Classification of the Spatial Equilibria of the Clamped Elastica: Symmetries and Zoology of Solutions

We investigate the configurations of twisted elastic rods under applied end loads and clamped boundary conditions. We classify all the possible equilibrium states of inextensible, unshearable, isotropic, uniform and naturally straight and prismatic rods. We show that all solutions of the clamped boundary value problem exhibit a π-flip symmetry. The Kirchhoff equations which describe the equilibria of these rods are integrated in a formal way which enable us to describe the boundary conditions in terms of 2 closed form equations involving 4 free parameters. We show that the flip symmetry property is equivalent to a reversibility property of the solutions of the Kirchhoff differential equations. We sort these solutions according to their period in the phase plane. We show how planar untwisted configurations as well as circularly closed configurations play an important role in the classification. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

On flat thin elastic rods with rapidly varying periodic characteristics

A thin elastic rod is considered on a plane. The free shape of the rod is described by a periodic curve. It is shown that, under constant loads, its equilibrium shape tends to the equilibrium shape of a thin rectilinear rod when the frequency of the function describing the free shape increases infinitely. The problem under study is solved on the basis of modeling the three-dimensional shapes of circular DNA molecules by a thin rectilinear elastic rod.     

Effect of structural transformation and deformation nonlinearity on the stability of a shape memory alloy rod

Within the framework of a model of nonlinear deformations of shape memory alloys (SMA) under phase and structural transformations and for different statements of the problem, an analytical solution of the problem of stability of an SMA rod undergoing a direct martensitic phase transformation under the action of a compressive load is obtained. It is shown that taking account of the nonlinearity of the deformation process and structural transformation in the transition into the adjacent form of equilibrium significantly changes the solution for sufficiently flexible rods. At the same time, taking into account the strains developed in a phase transition is topical for thick-walled SMA elements.     

Equilibrium shapes of strained islands with non-zero contact angles

The equilibrium morphology of a strained island on an elastic substrate is determined. The island is assumed to partially wet the substrate (Volmer-Weber growth) and thus makes a non-zero contact angle with the surface. Both isotropic and anisotropic misfit strain are allowed. Two- and three-dimensional equilibrium island shapes are determined by using expressions for the elastic strain energy in the small-slope approximation. In this limit, the problem can be reduced to a singular integral-differential equation for the island thickness. We find that when there is a non-zero contact angle, all island shapes, for a given ratio of the elastic stress to surface energy, attain a form that is independent of the specific contact angle under an appropriate scaling. We show that for islands with non-zero contact angles, as the island volume increases, the shape approaches the geometry of a completely wetting island. But when the volume decreases, these islands approach a point while islands with a zero contact angle, approach a finite length line segment of zero volume. Multiple-hump equilibrium shapes are found. Single-humped islands are shown to have a lower chemical potential than multiple-humped islands, implying that they are the most stable. This conclusion is shown to be consistent with a stability analysis of the two-dimensional case. The effects of a tetragonal misfit strain on the three-dimensional island shape is investigated.     

由基模态构造任意支撑杆的多项式型轴向刚度

给出了当杆的横截面积均匀而材料线密度为已知多项式时，由基模态构造任意支撑方式下杆的多项式型的轴向刚度系致的方法，证明了所得轴向刚度的正值性．     

Vibration of rods with a concentrated mass in the presence of non-conservative forces

Summary Separable and non-selfadjoint boundary-value problems representing the vibration of linearly elastic unidimensional systems are considered. The elastic system is modelled as a continuous distributed-parameter system where singularities in the mass distribution function can be neatly taken into account. Specifically, extending Green's function approach, the free vibration, stability and forced vibration of fixed-free rods with a tip mass and under the action of uniformly distributed non-conservative loads have been investigated analytically.Support of this research through the NSERC Grant No. OGPIN013 is greatly appreciated     

Large amplitude free vibrations of irregular plates placed on an elastic foundation

A unified method for determining the lowest natural frequency of large amplitude free vibrations of thin elastic plates of any shape and placed on elastic foundation is given. The conformal mapping technique is introduced and Galerkin's method is used to calculate approximate values of the lowest natural frequency. Time periods for circular, square and cornered plates placed on elastic foundation have been determined for simply supported and clamped edge boundary conditions. Practical values have also been determined experimentally. The results are presented in the form of graphs and they are compared with other known results.     

