfect shear deformable nanobeams are carried out through numerical results. Finally, the importance of incorporating the surface stress effects via the Gurtin–Murdoch elasticity theory, is emphasized by comparing the nonlinear dynamic responses of the nanobeams with different thicknesses.     

A higher-order nonlocal elasticity and strain gradient theory and its applications in wave propagation

In recent years there have been many papers that considered the effects of material length scales in the study of mechanics of solids at micro- and/or nano-scales. There are a number of approaches and, among them, one set of papers deals with Eringen's differential nonlocal model and another deals with the strain gradient theories. The modified couple stress theory, which also accounts for a material length scale, is a form of a strain gradient theory. The large body of literature that has come into existence in the last several years has created significant confusion among researchers about the length scales that these various theories contain. The present paper has the objective of establishing the fact that the length scales present in nonlocal elasticity and strain gradient theory describe two entirely different physical characteristics of materials and structures at nanoscale. By using two principle kernel functions, the paper further presents a theory with application examples which relates the classical nonlocal elasticity and strain gradient theory and it results in a higher-order nonlocal strain gradient theory. In this theory, a higher-order nonlocal strain gradient elasticity system which considers higher-order stress gradients and strain gradient nonlocality is proposed. It is based on the nonlocal effects of the strain field and first gradient strain field. This theory intends to generalize the classical nonlocal elasticity theory by introducing a higher-order strain tensor with nonlocality into the stored energy function. The theory is distinctive because the classical nonlocal stress theory does not include nonlocality of higher-order stresses while the common strain gradient theory only considers local higher-order strain gradients without nonlocal effects in a global sense. By establishing the constitutive relation within the thermodynamic framework, the governing equations of equilibrium and all boundary conditions are derived via the variational approach. Two additional kinds of parameters, the higher-order nonlocal parameters and the nonlocal gradient length coefficients are introduced to account for the size-dependent characteristics of nonlocal gradient materials at nanoscale. To illustrate its application values, the theory is applied for wave propagation in a nonlocal strain gradient system and the new dispersion relations derived are presented through examples for wave propagating in Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko nanobeams. The numerical results based on the new nonlocal strain gradient theory reveal some new findings with respect to lattice dynamics and wave propagation experiment that could not be matched by both the classical nonlocal stress model and the contemporary strain gradient theory. Thus, this higher-order nonlocal strain gradient model provides an explanation to some observations in the classical and nonlocal stress theories as well as the strain gradient theory in these aspects.     

Surface and thermal effects on vibration of embedded alumina nanobeams based on novel Timoshenko beam model

This paper deals with the free vibration analysis of circular alumina （Al2O3） nanobeams in the presence of surface and thermal effects resting on a Pasternak foun- dation. The system of motion equations is derived using Hamilton＇s principle under the assumptions of the classical Timoshenko beam theory. The effects of the transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia are also considered within the framework of the mentioned theory. The separation of variables approach is employed to discretize the governing equa- tions which are then solved by an analytical method to obtain the natural frequencies of the alumina nanobeams. The results show that the surface effects lead to an increase in the natural frequency of nanobeams as compared with the classical Timoshenko beam model. In addition, for nanobeams with large diameters, the surface effects may increase the natural frequencies by increasing the thermal effects. Moreover, with regard to the Pasternak elastic foundation, the natural frequencies are increased slightly. The results of the present model are compared with the literature, showing that the present model can capture correctly the surface effects in thermal vibration of nanobeams.     

Free vibration of nonhomogeneous Timoshenko nanobeams

Free vibration of nonhomogeneous nanobeams based on nonlocal Timoshenko beam theory has been studied using boundary characteristic orthogonal polynomial functions in the Rayleigh–Ritz method. Orthogonal polynomial functions satisfying essential boundary conditions have been generated with the help of Gram–Schmidt Process. Nonhomogeneity of nanobeams is assumed to arise due to linear and quadratic variations in Young’s modulus and density of the nanobeams with space coordinate. The lowest three frequency parameters of nanobeams subjected to different boundary conditions have been computed for various values of nonhomogeneous parameters to demonstrate the effect of each parameters on the frequency parameters. A detailed investigation has been reported for all the possible cases of variations in Young’s modulus and density to analyze the numerical results for different scaling effect parameters and four types of boundary conditions. Present results are compared with the results in special cases and are found to be in good agreement.     

A GENERALIZED THERMOELASTIC DIFFUSION PROBLEM OF THIN PLATE HEATED BY THE ULTRASHORT LASER PULSES 1)

由于超短激光脉冲具有功率密度高、持续时间短、加工精度高等优势, 近年来被广泛应用于超精细加工、光学储存和微电子器件制造等领域. 本文基于L-S型广义热弹扩散理论, 建立了考虑材料记忆依赖效应和空间非局部效应的记忆依赖型非局部广义热弹扩散耦合理论, 它能够准确预测几何尺寸与内部特征尺寸相近结构的热弹扩散瞬态响应. 推导了所建理论的控制方程, 并基于拉普拉斯积分变换获得了控制方程的解. 作为算例, 利用所建理论和求解方法研究了半无限大薄板受非高斯激光脉冲加热和化学冲击联合作用下的热弹扩散瞬态响应问题, 得到了薄板的温度、化学势、位移、应力和浓度等随非局部参数、热时间迟滞因子和扩散时间迟滞因子等参数变化的分布规律. 结果表明: 传热对传质影响显著, 传质对传热影响甚微; 非局部参数对位移、应力影响显著, 对温度、化学势和浓度几乎没有影响. 该理论及求解方法的建立, 旨在实现材料在机械、热、化学势等冲击作用下传热传质瞬态响应的准确预测.     

