Liquid crystal model of vesicle deformation in alternating electric fields

Considering the effects of osmotic pressure, elastic bending, Maxwell pressure, surface tension, as well as flexo-electric and dielectric properties of phospholipid membrane, the shape equation for sphere vesicle in alternation (AC) electric field is derived based on the liquid crystal model by minimizing the free energy due to coupled mechanical and AC electrical fields. Besides the effect of elastic bending, the influence of osmotic pressure and surface tension on the frequency dependent behavior of vesicle membrane in AC electric field is also discussed. Our theoretical results for membrane deformation are consistent with corresponding experiments. The present model provides the possibility to further disclose the frequency-depended behavior of biological cells in the coupled AC electric and different mechanical fields.     

Fracture behaviors of piezoelectric materials

Theoretical analyses and experimental observations of the failure and fracture behaviors of piezoelectric materials are presented. The theoretical analyses are based on the Stroh formalism. A strip dielectric breakdown model is proposed to estimate the effect of electrical non-linearity on the piezoelectric fracture of electrically insulated cracks. The reviewed experiments include the indentation fracture test, the bending test on smooth samples, the fracture test on pre-notched or pre-cracked samples, the environment-assisted fracture test, etc. For electrically insulated cracks, the experimental results show a complicated fracture behavior under combined electrical and mechanical loading. Fracture data are greatly scattered when a static electric field is applied. For electrically conducting cracks, the experimental results demonstrate that static electric fields can fracture poled and depoled lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics. A charge-free zone model is introduced to understand the failure behavior of conducting cracks in the depoled lead zirconate titanate ceramics under electrical and/or mechanical loading. These theoretical and experimental results indicate that fracture mechanics concepts are useful in the study of the failure behaviors of piezoelectric materials.     

A SIMPLE CONSTITUTIVE MODEL FOR FERROELECTRIC CERAMICS UNDER ELECTRICAL/MECHANICAL LOADING

A simple phenomenological model is developed for describing the macroscopic constitutive response of ferroelectric materials based on consideration of the fact that domain switching is a progressive evolution process with loading. The volume fraction of domain switching is taken as an internal variable, which is derived from the domain nucleation theory. The proposed theory can simulate the dielectric hysteresis, reversed butterfly hysteresis, nonlinear strain-stress hysteresis, as well as electric displacement-stress relation of ferroelectric materials. Its comparison with experimental results and two other theoretical models reveals that the model presented can well predict the nonlinear hysteresis of ferroelectrics under electrical or mechanical loading.     

Modeling of dielectric viscoelastomers with application to electromechanical instabilities

Soft dielectrics are electrically-insulating elastomeric materials, which are capable of large deformation and electrical polarization, and are used as smart transducers for converting between mechanical and electrical energy. While much theoretical and computational modeling effort has gone into describing the ideal, time-independent behavior of these materials, viscoelasticity is a crucial component of the observed mechanical response and hence has a significant effect on electromechanical actuation. In this paper, we report on a constitutive theory and numerical modeling capability for dielectric viscoelastomers, able to describe electromechanical coupling, large-deformations, large-stretch chain-locking, and a time-dependent mechanical response. Our approach is calibrated to the widely-used soft dielectric VHB 4910, and the finite-element implementation of the model is used to study the role of viscoelasticity in instabilities in soft dielectrics, namely (1) the pull-in instability, (2) electrocreasing, (3) electrocavitation, and (4) wrinkling of a pretensioned three-dimensional diaphragm actuator. Our results show that viscoelastic effects delay the onset of instability under monotonic electrical loading and can even suppress instabilities under cyclic loading. Furthermore, quantitative agreement is obtained between experimentally measured and numerically simulated instability thresholds. Our finite-element implementation will be useful as a modeling platform for further study of electromechanical instabilities and for harnessing them in design and is provided as online supplemental material to aid other researchers in the field.     

Numerical Simulation of Nanoindentation and Patch Clamp Experiments on Mechanosensitive Channels of Large Conductance in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

A hierarchical simulation framework that integrates information from all-atom simulations into a finite element model at the continuum level is established to study the mechanical response of a mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) in bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) embedded in a vesicle formed by the dipalmitoylphosphatidycholine (DPPC) lipid bilayer. Sufficient structural details of the protein are built into the continuum model, with key parameters and material properties derived from molecular mechanics simulations. The multi-scale framework is used to analyze the gating of MscL when the lipid vesicle is subjective to nanoindentation and patch clamp experiments, and the detailed structural transitions of the protein are obtained explicitly as a function of external load; it is currently impossible to derive such information based solely on all-atom simulations. The gating pathways of E. coli-MscL qualitatively agree with results from previous patch clamp experiments. The gating mechanisms under complex indentation-induced deformation are also predicted. This versatile hierarchical multi-scale framework may be further extended to study the mechanical behaviors of cells and biomolecules, as well as to guide and stimulate biomechanics experiments.     

