A new three-dimensional model for free vibration analysis of functionally graded nanoplates resting on an elastic foundation

This paper presents a three-dimensional displacement-based formulation to investigate the free vibration of functionally graded nanoplates resting on a Winkler-Pasternak foundation based on the nonlocal elasticity theory. The material properties of the FG nanoplate are considered to vary continuously through the thickness of the nanoplate according to the power-law distribution model. A general three-dimensional displacement field is considered for the plate, which takes into account the out-of-plane strains of the plate as well as the in-plane strains. Unlike the shear deformation theories, in the present formulation, no predetermined form for the distribution of displacements and transverse strains is considered. The equations of motion for functionally graded nanoplate are derived based on Hamilton's principle. The solution is obtained for simply- supported nanoplate, and the predicted results for natural frequencies are compared with the predictions of shear deformation theories which are available in the literature. The predictions of the present theory are discussed in detail to investigate the effects of power-law index, length-to-thickness ratio, mode numbers and the elastic foundation on the dynamic behavior of the functionally graded nanoplate. The present study presents a three-dimensional solution that is able to determine more accurate results in predicting of the natural frequencies of flexural and thickness modes of nanoplates. The effects of parameters that play a key role in the analysis and mechanical design of functionally graded nanoplates are investigated.