The influence of heterogeneous meninges on the brain mechanics under primary blast loading

In the modeling of brain mechanics subjected to primary blast waves, there is currently no consensus on how many biological components to be used in the brain–meninges–skull complex, and what type of constitutive models to be adopted. The objective of this study is to determine the role of layered meninges in damping the dynamic response of the brain under primary blast loadings. A composite structures composed of eight solid relevant layers (including the pia, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), dura maters) with different mechanical properties are constructed to mimic the heterogeneous human head. A hyper-viscoelastic material model is developed to better represent the mechanical response of the brain tissue over a large strain/high frequency range applicable for blast scenarios. The effect of meninges on the brain response is examined. Results show that heterogeneous composite structures of the head have a major influence on the intracranial pressure, maximum shear stress, and maximum principal strain in the brain, which is associated with traumatic brain injuries. The meninges serving as protective layers are revealed by mitigating the dynamic response of the brain. In addition, appreciable changes of the pressure and maximum shear stress are observed on the material interfaces between layers of tissues. This may be attributed to the alternation of shock wave speed caused by the impedance mismatch.     

Effect of pre-strain on interfacial friction damping in carbon nanotube polymer composites

This paper investigates the effect of mechanical pre-strain on interfacial friction damping in nanotube polymer composites. Oxidized single-walled carbon nanotubes were dispersed in a polycarbonate matrix using a solution mixing technique. To characterize the damping response, the material storage and loss modulus was measured by application of dynamic (sinusoidal) load to the nanocomposite in the uniaxial direction. A static pre-strain (in 0.35-0.85% range) was then superimposed on the dynamic strain to quantify its effect on the material response. The results indicate that application of pre-strain facilitates the activation of interfacial slip at the nanotube-polymer interfaces at relatively low dynamic strain amplitudes. This is because pre-strain raises the interfacial shear stress for the nanotube inclusions allowing the critical stress for tube-matrix interfacial slip to be reached at lower strain amplitudes. In this way pre-strain significantly improves the effectiveness of the nanotube-matrix sliding energy dissipation mechanism for damping enhancement in composite structures.     

Blast response of cracked steel box structures repaired with carbon fibre-reinforced polymer composite patch

In this paper the blast resistance of cracked steel structures repaired with fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite patch are investigated. The switch box which has been subjected to blast loading is chosen to study. The steel material is modelled using isotropic hardening model, pertaining to Von Mises yield condition with isotropic strain hardening, and strain rate-dependent dynamic yield stress based on Cowper and Symonds model. Three different cracked structures are chosen to investigate their capability in dissipating the blast loading. To improve the blast resistance, the cracked steel structures are stiffened using carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite patches. The repaired patches reduce the stress field around the crack as the stress is transferred from the cracked zone to them. This situation prevents the crack from growing and extends the service life of the steel structure. It will be shown that CFRP repairing can significantly increase the blast resistance of cracked steel structures.     

Stress analysis of multi-layered hollow anisotropic composite cylindrical structures using the homogenization method

This paper presents a general and efficient stress analysis strategy for hollow composite cylindrical structures consisting of multiple layers of different anisotropic materials subjected to different loads. Cylindrical material anisotropy and various loading conditions are considered in the stress analysis. The general stress solutions for homogenized hollow anisotropic cylinders subjected to pressure, axial force, torsion, shear and bending are presented with explicit formulations under typical force and displacement boundary conditions. The stresses and strains in a layer of the composite cylindrical structures are obtained from the solutions of homogenized hollow cylinders with effective material properties and discontinuous layer material properties. Effective axial, torsional, bending and coupling stiffness coefficients taking into account material anisotropy are also determined from the strain solutions for the hollow composite cylindrical structures. Examples show that the material anisotropy may have significant effects on the effective stiffness coefficients in some cases. The stress analysis method is demonstrated with an example of stress analysis of a 22-layer composite riser, and the results are compared with numerical solutions. This method is efficient for stress analysis of thin-walled or moderately thick-walled hollow composite cylindrical structures with various multiple layers of different materials or arbitrary fiber angles because no explicit interfacial continuity parameters are required. It provides an efficient and easy-to-use analysis tool for assessing hollow composite cylindrical structures in engineering applications.     

