Several results in the dynamic theory of thermoelastic Cosserat shells with voids

In this paper we investigate the boundary-initial-value problem of the dynamic linear theory for thermoelastic Cosserat shells with voids. We prove a reciprocity relation and derive a uniqueness theorem. Then, we study the continuous dependence of the solution on external body loads and heat supply and on initial data. A variational characterization of the solution is also established.     

Exact solution of the problem for dynamic field of displacements in rods of variable length

Initial boundary value problems are considered for rods that change length over time. These problems are transformed to problems about rods with mobile ends. A special method which allows one to obtain exact solutions of such problems is developed. This method is a generalization of a method of reflections for rods and strings of constant length. As an application of this class of problems, the hoisting of ropes in mining lifts, including their problems, are considered. Exact expressions for displacements in rods of variable length are obtained. The same results can be applied to cross oscillations of strings of variable length.     

On numerical solution of dynamic problems in the theory of reinforced shells

Dynamic problems for cylindrical shells reinforced with discrete ribs are examined. A numerical algorithm based on Richardson extrapolation is developed. Specific problems are solved, and the results are analyzed __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 42, No. 5, pp. 50–56, May 2006.     

Matched asymptotic expansions for twisted elastic knots: A self-contact problem with non-trivial contact topology

We derive solutions of the Kirchhoff equations for a knot tied on an infinitely long elastic rod subjected to combined tension and twist, and held at both endpoints at infinity. We consider the case of simple (trefoil) and double (cinquefoil) knots; other knot topologies can be investigated similarly. The rod model is based on Hookean elasticity but is geometrically nonlinear. The problem is formulated as a nonlinear self-contact problem with unknown contact regions. It is solved by means of matched asymptotic expansions in the limit of a loose knot. We obtain a family of equilibrium solutions depending on a single loading parameter (proportional to applied twisting moment divided by square root of pulling force), which are asymptotically valid in the limit of a loose knot, ε→0. Without any a priori assumption, we derive the topology of the contact set, which consists of an interval of contact flanked by two isolated points of contacts. We study the influence of the applied twist on the equilibrium.     

Fluid flow of incompressible viscous fluid through a non-linear elastic tube

The study of viscous flow in tubes with deformable walls is of specific interest in industry and biomedical technology and in understanding various phenomena in medicine and biology (atherosclerosis, artery replacement by a graft, etc) as well. The present work describes numerically the behavior of a viscous incompressible fluid through a tube with a non-linear elastic membrane insertion. The membrane insertion in the solid tube is composed by non-linear elastic material, following Fung’s (Biomechanics: mechanical properties of living tissue, 2nd edn. Springer, New York, 1993) type strain–energy density function. The fluid is described through a Navier–Stokes code coupled with a system of non linear equations, governing the interaction with the membrane deformation. The objective of this work is the study of the deformation of a non-linear elastic membrane insertion interacting with the fluid flow. The case of the linear elastic material of the membrane is also considered. These two cases are compared and the results are evaluated. The advantages of considering membrane nonlinear elastic material are well established. Finally, the case of an axisymmetric elastic tube with variable stiffness along the tube and membrane sections is studied, trying to substitute the solid tube with a membrane of high stiffness, exhibiting more realistic response.     

Analysis of the wave solution of the elastokinetic equations of a Cosserat continuum for the case of bulk plane waves

A study is made of waves in a Cosserat continuum, whose strain state is characterized by independent displacement and rotation vectors. The propagation of longitudinal and transverse bulk waves is considered. Wave solutions are sought in the form of wave trains specified by a Fourier spectrum of arbitrary shape. It is shown that if the solution is sought in the form of three components of the displacement vector and three components of the rotation vector which depend on time and the longitudinal coordinate, the initial system is split into two systems, one of which describes longitudinal waves, and the other transverse waves. For waves of both types, dispersion relations and analytical solutions in displacement are obtained. The dispersion characteristics of the solutions obtained differ from the dispersion characteristics of the corresponding classical elastic solutions. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 196–203, March–April, 2008.     

An adaptive dynamic relaxation method for quasi-static simulations using the peridynamic theory

The peridynamic theory is advantageous for problems involving damage since the peridynamic equation of motion is valid everywhere, regardless of existing discontinuities, and an external criterion is not necessary for predicting damage initiation and propagation. However, the current solution methods for the equations of peridynamics utilize explicit time integration, which poses difficulties in simulations of most experiments under quasi-static conditions. Thus, there is a need to obtain steady-state solutions in order to validate peridynamic predictions against experimental measurements. This study presents an extension of dynamic relaxation methods for obtaining steady-state solutions of nonlinear peridynamic equations.     

Analysis of blank thickening in deep drawing processes using the theory of a Cosserat generalized membrane

This paper analyzes a transient, nonlinear deep drawing process where a circular blank of a rigid-plastic material is forced by a rigid circular punch to deform into a cylindrical cup. Attention is focused on the plastic flow beneath the blank-holder. Using the Cosserat theory of a generalized membrane it is possible to obtain analytical solutions which examine the following two major effects: (a) the importance of added “rim pressure” acting on the outer edge of the blank; and (b) the importance of a controlled moveable blank-holder to allow blank thickening during the drawing process. Guided by these analytical results, a new deep drawing machine was built to exploit these effects and increase the limit drawing ratio (LDR) of the drawing process. Specifically, the LDR (in one stroke) reached the value of 3.16 compared with the value of about 2.0 in the conventional process. Moreover, the analytical prediction of the punch force versus the punch stroke is in good agreement with the experimental data and with simulations using the computer code DYTRAN.     

