Strain Gradient–Based Thermomechanical Nonlinear Stability Behavior of Geometrically Imperfect Porous Functionally Graded Nanoplates

Abstract

This paper studied the thermomechanical nonlinear stability analysis of simply supported geometrically imperfect porous functionally graded nanoplates (FG-nPs) resting on an elastic medium. The inverse trigonometric shear deformation theory was used in conjunction with the nonlocal strain gradient theory, which accounts for small-scale effects. The non-linear stability equations using the von Karman sense of the strain–displacement relation and generic imperfection function were derived for FG-nPs under thermomechanical loading conditions. The FG-nP was subjected to mechanical and thermal loading. An expression for the critical buckling load and temperature of a geometrically imperfect porous FG-nP was obtained. The impact of geometric imperfection, porosity inclusion, and geometric and boundary conditions on the nonlinear stability characteristics of FG-nPs was addressed thoroughly after validation of the superior accuracy of the derived expression.