Minimum weight design of non‐linear elastic structures with multimodal buckling constraints

It well known that multimodal instability is an event particularly relevant in structural optimization. Here, in the context of non‐linear stability theory, an exact method is developed for minimum weight design of elastic structures with multimodal buckling constraints. Given an initial design, the method generates a sequence of improved designs by determining a sequence of critical equilibrium points related to decreasing values of the structural weight. Multimodal buckling constraints are imposed without repeatedly solving an eigenvalue problem, and the difficulties related to the non‐differentiability in the common sense of state variables in multimodal critical states, are overcome by means of the Lagrange multiplier method. Further constraints impose that only the first critical equilibrium states (local maxima or bifurcation points) on the initial equilibrium path of the actual designs are taken into account. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A time‐stepping method for stiff multibody dynamics with contact and friction

We define a time‐stepping procedure to integrate the equations of motion of stiff multibody dynamics with contact and friction. The friction and non‐interpenetration constraints are modelled by complementarity equations. Stiffness is accommodated by a technique motivated by a linearly implicit Euler method. We show that the main subproblem, a linear complementarity problem, is consistent for a sufficiently small time step h. In addition, we prove that for the most common type of stiff forces encountered in rigid body dynamics, where a damping or elastic force is applied between two points of the system, the method is well defined for any time step h. We show that the method is stable in the stiff limit, unconditionally with respect to the damping parameters, near the equilibrium points of the springs. The integration step approaches, in the stiff limit, the integration step for a system where the stiff forces have been replaced by corresponding joint constraints. Simulations for one‐ and two‐dimensional examples demonstrate the stable behaviour of the method. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A numerical study on bifurcations in multi-void growth in nonlinear elasticity

A numerical study on a new bifurcation phenomenon in multi-void growth is carried out for a 2-D problem in nonlinear elasticity, where the reference configuration is y-axisymmetric with two pre-existing small voids. The numerical experiments show that, under large radially-symmetric displacement boundary conditions, other than the y-axisymmetric equilibrium solution one would normally expect, there are two energetically more favorable non-y-axisymmetric equilibrium solutions in which the growth of one void is overwhelmingly dominant. The relationships between the critical bifurcation boundary displacement and the compressibility of the material as well as some geometric parameters are illustrated by numerical results. The numerical experiments also show that the existence of the secondary bifurcation will effectively expedite the onset of fractures.     

Vibration of shear-deformable beams using a spline-function approach

B-spline functions are used as trial functions in a Rayleigh-Ritz analysis of the free vibration of shear-deformable Timoshenko beams. In a first approach it is demonstrated in numerical applications that when the lateral deflection and the cross-sectional rotation are represented by functions of equal order the calculated natural frequencies are of good accuracy for stocky beams but can overestimate the true frequencies very considerably for slender beams. This is identified as a shear-locking difficulty and consideration of its causes points clearly to the adoption of a new displacement field in which the deflection is represented by a B-spline function which is one order higher than that used to represent the rotation. Numerical results using this new displacement field demonstrate good accuracy for both stocky and slender beams: the shear-locking difficulty is completely eliminated. This has clear significance for the analysis of shear-deformable plates and shells when using B-spline functions.     

A GENERALIZED VARIABLE FORMULATION FOR GRADIENT DEPENDENT SOFTENING PLASTICITY

A mesh-independent finite element method for elastoplastic problems with softening is proposed. The regularization of the boundary value problem is achieved introducing in the yield function the second order gradient of the plastic multiplier. The backward-difference integrated finite-step problem enriched with the gradient term is given a variational formulation where the consitutive equations are treated in weak form as well as the other field equations. A predictor–corrector scheme is proposed for the solution of the non-linear algebraic problem resulting from the finite element discretization of the functional. The expression of the consistent tangent matrix is provided and the corrector phase is formulated as a Linear Complementarity Problem. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is verified by one- and two-dimensional tests.     