Compressive response of multilayered pyramidal lattices during underwater shock loading

The quasi-static and dynamic compressive mechanical response of a multilayered pyramidal lattice structure constructed from stainless-steel was investigated. The lattices were fabricated by folding perforated 304 stainless steel sheets and bonding them to thin intervening sheets using a transient liquid-phase bonding technique. The resulting structure was attached to thick face sheets and the through thickness mechanical response was investigated quasi-statically and dynamically, in the latter case using a planar explosive loading technique. The lattice is found to crush in a progressive manner by the sequential (cooperative) buckling of truss layers. This results in a quasi-static stress strain response that exhibits a significant “metal foam” like stress plateau to strains of about 60% before rapid hardening due to truss impingement with the intermediate face sheets. During dynamic loading, sequential buckling of the truss layers was manifested as a series of transmitted pressure pulses measured at the back face of the test samples. The sequential buckling extended the duration of the back face pressure–time waveform and significantly reduced the transmitted pressure measured at the back face. The impulse transmitted to the structure is found to be about 28% less than that predicted by analytic treatments of the fluid-structure interaction for fully supported structures. This transmitted impulse reduction appears to be a consequence of the wet side face sheet movement away from the blast wave and is facilitated by the low crush resistance of the lattice structure.     

Coupled heat conduction and deformation in a viscoelastic composite cylinder

We study the coupled problem of deformation due to mechanical and thermal loading of a composite cylinder made up of two layers of linear isotropic viscoelastic materials. The effect of a time-varying temperature field due to unsteady heat conduction on the short term and long term material response is examined in terms of the stress, displacement, and strain fields. The material properties of the two layers of the composite cylinder at any given location and time are assumed to depend on the temperature at that location at that given instant of time. Sequentially coupled analyses of heat conduction and deformation of the viscoelastic composite cylinder are carried out. Analytical solutions for the stress, strain and displacement fields of the viscoelastic composite cylinder are obtained from the corresponding solution of the linear elasticity problem by applying the Correspondence Principle. We examine the discontinuity in the hoop stress and the radial strain at the interface of the two layers caused by mismatches in material properties, during transient heat conduction. We find that the discontinuities change over time as the mismatch in the moduli of the two layers changes due to the material properties which are time-dependent. We also investigate the effect of the thermal field on the time-dependent field variables in the composite body.     

爆炸荷载作用下钢筋混凝土结构的动态响应与破坏模式的数值分析

在爆炸荷载(尤其是脉冲荷载)作用下,除了常见的弯曲破坏形态之外,钢筋混凝土结构还可能发生直剪破坏和弯剪破坏。如何准确地预测爆炸荷载作用下的钢筋混凝土结构动态响应和破坏特征是当前抗爆结构领域十分关注的课题之一。该文介绍作者近年来在这方面的一些研究成果,主要有:将三参数形式的应变速率型材料模型推广应用于二维状态下的混凝土本构关系,建立了弹粘塑性混凝土结构有限元分析方法;基于Timoshenko梁理论和弹粘塑性理论,分别采用有限差分法和有限元法,建立了土中浅埋钢筋混凝土结构动力响应和破坏模式的有限差分和有限元分析方法。对爆炸荷载作用下的典型钢筋混凝土结构计算结果表明:基于Timoshenko梁理论的有限差分分析方法和有限元分析方法能较好地模拟梁的动态响应和弯曲、弯剪以及直剪的破坏模式,而二维弹粘塑性混凝土结构有限元分析方法只能较好地模拟梁的弯曲破坏模式。     