Regularity for Shearable Nonlinearly Elastic Rods in Obstacle Problems

Based on the Cosserat theory describing planar deformations of shearable nonlinearly elastic rods we study the regularity of equilibrium states for problems where the deformations are restricted by rigid obstacles. We start with the discussion of general conditions modeling frictionless contact. In particular we motivate a contact condition that, roughly speaking, requires the contact forces to be directed normally, in a generalized sense, both to the obstacle and to the deformed shape of the rod. We show that there is a jump in the strains in the case of a concentrated contact force, i.e., the deformed shape of the rod has a corner. Then we assume some smoothness for the boundary of the obstacle and derive corresponding regularity for the contact forces. Finally we compare the results with the case of unshearable rods and obtain interesting qualitative differences. (Accepted January 21, 1998)     

GENERALIZATION OF KIRCHHOFF KINETIC ANALOGY TO THIN ELASTIC SHELLS 1)

将弹性细杆的"Kirchhoff动力学比拟"方法推广到弹性薄壳,使弹性薄壳的变形在物理概念上和刚体的运动对应, 在数学表述上等同,从而可以用刚体动力学的理论和方法研究弹性薄壳的变形,为连续的弹性薄壳提供新的离散化方法. 在直法线假设下,在弹性中面上构筑空间正交轴系, 此轴系沿坐标线"运动"的角速度构成两自变量的弯扭度. 沿两个坐标线的弯扭度表达了弹性薄壳的变形和位形,证明了弯扭度之间以及弯扭度与中面切矢间的相容关系. 用Euler角和Lam$\acute{e}$系数表达了非完整约束和中面位形的微分方程,用弯扭度和Lam$\acute{e}$系数表达了应变和应力以及内力及其本构方程.导出了用分布内力集度表达的弹性薄壳在变形后位形上的平衡偏微分方程组,方程的形式与刚体动力学的Euler方程和弹性细杆的Kirchhoff方程具有相似性,实现了Kirchhoff动力学比拟对弹性薄壳的推广.总结了弹性薄壳静力学和刚体动力学以及弹性细杆静力学在概念上的比拟关系.最后给出了一个算例. 为研究弹性薄壳的变形和运动提供新的建模方法和研究思路.也可进一步推广到弹性薄壳动力学.     

Kirchhoff动力学比拟对弹性薄壳的推广

将弹性细杆的"Kirchhoff动力学比拟"方法推广到弹性薄壳,使弹性薄壳的变形在物理概念上和刚体的运动对应,在数学表述上等同,从而可以用刚体动力学的理论和方法研究弹性薄壳的变形,为连续的弹性薄壳提供新的离散化方法.在直法线假设下,在弹性中面上构筑空间正交轴系,此轴系沿坐标线"运动"的角速度构成两自变量的弯扭度.沿两个...     

Determination of optimal shape of a moving punch with friction taken into account

The optimization problem for the contact interaction between a rigid punch and an elasticmediumis considered. It is assumed that that the punch is under the action of some prescribed forces and momenta and moves along a surface bounding a half-space filled with an elastic medium. It is also assumed that themotion is quasistatic and the friction forces arising in the region of contact are taken into account. The punch shape is considered as the desired design variable, and the integral functional characterizing the discrepancy between the pressure distribution in the region of contact that corresponds to the optimized shape of the punch and a given goal distribution of pressure is taken as the minimizing criterion. The optimal shape can be determined efficiently by solving the following two problems: first, to obtain the optimal pressure distribution and then to solve a boundary value problemfor the elastic half-space under the action of the obtained normal pressure and friction forces. By way of example, the optimal shape is analytically determined for a punch of rectangular shape in horizontal projection.     

Revisiting displacement functions in three-dimensional elasticity of inhomogeneous media

The paper presents a three-dimensional solution to the equilibrium equations for linear elastic transversely isotropic inhomogeneous media. We assume that the material has constant Poisson’s ratios, and its Young’s and shear moduli have the same functional form of dependence on the co-ordinate normal to the plane of isotropy. We show, apparently for the first time, that stresses and displacements in such an inhomogeneous transversely isotropic elastic solid can be represented in terms of two displacement functions which satisfy the second- and fourth-order partial differential equations. We examine and discuss key aspects of the new representation; they include the relationship between the new displacement functions and Plevako’s solution for isotropic inhomogeneous material with constant Poisson’s ratio as well as the application of the new representation to some important classes of three-dimensional elasticity problems. As an example, the displacement function is derived that can be used to determine stresses and displacements in an inhomogeneous transversely isotropic half-space which is subjected to a concentrated force normal to a free surface and applied at the origin (Boussinesq’s problem).     