Axisymmetric elasticity solutions for a uniformly loaded annular plate of transversely isotropic functionally graded materials

Summary The axisymmetric problem of a functionally graded, transversely isotropic, annular plate subject to a uniform transverse load is considered. A direct displacement method is developed that the non-zero displacement components are expressed in terms of suitable combinations of power and logarithmic functions of r, the radial coordinate, with coefficients being undetermined functions of z, the axial coordinate. The governing equations as well as the corresponding boundary conditions for the undetermined functions are deduced from the equilibrium equations and the boundary conditions of the annular plate, respectively. Through a step-by-step integration scheme along with the consideration of boundary conditions at the upper and lower surfaces, the z-dependent functions are determined in explicit form, and certain integral constants are then determined completely from the remaining boundary conditions. Thus, analytical elasticity solutions for the plate with different cylindrical boundary conditions are presented. As a promising feature, the developed method is applicable when the five material constants of a transversely isotropic material vary along the thickness arbitrarily and independently. A numerical example is finally given to show the effect of the material inhomogeneity on the elastic field in the annular plate.     

Shape optimization using the boundary element method with substructuring

Applications of the boundary element method for two- and three-dimensional structural shape optimization are presented. The displacements and stresses are computed using the boundary element method. Sub-structuring is used to isolate the portion of the structure undergoing geometric change. The corresponding non-linear programming problem for the optimization is solved by the generalized reduced gradient method. B-spline curves and surfaces are introduced to describe the shape of the design. The control points on these curves or surfaces are selected as design variables. The design objective may be either to minimize the weight or a peak stress of the component by determining the optimum shape subject to geometrical and stress constraints. The use of substructuring allows for problem solution without requiring traditional simplifications such as linearization of the constraints. The method has been successfully applied to the structural shape optimization of plane stress, plane strain and three-dimensional elasticity problems.     

Pareto Tracer: a predictor–corrector method for multi-objective optimization problems

This article proposes a novel predictor–corrector (PC) method for the numerical treatment of multi-objective optimization problems (MOPs). The algorithm, Pareto Tracer (PT), is capable of performing a continuation along the set of (local) solutions of a given MOP with k objectives, and can cope with equality and box constraints. Additionally, the first steps towards a method that manages general inequality constraints are also introduced. The properties of PT are first discussed theoretically and later numerically on several examples.     

Direct computation of instability points for contact problems

 The extended system is known as a reliable algorithm for the direct computation of instability points on the equilibrium path of mechanical structures. This article describes the application of the extended system as critical point computation method to mechanical contact problems. In this type of problems inequality constraints have to be considered. Moreover a prediction method based on the extended system algorithm is presented which allows the detection of favorable starting values for a critical point computation on the equilibrium path. Dedicated to the memory of Prof. Mike Crisfield, for his cheerfulness and cooperation as a colleague and friend over many years.     

Singular‐ended spline interpolation for two‐dimensional boundary element analysis

A method of interpolation of the boundary variables that uses spline functions associated with singular elements is presented. This method can be used in boundary element method analysis of 2‐D problems that have points where the boundary variables present singular behaviour. Singular‐ended splines based on cubic splines and Overhauser splines are developed. The former provides C²‐continuity and the latter C¹‐continuity across element edges. The potentialities of the methodology are demonstrated analysing the dynamic response of a 2‐D rigid footing interacting with a half‐space. It is shown that, for a given number of elements at the soil–foundation interface, the singular‐ended spline interpolation increases substantially the displacement convergence rate and delivers smoother traction distributions. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A general conjugate‐gradient‐based predictor–corrector solver for explicit finite‐element contact

A Lagrange‐multiplier based approach is presented for the general solution of multi‐body contact within an explicit finite element framework. The technique employs an explicit predictor step to permit the detection of interpenetration and then utilizes a corrector step, whose solution is obtained with a pre‐conditioned matrix‐free conjugate gradient projection method, to determine the Lagrange multipliers necessary to eliminate the predicted penetration. The predictor–corrector algorithm is developed for deformable bodies based upon the central difference method, and for rigid bodies from momentum and energy conserving approaches. Both frictionless and Coulomb‐based frictional contact idealizations are addressed. The technique imposes no time‐step constraints and quickly mitigates velocity discontinuities across closed interfaces. Special attention is directed toward contact between rigid bodies. Algorithmic moment arms conserve the translational and angular momentums of the system in the absence of external loads. Elastic collisions are captured with a two‐phase predictor–corrector approach and a geometrically approximate velocity jump criterion. The first step solves the inelastic contact problem and identifies inactive constraints between rigid bodies, while the second step generates the necessary velocity jump condition on the active constraints. The velocity criterion is shown to algorithmically preserve the system kinetic energy for two unconstrained rigid bodies. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This paper was produced under the auspices of the U.S. Government and it is therefore not subject to copyright in the U.S.     