多层异质复合结构的动力学响应及抗侵彻性能

为研究多层异质复合结构动力学响应及抗侵彻性能,利用霍普金森试验装置,对不同材料排布顺序及含泡沫铝夹芯的多层复合结构进行冲击加载,通过贴在入射杆和透射杆上的应变片测得入射波、反射波、透射波波形,验证数值仿真模型正确性;结合数值模拟,研究不同结构对试件内部应力波传播特性和应力场分布影响规律;依据复合结构动力学响应特征,设计复合靶板并进行抗侵彻试验,分析靶板塑性变形特征及抗侵彻耗能机制;通过数值模拟分析泡沫铝夹芯厚度对防护性能影响。结果表明,装甲钢后置复合结构及含泡沫夹芯结构有助于减缓应力集中,减小陶瓷损伤面积;泡沫铝夹芯过厚难以为靶板变形提供支撑,降低抗侵彻阻力;五种夹芯厚度h=2 mm、h=5 mm、h=10 mm、h=20 mm、h=30 mm中,h=10 mm对应多层异质复合靶防护性能最优。      

Finite element analysis of impact damage response of composite motorcycle safety helmets

The energy absorption during impact provided by a motorcycle safety helmet is always of critical importance in order to protect the rider against head injury during an accident. In the present study, a parametric analysis has been performed in order to investigate the effect of the composite shell stiffness and the damage development during impact, on the dynamic response of a composite motorcycle safety helmet. This kind of parametric analysis may be used as a tool during helmet design for minimising testing needs.The LS-DYNA3D explicit hydrodynamic finite element code was used to analyse a detailed model of the helmet-headform system (composite shell/foam liner/metallic headform) and to simulate its dynamic response during impact. A significant part of the work was focused on the modelling of the mechanical behaviour of the composite materials, including damage and delamination development. The dynamic response of the different helmet-headform systems was judged in terms of the maximum acceleration monitored at the centre of gravity of the headform and the maximum value of head injury criterion.It was shown that composite shell systems exhibiting lower shear performance provide additional energy absorbing mechanisms and result to better crashworthiness helmet behaviour.     

The influence of different pre-formed holes on the dynamic response of square plates under air-blast loading

Studying the blast response of plates with pre-formed holes under blast loading serves as a significant method to decouple dynamic response of plates with pre-formed holes under combined blast and fragment loading. Based on material test system (MTS) and Split Hopkinson tension bar (SHTB), the mechanical properties of experimental steel under different strain rates were obtained. Then, the experiments on the responses of plates with square, diamond and circular holes under air-blast loading were carried out and the failure modes of plates with diamond holes were derived. Later, the deformation curves of target plate were obtained by laser reverse forming technique. Next, a constitutive model program considering strain rate, stress status and temperature effect was adopted to carry out numerical simulation calculation, which verified the accuracy of this numerical simulation. Finally, discussions were carried out on the damage level at places where cracks might form, the dynamic stress concentration coefficient and stress status change, and then the influence which pre-formed holes have on the failure mode was analyzed. The results of this study show that: (1) A fortran vectorized user-material subroutine (VUMAT) program considering strain rate, stress status and temperature effect can effectively predict the dynamic response of metallic materials; (2) the shape of pre-formed holes affects the damage level, dynamic stress concentration coefficient and stress status. Besides, failure occurs more easily in plates with diamond pre-formed holes; (3) pre-formed holes have an obvious influence on the failure modes of plates under different blast distance.     

Evaluation of stress intensity factor under pure shear stress in orthotropic material

Various types of composite materials are currently being developed and used for automobiles, airplanes, ships and other structures in response to required service conditions which are getting increasingly more severe. Of growing importance under such circumstances is the study of stress analysis and fracture mechanics for these composite material structures. Particularly, the primary concern in design of structures and machines should be the initiation of cracks due to excessive deformation, delamination in material or other material defects. In evaluating safety, it is indispensable from the structural design point of view that K value should be known by an analysis conducted in advance. In this study, stress intensity factor (mode II) under a pure shear stress was obtained using the photoelastic method and caustic method and applying an isotropic material and orthotropic material (copper fibre epoxy composite (CFEC) developed by the authors), each containing the crack. Results were compared with theoretical values. As a result, this method was found useful and the effect of the direction of the primary axis of this material on the stress intensity factor was clarified.     

