Wave propagation in a microbeam based on the modified couple stress theory

This paper presents responses of the free end of a cantilever micro beam under the effect of an impact force based on the modified couple stress theory. The beam is excited by a transverse triangular force impulse modulated by a harmonic motion. The Kelvin-Voigt model for the material of the beam is used. The considered problem is investigated within the Bernoulli-Euler beam theory by using energy based finite element method. The system of equations of motion is derived by using Lagrange's equations. The obtained system of linear differential equations is reduced to a linear algebraic equation system and solved in the time domain by using Newmark average acceleration method. In the study, the difference of the modified couple stress theory and the classical beam theory is investigated for the wave propagation. A few of the obtained results are compared with the previously published results. The influences of the material length scale parameter on the wave propagation are investigated in detail. It is clearly seen from the results that the classical beam theory based on the modified couple stress theory must be used instead of the classical theory for small values of beam height.