Modeling and simulation of the coupled mechanical-electrical response of soft solids

Dielectric elastomer (DE) is one type of electro-active polymers (EAP) that responds to electrical stimulation with a significant shape and size change. As EAPs, dielectric elastomers are lightweight, inexpensive, pliable and can be fabricated into various shapes, all of which are attractive properties to justify the intense research in the field. This paper presents a nonlinear, electrical and mechanical coupled, large deformation finite element formulation for DEAs. Maxwell’s equations for the electroquasistatic fields were solved simultaneously with equation of linear momentum. The hyperelastic Ogden model and total Maxwell stress method were combined to describe the material. The formulation was based on the weak forms of Maxwell’s equation and linear momentum expressed in the reference configuration. The closed form consistent tangent moduli for dielectric elastomers were derived. The results of the simulation compared with the experiments have demonstrated the validity of the method from the computational aspect.     

Hybrid continuum–coarse-grained modeling of erythrocytes

The red blood cell (RBC) membrane is a composite structure, consisting of a phospholipid bilayer and an underlying membrane-associated cytoskeleton. Both continuum and particle-based coarse-grained RBC models make use of a set of vertices connected by edges to represent the RBC membrane, which can be seen as a triangular surface mesh for the former and a spring network for the latter. Here, we present a modeling approach combining an existing continuum vesicle model with a coarse-grained model for the cytoskeleton. Compared to other two-component approaches, our method relies on only one mesh, representing the cytoskeleton, whose velocity in the tangential direction of the membrane may be different from that of the lipid bilayer. The finitely extensible nonlinear elastic (FENE) spring force law in combination with a repulsive force defined as a power function (POW), called FENE–POW, is used to describe the elastic properties of the RBC membrane. The mechanical interaction between the lipid bilayer and the cytoskeleton is explicitly computed and incorporated into the vesicle model. Our model includes the fundamental mechanical properties of the RBC membrane, namely fluidity and bending rigidity of the lipid bilayer, and shear elasticity of the cytoskeleton while maintaining surface-area and volume conservation constraint. We present three simulation examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of this hybrid continuum–coarse-grained model for the study of RBCs in fluid flows.     

Numerical study on the hydrodynamic behavior of the dielectric fluid around an electrical discharge generated bubble in EDM

In the process of EDM, due to the electrical current, very small bubbles are created within the gap. These bubbles are connected to each other and generate a single bubble. The vapor bubble continues to grow until it finally collapses to small bubbles. The bubble behavior can be ascertained on the distribution of the pressure in the dielectric fluid around the bubble. In this paper, velocity fields and pressure distribution in the dielectric fluid around the bubble that is generated in the process of EDM are investigated numerically. The tool and the workpiece are assumed as two parallel rigid boundaries with dielectric liquid between them. The boundary integral equation method is applied for the numerical solution of the problem. This study can lead to better understanding of the bubble importance in the performance of the electrical discharge machining process.     

Thermal fluctuations and the minimum electrical field that can be detected by a biological membrane

Thermal electrical noise in living cells is considered to be the minimum threshold for several biological response mechanisms that pertain to electric fields. Existing models that purport to explain and interpret this phenomena yield perplexing results. The simplest model, in which the biomembrane is considered to be a linear dielectric, yields an equilibrium noise level that is several orders of magnitude larger than what is observed experimentally. An alternative approach of estimating the thermal noise as the Nyquist noise of a resistor within a finite frequency bandwidth, yields little physical insight. In this work, we argue that the nonlinear dielectric behavior must be accounted for. Using a statistical mechanics approach, we analyze the thermal fluctuations of a fully coupled electromechanical biomembrane. We develop a variational approximation to analytically obtain the benchmark results for model fluid membranes as well as physically reasonable estimates of the minimum electrical field threshold that can be detected by cells. Qualitatively, at least, our model is capable of predicting all known experimental results. The predictions of our model also suggest that further experimental work is warranted to clarify the inconsistencies in the literature.     

ANALYSIS OF DAMAGE NEAR A CONDUCTING CRACK IN A PIEZOELECTRIC CERAMIC

The finite element formulation for analyzing static damage near a conducting crack in a thin piezoelectric plate is established from the virtual work principle of piezoelectricity. The damage fields under various mechanical and electrical loads are calculated carefully by using an effective iterative procedure. The numerical results show that all the damage fields around a crack tip are fan-shaped and the electric field applied has great influence on the mechanical damage,which is related to the piezoelectric properties.     