Influence of stress condition on adiabatic shear localization of tungsten heavy alloys

Dynamic deformation and failure behavior of a tungsten heavy alloy (93W) under complex stress condition are studied using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) apparatus. Cylindrical, step-cylindrical and truncated-conic specimens are used to generate different stress condition in an attempt to induce strain localization in the alloy. The microstructure of the specimens after tests is examined by optical microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). It is found that in all the specimens, except the cylindrical ones, intense strain localization in the form of shear bands is initiated at stress concentration sites. In order to analyze the stress condition of different specimen geometry, finite element simulations are also presented. The Johnson-Cook model is employed to simulate the thermo-viscoplastic response of the material. It is found that dynamic deformation and failure modes are strongly dependent on the geometry of the specimens. The stress condition controlled by specimen geometry has significant influence on the tendency for shear band formation. The adiabatic shear band has general trends to initiate and propagate along the direction of maximum shear stress. It is suggested that further studies on the control of the stress condition to promote shear band formation be conducted in order to improve the penetration performance of the tungsten heavy alloy.     

压杆应变式压力传感器在爆炸冲击波载荷测试中的应用

在容器内实施化学爆炸时，容器内壁上冲击波载荷的确定是进行爆炸容器结构动力响应分析、安全评估和工程设计的基础。获得比较准确、可靠的爆炸容器内壁上作用载荷的时间历程及分布情况，对研究结构动力响应意义重大。文章采用压杆应变式压力传感器来测量爆炸冲击波载荷，这种传感器解决了普通传感器在高频压力脉冲下频响低且容易损坏等问题。压杆应变式压力传感器为一细长弹性杆，爆炸冲击波作用在杆的一端，在杆中激发一维弹性应力波，通过测量杆上适当位置处的应变，利用一维弹性应力波理论可以计算出作用在杆端的爆炸冲击载荷。文章根据一维弹性波理论，设计了满足所需频响、上升时间、持续作用时间等参数要求的压杆应变式压力传感器，其材料为高强度钢，采用动态应变放大器和数据采集仪组成测量系统。通过实验，获得了比较完整的容器内壁上冲击波载荷曲线，测量结果的重复性和一致性很好。经分析表明，压杆应变式压力传感器能准确地测得容器内壁上冲击波荷载的幅值和比较完整的曲线，对爆炸冲击波载荷测试来说，是一种比较准确可靠的传感器。     

Time-frequency analyses of fluid–solid interaction under sinusoidal translational shear deformation of the viscoelastic rat cerebrum

During normal extracellular fluid (ECF) flow in the brain glymphatic system or during pathological flow induced by trauma resulting from impacts and blast waves, ECF–solid matter interactions result from sinusoidal shear waves in the brain and cranial arterial tissue, both heterogeneous biological tissues with high fluid content. The flow in the glymphatic system is known to be forced by pulsations of the cranial arteries at about 1 Hz. The experimental shear stress response to sinusoidal translational shear deformation at 1 Hz and 25% strain amplitude and either 0% or 33% compression is compared for rat cerebrum and bovine aortic tissue. Time-frequency analyses aim to correlate the shear stress signal frequency components over time with the behavior of brain tissue constituents to identify the physical source of the shear nonlinear viscoelastic response. Discrete fast Fourier transformation analysis and the novel application to the shear stress signal of harmonic wavelet decomposition both show significant 1 Hz and 3 Hz components. The 3 Hz component in brain tissue, whose magnitude is much larger than in aortic tissue, may result from interstitial fluid induced drag forces. The harmonic wavelet decomposition locates 3 Hz harmonics whose magnitudes decrease on subsequent cycles perhaps because of bond breaking that results in easier fluid movement. Both tissues exhibit transient shear stress softening similar to the Mullins effect in rubber. The form of a new mathematical model for the drag force produced by ECF–solid matter interactions captures the third harmonic seen experimentally.     