Bending of Euler–Bernoulli nanobeams based on the strain-driven and stress-driven nonlocal integral models: a numerical approach

Eringen’s nonlocal elasticity theory is extensively employed for the analysis of nanostructures because it is able to capture nanoscale effects. Previous studies have revealed that using the differential form of the strain-driven version of this theory leads to paradoxical results in some cases, such as bending analysis of cantilevers, and recourse must be made to the integral version. In this article, a novel numerical approach is developed for the bending analysis of Euler–Bernoulli nanobeams in the context of strain- and stress-driven integral nonlocal models. This numerical approach is proposed for the direct solution to bypass the difficulties related to converting the integral governing equation into a differential equation. First, the governing equation is derived based on both strain-driven and stress-driven nonlocal models by means of the minimum total potential energy. Also, in each case, the governing equation is obtained in both strong and weak forms. To solve numerically the derived equations, matrix differential and integral operators are constructed based upon the finite difference technique and trapezoidal integration rule. It is shown that the proposed numerical approach can be efficiently applied to the strain-driven nonlocal model with the aim of resolving the mentioned paradoxes. Also, it is able to solve the problem based on the strain-driven model without inconsistencies of the application of this model that are reported in the literature.     

超短激光脉冲加热薄板的广义热弹扩散问题

由于超短激光脉冲具有功率密度高、持续时间短、加工精度高等优势, 近年来被广泛应用于超精细加工、光学储存和微电子器件制造等领域. 本文基于L-S型广义热弹扩散理论, 建立了考虑材料记忆依赖效应和空间非局部效应的记忆依赖型非局部广义热弹扩散耦合理论, 它能够准确预测几何尺寸与内部特征尺寸相近结构的热弹扩散瞬态响应. 推导了所建理论的控制方程, 并基于拉普拉斯积分变换获得了控制方程的解. 作为算例, 利用所建理论和求解方法研究了半无限大薄板受非高斯激光脉冲加热和化学冲击联合作用下的热弹扩散瞬态响应问题, 得到了薄板的温度、化学势、位移、应力和浓度等随非局部参数、热时间迟滞因子和扩散时间迟滞因子等参数变化的分布规律. 结果表明: 传热对传质影响显著, 传质对传热影响甚微; 非局部参数对位移、应力影响显著, 对温度、化学势和浓度几乎没有影响. 该理论及求解方法的建立, 旨在实现材料在机械、热、化学势等冲击作用下传热传质瞬态响应的准确预测.      

Dynamic behaviour of axially moving nanobeams based on nonlocal elasticity approach

In this article, transverse free vibrations of axially moving nanobeams subjected to axial tension are studied based on nonlocal stress elasticity theory. A new higher-order differential equation of motion is derived from the variational principle with corresponding higher-order, non-classical boundary conditions. Two supporting conditions are investigated, i.e. simple supports and clamped supports. Effects of nonlocal nanoscale, dimensionless axial velocity, density and axial tension on natural frequencies are presented and discussed through numerical examples. It is found that these factors have great influence on the dynamic behaviour of an axially moving nanobeam. In particular, the nonlocal effect tends to induce higher vibration frequencies as compared to the results obtained from classical vibration theory. Analytical solutions for critical velocity of these nanobeams when the frequency vanishes are also derived and the influences of nonlocal nanoscale and axial tension on the critical velocity are discussed.     

An asymmetric theory of nonlocal elasticity—Part 2. Continuum field

In this paper, an asymmetric theory of nonlocal elasticity with nonlocal body couple is developed on the basis of the axiom system in nonlocal continuum field theory. The Galileo invariance is used for determining the explicit form of the constitutive equations. It is shown that both continuum field theory and quasicontinuum theory give the same constitutive equations and field equations for the general theory of nonlocal elasticity. Finally, the relations among nonlocal theory, couple stress theory, and higher gradient theory are investigated.     

Free torsional vibration of cracked nanobeams incorporating surface energy effects

This paper investigates surface energy effects, including the surface shear modulus, the surface stress, and the surface density, on the free torsional vibration of nanobeams with a circumferential crack and various boundary conditions. To formulate the problem, the surface elasticity theory is used. The cracked nanobeam is modeled by dividing it into two parts connected by a torsional linear spring in which its stiffness is related to the crack severity. Governing equations and corresponding boundary conditions are derived with the aid of Hamilton's principle. Then, natural frequencies are obtained analytically, and the influence of the crack severity and position, the surface energy, the boundary conditions, the mode number, and the dimensions of nanobeam on the free torsional vibration of nanobeams is studied in detail. Results of the present study reveal that the surface energy has completely different effects on the free torsional vibration of cracked nanobeams compared with its effects on the free transverse vibration of cracked nanobeams.     

Size-dependent sinusoidal beam model for dynamic instability of single-walled carbon nanotubes

In this study, a model for dynamic instability of embedded single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is presented. SWCNTs are modeled by the sinusoidal shear deformation beam theory (SSDBT). The modified couple stress theory (MCST) is considered in order to capture the size effects. The surrounding elastic medium is described by a visco-Pasternak foundation model, which accounts for normal, transverse shear, and damping loads. The motion equations are derived based on Hamilton’s principle. The differential quadrature method (DQM) in conjunction with the Bolotin method is used in order to calculate the dynamic instability region (DIR) of SWCNTs. The effects of different parameters, such as nonlocal parameter, visco-Pasternak foundation, mode numbers, and geometrical parameters, are shown on the dynamic instability of SWCNTs. The results depict that increasing the nonlocal parameter shifts the DIR to right. The results presented in this paper would be helpful in design and manufacturing of nano-electromechanical system (NEMS) and micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS).