Shear Instability Control of Hybrid Small-Scale Plates Embedded in a Polymer Matrix via Shape Memory Alloy Nanofibers

A refined mathematical framework is developed to investigate the ability of shape memory alloy (SMA) nanofibers to control the shear instability of a hybrid small-scale plate made of three layers containing nanofibers. The middle layer is reinforced by SMA nanofibers, while typical nanofibers are utilized to reinforce other layers. Using the Brinson theory, the nonlocal theory and the principle of virtual work, the scale-dependent coupled equations of the reinforced ultrasmall plate are presented. A differential quadrature technique is then applied as a solution procedure for different edge conditions. The influences of various factors, including the coefficients of the polymer matrix, the recovery stress, orientation and volume fraction of SMA nanofibers on the control ability are studied. It is concluded that the shear instability capacity of small-scale plates can be reasonably controlled by using SMA nanofibers. Particularly, higher recovery stresses result in higher critical shear loads. As the SMA volume fraction increases, the shear instability load remarkably increases.