On the theory of loaded general cylindrical Cosserat elastic shells

We study the equilibrium of cylindrical Cosserat elastic shells under the action of body loads and tractions and couples distributed along its edges. The shells have arbitrary open or closed cross-sections and are made from an isotropic and homogeneous material. On the end edges, the appropriate resultant forces and resultant moments are prescribed. We consider the problem of Almansi for cylindrical Cosserat shells and obtain a solution expressed in the form of the displacement field.     

Large elastic deformations in thin cantilever rods due to concentrated loadings

In this paper the problem of large elastic deformations in cantilever thin rods subjected to concentrated loads is considered. Taking into account the incompressibility assumption of the center line and the equations relating the internal moments with the curvatures and torsion of the rod before and after the deformation, the non-linear equilibrium system, composed of six coupled differential equations of first order, is transformed to a new system of higher order. The cases of geometries of initially curved rods and their cross-sections were investigated, for which the higher order system of equations may be decoupled and solved in a closed form. Several applications of thin curved cantilever rods were made and the potentialities of the method were shown with these examples.     

On out-of-plane buckling of anisotropic elastic plate subjected to a simple shear

Out-of-plane buckling of anisotropic elastic plate subjected to a simple shear is investigated. From exact 3-D equilibrium conditions of anisotropic elastic body with a plane of elastic symmetry at critical configuration, the eqution for buckling direction (buckling wave direction) parameter is derived and the shape functions of possible buckling modes are obtained. The traction free boundary conditions which must hold on the upper and lower surfaces of plate lead to a linear eigenvalue problem whose nontrivial solutions are just the possible buckling modes for the plate. The buckling conditions for both flexural and barreling modes are presented. As a particular example of buckling of anisotropic elastic plate, the buckling of an orthotropic elastic plate, which is subjected to simple shear along a direction making an arbitrary angle of θ with respect to an elastic principal axis of materials, is analyzed. The buckling direction varies with θ and the critical amount of shear. The numerical results show that only the flexural mode can indeed exist. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 19772032).     

On conditions of snow avalanching and landslides

The problem of elastic equilibrium of a wedge-shaped ground or snow massive on a rigid inclined plane under the action of gravity force and a constant force on its outer surface is considered in the three-dimensional statement. An exact solution that allows one to determine the displacements, strains, and stresses at each point of the massive is obtained in final form. An analysis shows that there are several critical relations between the problem input parameters at which the massive equilibrium is impossible. In this case, the earth or snow tears off from the slope and becomes a dangerous avalanche. In particular, this result can be used to predict formation of landslides and snow avalanching in mountains.     

Conditions of stability and instability for a pair of arbitrarily stratified compressible fluids in an arbitrary non-uniform gravity field

The work continues and develops authors’ previous investigation of stability in the small for a two-layer system of inhomogeneous compressible fluids in the uniform gravity field. Here we present a solution of a similar problem in the case of arbitrary non-uniform potential gravity field. The equilibrium stratification of both density and elastic properties of the fluids is supposed arbitrary, as well as the shape of open on top reservoir filled by the fluids. The problem of stability of equilibrium is analyzed as the corresponding problem for the non-linearly elastic bodies, basing on the static energy criterion with regard for the boundary conditions at all parts of the boundary. The crucial element of the analysis is conversion of the quadratic functional of second variation of total potential energy of the system into a “canonical” form that enables to determine its sign. Making use of this canonical form, we obtain almost coinciding with each other necessary and sufficient conditions for stability (those being valid also for an arbitrary number of layers).     

On the stability of elastic annular rods

The stability of equilibrium of non-linearly elastic rods, whose deformations obey the classical Kirchhoff’s equations, is considered. A variational formulation of the equilibrium problem is given, and the equilibrium equations for infinitesimal deformations superimposed to a finite transformation of a rod are deduced. The stability of annular rings, in which the twisting strain is non-null, is investigated by study of the second variation of the energy functional.     

轴对称弹性体扭转问题的无网格自然邻接点Petrov-Galerkin法

本文将无网格自然邻接点Petrov-Galerkin 法应用于轴对称弹性体扭转问题的求解．无网格自然邻接点Petrov-Galerkin 法采用自然邻接点插值构造试函数，并且采用三角形线性单元的形函数作为加权残值法的加权函数．自然邻接点插值构造的试函数满足Kronecker delta 函数性质，因此本质边界条件的施加十分方便．由于几何形状和边界条件的轴对称特点，原来的空间问题简化为二维问题求解，因此计算时只需要横截面上离散节点的信息．数值算例结果表明，所提出的方法对求解轴对称弹性体扭转问题是行之有效的．