Traction Boundary Research Articles

Traction‐associated peridynamic model and non‐uniform discretization simulation of plane axisymmetric problems

AbstractUsing the recently developed traction‐associated peridynamic motion equation (TPME), we investigate the plane axisymmetric problems of elastic deformation. The polar coordinate form of TPME is derived for a plane axisymmetric problem. The transfer function matching with prototype microelastic (PM) model is determined by the inverse method in a one‐dimensional case, and then it is directly extended to plane axisymmetric elasticity problems and plane problems. We promote a strategy to deal with the horizon in the non‐uniform discretization scheme. Based on this strategy, the non‐uniform discretization scheme is used to solve the elastic deformation of a hollow circular plate subjected to uniform inner and outer pressures. Total process from elastic deformation to failure of the hollow circular plate under tension is simulated completely. The results show that TPME does not only need volume and surface corrections, but also can deal with the complex traction boundary conditions conveniently.

Wave scattering in a cracked exponentially graded magnetoelectroelastic half‐plane

AbstractAn exponentially graded with respect to depth magnetoelectroelastic (MEE) half‐plane containing two line or curvilinear cracks under time‐harmonic SH wave is studied. The defined mechanical problem is described by boundary integral equations (BIEs) along the cracks boundaries. The computational tool based on the non‐hypersingular traction boundary integral equation method (BIEM) is developed, verified and inserted in numerical simulations. It is based on the analytically derived Green's function and free‐field wave motion solution for exponentially graded MEE half‐plane. The dependence of the generalized stress intensity factors (SIFs) on the material gradient parameters, on the dynamic load characteristics, on the cracks position and their shape, on the dynamic interaction between cracks and between them and half‐plane boundary is numerically analyzed.

Prediction–correction projection immersed interface method for interfacial stress-induced flows and applications to electrohydrodynamics

We propose a robust, high-resolution prediction–correction projection immersed interface method (IIM) for solving the unsteady incompressible Navier–Stokes equations with traction boundary conditions, which arise from free surface flows driven by capillary, electric, and elastic forces. This method combines the advantages of traditional body-fitted moving mesh methods and immersed boundary methods (IBM), allowing for the accurate imposition of boundary conditions on free surfaces using Cartesian grids and providing detailed interface information that is typically smoothed out in traditional IBM. The irregular liquid-phase domain is embedded within a square region and discretized using a dynamically adaptive Cartesian mesh. The free surface is captured using a narrow-band level set with hybrid reinitialization. A prediction–correction projection scheme is constructed, incorporating additional pressure predictions and corrections to enhance robustness. The resulting Helmholtz/Poisson equations are solved using the augmented IIM for boundary value problems. Grid refinement analysis demonstrates second-order convergence of the L∞ error, even in challenging cases such as the oscillating drop test with low viscosity. We further apply this method to electrohydrodynamic (EHD) problems, constructing an implicit augmented IIM to solve the equations governing the electric field and charge conservation. Numerical experiments demonstrate that this method accurately addresses highly intense EHD phenomena, such as the formation of Taylor cones, highlighting its robustness.

Controllable deformations in compressible isotropic implicit elasticity

For a given material, controllable deformations are those deformations that can be maintained in the absence of body forces and by applying only boundary tractions. For a given class of materials, universal deformations are those deformations that are controllable for any material within the class. In this paper, we characterize the universal deformations in compressible isotropic implicit elasticity defined by solids whose constitutive equations, in terms of the Cauchy stress σ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\varvec{\\sigma }$$\\end{document} and the left Cauchy-Green strain b\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ extbf{b}$$\\end{document}, have the implicit form f(σ,b)=0\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\varvec{\ extsf{f}}(\\varvec{\\sigma },\ extbf{b})=\ extbf{0}$$\\end{document}. We prove that universal deformations are homogeneous. However, an important observation is that, unlike Cauchy (and Green) elasticity, not every homogeneous deformation is constitutively admissible for a given implicit-elastic solid. In other words, the set of universal deformations is material-dependent, yet it remains a subset of homogeneous deformations.