一种力-电协同驱动的细胞微流控培养腔理论模型

细胞培养液在微流控生物反应器中受到外界物理场（如压力梯度或者电场）作用流动而产生流体剪应力,并进一步刺激种子细胞调控其内部基因的表达,从而促进细胞的分化和生长,这个过程在自然生命组织内的微管中亦是如此。考虑到细胞培养微腔隙中液体流动行为很难实验量化测定,理论建模分析是目前可行的研究手段。因此建立了矩形截面的细胞微流控培养腔理论模型,将外部的物理驱动场（压力梯度与电场）与培养腔内液体的流速、切应力和流率联系起来,分别得到了压力梯度驱动（Pressure gradient driven,PGD）、电场驱动（Electric field driven,EFD）及力-电协同驱动（Pressure-electricity synergic driven,P-ESD）三种驱动方式下的液体流动理论模型。结果表明该理论模型与现有的实验结果基本一致,具体地:力-电协同作用下的解答为压力梯度驱动和电场驱动结果的叠加。细胞培养腔内的流体流速、剪应力及流率幅值均正比于外部物理场强幅值,但随着压力梯度驱动载荷频率的增大而减小,随着电场驱动频率的变化不明显。在压力梯度驱动作用下,细胞贴壁处的切应力随着腔高的增大而线性增大,流率则随着腔高的增大而非线性增大,而电场驱动下的结果不受腔高的影响。生理范围内的温度场变化对压力和电场驱动的结果影响不大。另外,在引起细胞响应的流体切应力水平,电场驱动能提供较大的切应力幅值而压力梯度驱动则能提供较大的流率幅值。该理论模型的建立为细胞微流控生物反应器实验系统的设计及参数优化提供理论参考,同时也为力-电刺激细胞生长、分化机理的研究的提供基础。      

横观各向同性压电材料中裂纹问题的边界元法

采用Somigiliana公式给出了三维横观各向同性压电材料中的非渗漏裂纹问题的一般解和超奇异积分方程,其中未知函数为裂纹面上的位移间断和电势间断．在此基础上,使用有限部积分和边界元结合的方法,建立了超奇异积分方程的数值求解方法,并给出了一些典型数值算例的应力强度因子和电位移强度因子的数值结果,结果令人满意．     

Thermal,electrical, mechanical coupled mechanics for initial buckling analysis of smart plates and beams using discrete layer kinematics

Non-linear behavior of smart structures is of interest to researchers due to the possibilities for the elaboration of more effective actuators and sensors based on piezoelectric materials. The aim of the present work, is to present an integrated approach for the buckling behavior of smart beams and plates under multiple loading conditions. In order to present an accurate analysis, a coupled constitutive formulation between thermal, electrical and mechanical fields is elaborated incorporating non-linearity due to large displacements. An 8-node plate element was implemented in combination with discrete layer kinematics (LW) for the through-the-thickness representation of the structure. The issues of the critical buckling load under different electrical conditions as well as thermal and electrical loading are also presented. Experimental results contribute to the verification of the accuracy of the numerical analysis results and of the coupling mechanics in general.     

Effects of static electric field on the fracture behavior of piezoelectric ceramics

The paper gives an overview on experimental observations of the failure behavior of electrically insulating and conducting cracks in piezoelectric ceramics. The experiments include the indentation fracture test, the bending test on smooth samples, and the fracture test on pre-notched (or pre-cracked) compact tension samples. For electrically insulating cracks, the experimental results show a complicated fracture behavior under electrical and mechanical loading. Fracture data are much scattered when a static electric field is applied. A statistically based fracture criterion is required. For electrically conducting cracks, the experimental results demonstrate that static electric fields can fracture poled and depoled lead zirconate titanate ceramics and that the concepts of fracture mechanics can be used to measure the electrical fracture toughness. Furthermore, the electrical fracture toughness is much higher than the mechanical fracture toughness. The highly electrical fracture toughness arises from the greater energy dissipation around the conductive crack tip under purely electric loading, which is impossible under mechanical loading in the brittle ceramics. The project supported by an RGC grant from the Research Grant Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China     

Non-linear electromechanical response of 1–3 type piezocomposites

Domain switching in piezoelectric materials is caused by external loads such as electric field and stress that leads to non-linear behaviour. A study is carried out to compare the non-linear behaviour of 1–3 piezocomposites with different volume fractions and bulk piezoceramics. Experiments are conducted to measure the electrical displacement and strain on piezocomposites and bulk ceramics under high cyclic electrical loading and constant compressive prestress. A thermodynamically consistent uni-axial framework is developed to predict the nonlinear behaviour by combining the phenomenological and micromechanical techniques. Volume fractions of three distinct uni-axial variants (instead of six variants) are used as internal variables to describe the microscopic state of the material. In this model, the grain boundary effects are taken into account by introducing the back fields (electric field and stress) as non-linear kinematic hardening functions. An analytical model based on equivalent layered approach is used to calculate effective properties such as elastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric constants for different volume fractions of piezocomposites. The predicted effective properties are incorporated in the proposed uni-axial model and the dielectric hysteresis (electrical displacement versus electric field) as well as butterfly curves (strain versus electric field) are simulated. Comparison between the experiments and simulations show that this model can reproduce the characteristics of non-linear response. It is observed that the variation in fiber volume fraction and compressive stress has a significant influence on the response of the 1–3 piezocomposites.     