Reaction-diffusion in a simple pooled chemical system

The reaction scheme based on the cubic autocatalator A + 2B→ 3B B → C is considered in a closed vessel with the reactant Abeing replenished by the slow decay of a precursor Pvia the simple step P→A The concentration of Pis assumed to be very much larger than that of the intermediates Aand Bso that the pooled chemical approximation can be made. Spatial variations are allowed for within the vessel and it is assumed that initially the vessel contains only the reactant Pand that at time ? = 0 a quantity of B,characterized by the parameter β_o; is introduced into some localized region. The long-time behaviour is discussed and it is shown that this depends on the parameters β_oand μ(where μis a non-dimensional parameter representing the reaction rates) with the value of the diffusion parameter λ effectively controlling the form of the transient path leading to the final behaviour. Analytic solutions are derived for the cases when β_ois small and λ is large. These are complemented by numerical solutions for general values of the parameters. It is found that there are three possibilities: a finite equilibrium may be reached with Aand Bhaving constant concentrations, the concentrations of Aand Bmay oscillate, or Bmay die away leaving just the conversion of P to AIn the first two cases it is found that this behaviour is left behind a propagating reaction-diffusion front. The nature of this front is analysed in detail.     

Discontinuous variational time integrators for complex multibody collisions

The objective of the present work is to formulate a new class of discontinuous variational time integrators that allow the system to adopt two possibly different configurations at each sampling time t_k, representing predictor and corrector configurations of the system. The resulting sequence of configuration pairs then represents a discontinuous—or non‐classical—trajectory. Continuous or classical trajectories are recovered simply by enforcing a continuity constraint at all times. In particular, in systems subject to one‐sided contact constraints simulated via discontinuous variational time integrators, the predictor configuration is not required to satisfy the one‐sided constraints, whereas the corrector configuration is obtained by a closest‐point projection (CPP) onto the admissible set. The resulting trajectories are generally discontinuous, or non‐classical, but are expected to converge to classical or continuous solutions for decreasing time steps. We account for dissipation, including friction, by means of a discrete Lagrange–d'Alembert principle, and make extensive use of the spacetime formalism in order to ensure exact energy conservation in conservative systems, and the right rate of energy decay in dissipative systems. The structure, range and scope of the discontinuous variational time integrators, and their accuracy characteristics are illustrated by means of examples of application concerned with rigid multibody dynamics. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An Approximate Method to Measure Crack Opening Displacement of Fast Propagating Crack in Araldite B

Abstract: The method of crack opening displacement (COD) has been used to obtain the energy release rate of fast propagating cracks just before and just after crack bifurcation. In this method, COD is measured on the microscopic photographs of the cracks. But, in the case of cracks in Araldite B, the corner made of a crack surface and a specimen surface is chipped out of the specimen; then, it is often difficult to measure CODs from the photographs of the cracks. The present study proposes a method to approximately measure the COD in the region where COD is difficult to be measured directly on the photograph. The accuracy of the approximate method is good enough that the measured CODs can give the energy release rate of the crack at bifurcation with the accuracy of about 7%.     

POST-BUCKLING ANALYSIS WITH FRICTIONAL CONTACTS COMBINING COMPLEMENTARITY RELATIONS AND AN ARC-LENGTH METHOD

A linear complementarity problem formulation combined with an arc-length method is presented for post-buckling analysis of geometrically non-linear structures with frictional contact constraints. The arc-length method with updated normal plane constraint is used to trace the equilibrium paths of the structures after limit points. Under the proportional loading assumption, the unknown load scale parameter used in the arc-length method is expressed in terms of contact forces, and eliminated to formulate as a linear complementarity problem. The unknown contact variables such as contact status and contact forces can be directly solved in this formulation without any ad hoc technique. Complicated non-linear buckling behaviours, such as snap-buckling, can be efficiently solved by the developed method, as shown by several buckling and post-buckling problems with frictional contact constraints.     