Solution of the elastic boundary value problems for a layer with tunnel stress raisers

A novel procedure for solving three-dimensional problems for elastic layer weakened by through-thickness tunnel cracks has been developed and is presented in this paper. This procedure reduces the given boundary value problem to an infinite system of one-dimensional singular integral equations and is based on a system of homogeneous solutions for a layer. Integral representations of single- and double-layer potentials are used for metaharmonic and harmonic functions entering in the singular integral equations. These representations provide a continuous extendibility of the stress vector while allowing a jump in the displacement vector in the transition through the cut.Expanding the potential and biharmonic solutions in the Fourier series over the thickness coordinate yields the integral representations of the displacement vector and stress tensor. The problem of reducing a denumerable set of the integral equations of the given boundary value problem to one-to-one correspondence with the set of unknown densities appearing in the Fourier’s coefficient representations has been settled efficiently. Numerical investigations show a rapid convergence of the proposed reduction procedure as applied to the solution of the infinite system of one-dimensional integral equations. Numerical examples illustrate the proposed method and demonstrate its advantages.     

Cosserat interphase models for elasticity with application to the interphase bonding a spherical inclusion to an infinite matrix

Interphases are often modeled as interfaces with zero thickness using jump conditions that can be developed based on approximate shell or membrane models which are valid for specific limited ranges of the elastic material parameters. For a two-dimensional problem it has been shown (Rubin and Benveniste, 2004) that the Cosserat model of a finite thickness interphase is a unified model that is accurate over the full range of elastic parameters. In contrast, many other interphase models are valid for only limited ranges of the elastic parameters. In this paper, the accuracy of different Cosserat models of a finite thickness interphase that connects a spherical inclusion to an infinite matrix is examined. Specifically, four Cosserat interphase models are considered: a general shell (GS)$(\mathit{GS})$, a membrane-like shell (MS)$(\mathit{MS})$, a simple shell (SS)$(\mathit{SS})$ and a generalized membrane (GM)$(\mathit{GM})$. The models (GS)$(\mathit{GS})$ and (MS)$(\mathit{MS})$ both satisfy restrictions on the strain energy function of the interphase that ensure exact solutions for all homogeneous three-dimensional deformations, while the other models (SS)$(\mathit{SS})$ and (GM)$(\mathit{GM})$ do not satisfy these restrictions. The importance of these restrictions is examined for the three-dimensional inhomogeneous inclusion problem being considered. This is the first test of the accuracy of an elastic interphase model for a spherical interphase.     

Existence for constrained dynamic Griffith fracture with a weak maximal dissipation condition

The study of dynamic fracture is based on the dynamic energy-dissipation balance. It is easy to see that this condition is always satisfied by a stationary crack together with a displacement satisfying the system of elastodynamics. Therefore to predict crack growth a further principle is needed. In this paper we introduce a weak maximal dissipation condition that, together with elastodynamics and energy balance, provides a model for dynamic fracture, at least within a certain class of possible crack evolutions. In particular, we prove the existence of dynamic fracture evolutions satisfying this condition, subject to smoothness constraints, and exhibit an explicit example to show that maximal dissipation can indeed rule out stationary cracks.     

Predicting the onset of DNA supercoiling using a non-linear hemitropic elastic rod

Elastic rod models provide a means to interpret single molecule DNA experiments as well as predict DNA behavior under physiological conditions. Here we use an elastic rod model to predict the stability boundary (critical torque vs. applied tension) for single molecule DNA experiments in which the molecule is subjected to applied tension and twist. We discuss the shortcomings of the usual isotropic rod model. We then derive a consistent non-linear material law from the general representation for a hemitropic (chiral) rod. Finally, we present results of a standard bifurcation analysis predicting the stability boundary. We find results from the non-linear hemitropic rod to match the data closely.     

Contact with friction of a rigid cylinder with an elastic half-space

An exact solution to the problem of indentation with friction of a rigid cylinder into an elastic half-space is presented. The corresponding boundary-value problem is formulated in planar bipolar coordinates, and reduced to a singular integral equation with respect to the unknown normal stress in the slip zones. An exact analytical solution of this equation is constructed using the Wiener-Hopf technique, which allowed for a detailed analysis of the contact stresses, strain, displacement, and relative slip zone sizes. Also, a simple analytical solution is furnished in the limiting case of full stick between the cylinder and half-space.     

Benchmark analytic solution of the dynamic response of a spherical shell composed of a transverse isotropic elastic material

Developing benchmark analytic solutions for problems in solid and fluid mechanics is very important for the purpose of testing and verifying computational physics codes. In order to test the numerical results of physics codes, we consider the geometrically linear dynamic sphere problem. We present an exact solution for the dynamic response of a spherical shell composed of a linearly elastic material exhibiting transverse isotropic symmetry. The solution takes the form of an infinite series of eigenfunctions. We demonstrate, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the convergence of the computed benchmark solution under spatial, temporal, and eigenmode refinement.     

A procedure for the static analysis of cable structures following elastic catenary theory

The paper proposes an unitary strategy for the static analysis of general cable nets under conservative loads. A form-finding is first performed in order to initialize the successive non linear analysis. The numerical procedures carried on in both steps, form finding and structural analysis of the net, employ a three dimensional elastic catenary element. Equilibrium conditions at internal nodes and kinematic compatibility at the end nodes of each cable are used to derive the global equations of the net. When the pre-stresses are high and the topology of the net is involved, an accurate initializing solution is essential for the convergence of the successive numeric non linear structural analysis (performed by Newton method). The numerical applications highlight the capability of the proposed procedure to solve three dimensional problems with taut and slack cables, out of plane distributed forces (modeling wind loads), point loads along the cables. The contemporary presence of cables and compression truss elements is also considered testing the effectiveness of the method in the analysis of tensegrity structures.