Influence of stress state and strain rate on the behaviour of a rubber-particle reinforced polypropylene

This article presents an experimental investigation of a ductile rubber-modified polypropylene. The behaviour of the material is investigated by performing tension, shear and compression tests at quasi-static and dynamic strain rates. Subsequently, scanning electron microscopy is used to analyse the fracture surfaces of the tension test samples, and to relate the observed mechanical response to the evolution of the microstructure. The experimental study shows that the material is highly pressure and strain-rate sensitive. It also exhibits significant volume change, which is mainly ascribed to a cavitation process which appears during tensile deformation. Assuming matrix-particle debonding immediately after yielding, the rubber particles might play the role of initial cavities. It is further found that the flow stress level is highly dependent on the strain rate, and that the rate sensitivity seems to be slightly more pronounced in shear than in tension and compression. From the study of the fracture surfaces it appears that the fracture process is less ductile at high strain rates than under quasi-static conditions.     

Numerical implementation of strain rate dependent thermo viscoelastic constitutive relation to simulate the mechanical behavior of PMMA

In this work, a nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive relation was implemented to describe the mechanical behavior of a transparent thermoplastic polymer polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The quasi-static and dynamic response of the polymer was studied under different temperatures and strain rates. The effect of temperature was incorporated in elastic and relaxation constants of the constitutive equation. The incremental form of constitutive model was developed by using Poila–Kirchhoff stress and Green strain tensors theory. The model was implemented numerically by establishing a user defined material subroutine in explicit finite element (FE) solver LS-DYNA. Finite element models for uniaxial quasi-static compressive test and high strain rate split Hopkinson pressure bar compression test were built to verify the accuracy of material subroutine. Numerical results were validated with experimental stress strain curves and the results showed that the model successfully predicted the mechanical behavior of PMMA at different temperatures for low and high strain rates. The material model was further engaged to ascertain the dynamic behavior of PMMA based aircraft windshield structure against bird impact. A good agreement between experimental and FE results showed that the suggested model can successfully be employed to assess the mechanical response of polymeric structures at different temperature and loading rates.     

复合材料夹杂双层粘弹性材料的应变能和阻尼性能分析

分析了复合材料夹杂双层粘弹性阻尼材料组成的对称夹层板的线性弯曲,其中夹杂的粘弹性阻尼材料作为各向同性材料处理。既考虑面内应变能又考虑横向切应力应变能,用Ritz法研究各应力分量的应变能。以四边夹紧为边界条件的方板为例,计算并分析了复合材料层和粘弹性层的应变能以及复合结构的损耗因子。结果表明:复合材料层中的面内应变能占主要地位;粘弹性层中的xz方向和yz方向的切应力应变能较大;芯层的应变能很小。     

POZD涂层对防护门抗冲击性能影响研究

聚异氰氨酸酯噁唑烷酮(polyisocyanateoxazodone,POZD)是一种弹性材料,可以在结构表面形成高强度和高弹性涂层,具有减轻不同结构冲击和爆炸的潜力.为研究POZD作为涂层时梁板式钢结构防护门的抗冲击性能,采用数值模拟方法对该门扇在6级载荷作用下的动态响应过程进行研究,分析面板厚度、工字钢型号变化时对...     

Strain-rate-dependent failure criteria for composites

The objective of this study was to characterize the quasi-static and dynamic behavior of composite materials and develop/expand failure theories to describe static and dynamic failure under multi-axial states of stress. A unidirectional carbon/epoxy material was investigated. Multi-axial experiments were conducted at three strain rates, quasi-static, intermediate and high, 10⁻⁴, 1 and 180-400 s⁻¹, respectively, using off-axis specimens to produce stress states combining transverse normal and in-plane shear stresses. A Hopkinson bar apparatus and off-axis specimens loaded in this system were used for multi-axial characterization of the material at high strain rates. Stress-strain curves were obtained at the three strain rates mentioned. The measured strengths were evaluated based on classical failure criteria, (maximum stress, maximum strain, Tsai-Hill, Tsai-Wu, and failure mode based and partially interactive criteria (Hashin-Rotem, Sun, and Daniel). The latter (NU theory) is primarily applicable to interfiber/interlaminar failure for stress states including transverse normal and in-plane shear stresses. The NU theory was expressed in terms of three subcriteria and presented as a single normalized (master) failure envelope including strain rate effects. The NU theory was shown to be in excellent agreement with experimental results.