Measurements of Viscoelastic Functions of Polymers in the Frequency-Domain Using Nanoindentation

A method to measure the complex compliance (or modulus) of linearly viscoelastic materials is presented using nanoindentation with a spherical indenter. The Hertzian solution for an elastic indentation problem, in combination with a hereditary integral operator proposed by Lee and Radok (Journal of Applied Mechanics 27, 1960, 438–444) for the situation of non-decreasing indentation contact area, was used to derive formulas for the complex viscoelastic functions in the frequency-domain. The formulas are most suitable for frequencies lower than a frequency limit such that the condition of non-decreasing contact area holds; they are reasonably good approximation at higher frequencies under which decreasing contact area occurs and the Ting (Journal of Applied Mechanics 33, 1966, 845–854) approach for arbitrary contact area history is needed. Nanoindentation tests were conducted on both polycarbonate and polymethyl methacrylate under a harmonic indentation load superimposed on either step or ramp indentation load, while the resulting displacement under steady state was recorded. The load and displacement data at each frequency were processed using the derived formulas to determine the viscoelastic functions in the frequency-domain. The same materials were also tested using a dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) apparatus to determine the complex viscoelastic functions. The DMA and nanoindentation results were compared and found in a good agreement, indicating the validity of the new method presented.     

A general equation of state for dense fluids

A general equation of state, originally proposed for compressed solids by Parsafar and Mason, has been successfully applied to dense fluids. The equation was tested with experimental data for 13 fluids, including polar, nonpolar, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, strongly hydrogen bonded, and quantum fluids. This equation works well for densities larger than the Boyle density ρ_B [1/ρ_B=T _B d B ₂(T _B)/T], where B₂(T_B) is the second virial coefficient at the Boyle temperature, at whichB ₂=0 and for a wide temperature range, specifically from the triple point to the highest temperature for which the experimental measurements have been reported. The equation is used to predict some important known regularities for dense fluids, like the common bulk modulus and the common compression points, and the Tait-Murnaghan equation. Regarding the common points, the equation of state predicts that such common points are only a low-temperature characteristic of dense fluids as verifed experimentally. It is also found that the temperature dependence of the parameters of the equation of state differs from those given for the compressed solids. Specifically they are given byA ₁ (T)=a ₁+b₁T+c₁T²-d₁ T ln (T).     

A note on the Gauss-Jacobi quadrature formulae for singular integral equations of the second kind

A fast and efficient numerical method based on the Gauss-Jacobi quadrature is described that is suitable for solving Fredholm singular integral equations of the second kind that are frequently encountered in fracture and contact mechanics. Here we concentrate on the case when the unknown function is singular at both ends of the interval. Quadrature formulae involve fixed nodal points and provide exact results for polynomials of degree 2n − 1, where n is the number of nodes. Finally, an application of the method to a plane problem involving complete contact is presented.     

A simple MC-based algorithm for evaluating reliability of stochastic-flow network with unreliable nodes

A MP/minimal cutset (MC) is a path/cut set such that if any edge is removed from this path/cut set, then the remaining set is no longer a path/cut set. An intuitive method is proposed to evaluate the reliability in terms of MCs in a stochastic-flow network subject to both edge and node failures under the condition that all of the MCs are given in advance. This is an extension of the best of known algorithms for solving the d-MC (a special MC but formatted in a system-state vector, where d is the lower bound points of the system capacity level) problem from the stochastic-flow network without unreliable nodes to with unreliable nodes by introducing some simple concepts. These concepts were first developed in the literature to implement the proposed algorithm to reduce the number of d-MC candidates. This method is more efficient than the best of known existing algorithms regardless if the network has or does not have unreliable nodes. Two examples are illustrated to show how the reliability is determined using the proposed algorithm in the network with or without unreliable nodes. The computational complexity of the proposed algorithm is analyzed and compared with the existing methods.