温度变化对热压电介质裂纹尖端力电损伤的影响分析

由连续介质损伤力学的基本理论出发,引入力电损伤变量并建立了一个热压电介质断裂的损伤本构模型．再由虚功原理导出了求解这类含损伤的关于热力电耦合问题的有限元方程．通过数值计算,分析了温度改变对裂纹尖端力电损伤的影响规律．     

Modeling of textural anisotropy in granular materials with stochastic micro-polar hypoplasticity

The paper deals with a numerical analysis of the effect of textural anisotropy on the behaviour of cohesionless granular materials with consideration of shear localization. For a simulation of the mechanical behaviour of a granular material during a monotonic deformation path, an isotropic micro-polar hypoplastic constitutive model was used. To describe textural effects, spatially correlated random fields of the initial void ratio were subject to rotation against the horizontal axis. The 2D random fields were generated using a conditional rejection method. The results were compared with those obtained with an anisotropic micro-polar constitutive model for a uniform distribution of the initial void ratio. The calculations were carried out with an initially dense granular specimen during plane strain compression under constant lateral pressure.     

压电切口张开角和深度对其尖端力电损伤场的影响

基于三维各向异性压电损伤本构理论,导出了广义平面应力问题的损伤本构方程,并据此分析了压电薄板板边V形切口尖端附近的力电损伤,研究了切口张开角和深度对切口尖端力电损伤的影响规律．结果发现：和张开角对切口尖端损伤的影响相比,深度的影响更为明显;在张开角对切口尖端力损伤的影响规律方面,压电材料与一般弹塑性材料存在明显差异,原因在于压电切口尖端力电载荷比会随着深度的改变发生很大变化;不同深度下张开角与切口尖端力、电损伤关系曲线随着张开角的增大由发散逐渐会聚,不同张开角下深度与切口尖端力、电损伤关系曲线随着切口加深由会聚逐渐发散,并且电损伤曲线表现得更为明显．     

Modeling viscoelastic dielectrics

Dielectric elastomers, as an important category of electroactive polymers, are known to have viscoelastic properties that strongly affect their dynamic performance and limit their applications. Very few models accounting for the effects of both electrostatics and viscoelasticity exist in the literature, and even fewer are capable of making reliable predictions under general loads and constraints. Based on the principles of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, this paper develops a field theory that fully couples the large inelastic deformations and electric fields in deformable dielectrics. Our theory recovers existing models of elastic dielectrics in the equilibrium limit. The mechanism of instantaneous instability, which corresponds to the pull-in instability often observed on dielectric elastomers, is studied in a general non-equilibrium state. The current theoretical framework is able to adopt most finite-deformation constitutive relations and evolution laws of viscoelastic solids. As an example, a specific material model is selected and applied to the uniform deformation of a dielectric elastomer. This model predicts the stability criteria of viscoelastic dielectrics and its dependence on loading rate, pre-stress, and relaxation. The dynamic response, as well as the hysteresis behavior of a viscoelastic dielectric elastomer under cyclic electric fields, is also studied.     

Analysis of electric boundary condition effects on crack propagation in piezoelectric ceramics

There are three types of cracks: impermeable crack, permeable crack and conducting crack, with different electric boundary conditions on faces of cracks in piezoelectric ceramics, which poses difficulties in the analysis of piezoelectric fracture problems. In this paper, in contrast to our previous FEM formulation, the numerical analysis is based on the used of exact electric boundary conditions at the crack faces, thus the common assumption of electric impermeability in the FEM analysis is avoided. The crack behavior and elasto-electric fields near a crack tip in a PZT-5 piezoelectric ceramic under mechanical, electrical and coupled mechanical-electrical loads with different electric boundary conditions on crack faces are investigated. It is found that the dielectric medium between the crack faces will reduce the singularity of stress and electric displacement. Furthermore, when the permittivity of the dielectric medium in the crack gap is of the same order as that of the piezoelectric ceramic, the crack becomes a conducting crack, the applied electric field has no effect on the crack propagation. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19672026, 19891180)