Influence of shear preload on wave propagation in small-scale plates with nanofibers

In the present work, an attempt is made to explore the effects of shear in-plane preload on the wave propagation response of small-scale plates containing nanofibers. The small-scale system is assumed to be embedded in an elastic matrix. The nonlocal elasticity is utilized in order to develop a size-dependent model of plates. The proposed plate model is able to describe both nanofiber effects and the influences of being at small-scales on the wave propagation response. The size-dependent differential equations are derived for motions along all directions. The size-dependent coupled equations are solved analytically to obtain the phase and group velocities of the small-scale plate under a shear in-plane preload. The effects of this shear preload in conjunction with nanofiber and size effects as well as the influences of the elastic matrix on the wave propagation response are analyzed in detail.