Size-dependent nonlinear vibration and instability of a damped microplate subjected to in-plane parametric excitation

The semi-analytical framework for nonlinear vibration and dynamic instability of a damped microplate under periodic parametric excitation is presented. The microplate is modeled using the higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT) in conjugation with the modified strain gradient theory (MSGT). The governing partial differential equations of motion are obtained using Hamilton’s principle and further solved using Galerkin’s method. The ordinary differential equations without the nonlinear terms are solved using Bolotin’s method to obtain the dynamic instability region. A combination of the incremental harmonic balance (IHB) and the arc-length continuation methods is used to obtain the nonlinear forced vibration response. The effect of initial displacements on the steady-state response of the microplate is discussed. The Newmark-β method is used to obtain the time-history response plots. A comparison of results with those obtained from modified couple stress theory (MCST) and classical continuum theory (CCT) are examined. The effect of various parameters, such as the size of a plate, damping coefficient, static and dynamic loading factors, different boundary conditions, and different loading profiles, on the width of linear and nonlinear instability regions, are also studied.