Universal deformations and inhomogeneities in isotropic Cauchy elasticity

For a given class of materials, universal deformations are those deformations that can be maintained in the absence of body forces and by applying solely boundary tractions. For inhomogeneous bodies, in addition to the universality constraints that determine the universal deformations, there are extra constraints on the form of the material inhomogeneities—universal inhomogeneity constraints. Those inhomogeneities compatible with the universal inhomogeneity constraints are called universal inhomogeneities. In a Cauchy elastic solid, stress at a given point and at an instance of time is a function of strain at that point and that exact moment in time, without any dependence on prior history. A Cauchy elastic solid does not necessarily have an energy function, i.e. Cauchy elastic solids are, in general, non-hyperelastic (or non-Green elastic). In this paper, we characterize universal deformations in both compressible and incompressible inhomogeneous isotropic Cauchy elasticity. As Cauchy elasticity includes hyperelasticity, one expects the universal deformations of Cauchy elasticity to be a subset of those of hyperelasticity both in compressible and incompressible cases. It is also expected that the universal inhomogeneity constraints to be more stringent than those of hyperelasticity, and hence, the set of universal inhomogeneities to be smaller than that of hyperelasticity. We prove the somewhat unexpected result that the sets of universal deformations of isotropic Cauchy elasticity and isotropic hyperelasticity are identical, in both the compressible and incompressible cases. We also prove that their corresponding universal inhomogeneities are identical as well.

Stabilised finite element method for Stokes problem with nonlinear slip condition

This work introduces a stabilised finite element formulation for the Stokes flow problem with a nonlinear slip boundary condition of friction type. The boundary condition is enforced with the help of an additional Lagrange multiplier representing boundary traction and the stabilised formulation is based on simultaneously stabilising both the pressure and the traction. We establish the stability and the a priori error analyses, and perform a numerical convergence study in order to verify the theory.

A finite-strain plate model for the magneto-mechanical behaviors of hard-magnetic soft material plates

In this paper, we propose a plate model, within the framework of finite-strain elasticity, to study the magneto-mechanical behaviors of hard-magnetic soft material plates. The 2D vector plate equation is derived from the 3D governing equations through a series expansion and truncation approach. The displacement and traction boundary conditions on the edges of plate samples are also proposed. Compared with the other plate or shell theories, the current plate model naturally incorporates the elastic incompressibility and the magneto-mechanical coupling effect of the material, which doesn't involve any a priori hypotheses on the geometry and deformation of the plates. Thus, it is applicable for modeling the large deformations of hard-magnetic soft material plates. To show the efficiency of the plate model, we study a benchmark problem, i.e., the plane-strain bending deformations of plate samples induced by magnetic and mechanical loads. Some analytical solutions of the plate equation system are derived, which provide accurate predictions on the magneto-mechanical response of the plate samples with different thickness-length ratios and magnetization directions. To promote applications of the plate model, we further derive a simplified plate equation system and write out its weak form, which is then implemented into the finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics. The efficiency of the simplified plate equation system is also verified through some typical examples. It is found that the numerical results obtained from the 2D plate model show good consistency with those of the 3D volume model, while the plate model exhibits obvious advantages in the aspects of numerical efficiency.

Dynamics in Explicit Gradient Elasticity: Material Frame-Indifference, Boundary Conditions and Consistent Euler-Bernoulli Beam Theory.

The paper is concerned with the boundary conditions of explicit gradient elasticity of Mindlin's type in dynamics. It has been argued in an earlier paper that acceleration terms should not be present in the boundary tractions because of objectivity arguments. This is discussed in the present paper in more detail, and it is supplemented by assuming the validity of the principle of material frame indifference. Furthermore, new examples are discussed in order to illustrate that significant differences exist in the responses predicted by boundary tractions with and without acceleration terms.

Comparison of approximation methods for bending of finite and infinite elastic plates: The traction boundary value problem

A generalized Fourier series method is designed to approximate the solution of the Neumann problem in a finite domain and in an infinite domain with a hole, for the mathematical model of bending of elastic plates with transverse shear deformation. The results in the two cases are compared and contrasted, and the analysis is illustrated by examples with specific boundary conditions.

Asymptotically correct isoenergetic formulation of geometrically nonlinear anisotropic plates

In the present work, a new displacement-based Equivalent Single Layer (ESL) plate theory has been developed using the Variational Asymptotic Method (VAM) and the principle of isoenergetics. In contrast to the existing assumption-based ESL plate theories, the proposed VAM-based plate theory is devoid of any presuppositions. The VAM decouples the 3D plate problem into a 1D through the thickness analysis and a 2D planar problem. Closed form solutions have been obtained for the 1D problem in terms of 2D displacement variables and their higher-order derivatives. The complexity involving higher-order derivatives of 2D displacement variables has been simplified through the isoenergetic principle ensuring a similar rate of convergence for strains as well as displacements. Solutions for various field variables have been compared against the benchmark problems available in the literature and 3D FEA. These comparisons demonstrate the accuracy, efficiency, and versatility of the present methodology. Key contributions of the present work are (a) First principles-based derivation of the reduced-order 2D plate model from the 3D model energy. (b) The plane stress condition as well as the quadratic variation of transverse shear stress and strain are natural outcomes of the present mathematical framework. (c) This leads to zero tangential traction boundary conditions on the plate surface. (d) The effectiveness of capturing higher-order behavior at lower-order results in simplified analysis, reduced computational complexity and increased efficiency.

