Finite element computation of torsional plastic waves in a thin-walled tube

Summary  A finite element technique is presented for the analysis of one-dimensional torsional plastic waves in a thin-walled tube. Three different nonlinear consitutive relations deduced from elementary mechanical models are used to describe the shear stress–strain characteristics of the tube material at high rates of strain. The resulting incremental equations of torsional motion for the tube are solved by applying a direct numerical integration technique in conjunction with the constitutive relations. The finite element solutions for torsional plastic waves in a long copper tube subjected to an imposed angular velocity at one end are given, and a comparison with available experimental results to assess the accuracy of the constitutive relations considered is conducted. It is demonstrated that the strain-rate dependent solutions show a better agreement with the experimental results than the strain-rate independent solutions. The limitations of the constitutive equations are discussed, and some modifications are suggested. Received 9 February 1999; accepted for publication 28 March 2000