A sharp immersed method for electrohydrodynamic flows accompanied by charge evaporation

AbstractThis article presents a sharp immersed method for simulating electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flows that involve charge evaporation. This well‐known multi‐scale, multi‐physics problem is widely used in various fields, including industry and medicine. The method adopts a fully sharp model, where surface tension and Maxwell stress are treated as surface forces and free charges are concentrated on the zero thickness liquid‐vacuum interface. Incorporating charge evaporation imposes strict restrictions on the time‐step, as the rate of evaporation sharply increases with surface evolution. To overcome this challenge, an iterative algorithm that couples the electric field and surface charge density is proposed to obtain accurate results, even with significantly large time‐steps. To mitigate the numerical residuals near the interface, which may introduce parasitic flows and cause numerical instability, an immersed interface method‐based iterative projection method for the Navier–Stokes equations is proposed, in which a traction boundary condition involving multiple surface forces is imposed on the sharp interface. Numerical experiments were carried out, and the results show that the method is splitting‐error‐free and stable. The sharp immersed method is applied to simulate the electric‐induced deformation of an ionic liquid drop with charge evaporation. The results indicate that charge evaporation can suppress the sharp development of Taylor cones at the ends of the drops. These findings have significant implications for the design and optimization of EHD systems in various applications.

Non-contact reconstitution of the traction distribution using incomplete deformation measurements: Methodology and experimental validation

Traction distribution is often unknown in solid mechanics. However, identifying traction distribution with both high accuracy and spatial resolution can sometimes be critical. In this paper, we consider the frequent situation where incomplete deformation measurements, such as partial surface measurements obtained by digital image correlation, are available. For such situations, we propose to achieve the complete identification of boundary tractions, using an optimization based inverse method. The feasibility and robustness of the proposed approach are firstly assessed with numerical simulations. We show that complete traction distributions can be identified with high accuracy even when there is noise added to the deformation measurements. More specifically, the relative error was less than 3% even with 10% noise. Moreover, the effect of noise depends significantly on the level of incompleteness of the deformation data. We show for instance that when the measurement area is 8.3% of the solid, the relative error can be 5 times larger than when the measurement area is 33.3%. However, even with 8.3% deformation measurement area of the solid, the relative error of the mapped traction distribution can be less than 6%. Besides, the accuracy of the mapped traction distribution can be further improved if the region of the deformation measurement is closer to the traction boundary. We eventually validate the proposed inverse approach using incomplete experimental datasets consisting in tensile tests carried out on two elastic samples. We obtain very promising results, with relative errors below 4% using the measured displacements of only 3 points, which is promising to open potential applications in different fields of engineering.

On Solving Nonlinear Elasticity Problems Using a Boundary-Elements-Based Solution Method

The attractiveness of the boundary element method—the reduction in the problem dimension by one—is lost when solving nonlinear solid mechanics problems. The point collocation method applied to strong-form differential equations is appealing because it is easy to implement. The method becomes inaccurate in the presence of traction boundary conditions, which are inevitable in solid mechanics. A judicious combination of the point collocation and the boundary integral formulation of Navier’s equation allows a pure boundary element method to be obtained for the solution of nonlinear elasticity problems. The potential of the approach is investigated in some simple examples considering isotropic and anisotropic material models in the total Lagrangian framework.

Buckling analysis of rectangular plates composed of functionally graded materials subjected to uniaxial and biaxial compression loading

In this article, we investigate the buckling analysis of plates that are made of functionally graded materials (FGMs). Using a four-variable refined plate theory, both a variation of the transverse shear strains across the thickness and the zero traction boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the plate are satisfied without using shear correction factors. Governing equations are obtained from the principle of virtual works. The mechanical critical buckling exposed to different load conditions is determined. After such verifications, the effects of parameters such as the plate aspect ratio, side-to-thickness ratio and gradient index on the critical buckling are explained and illustrated. Numerical examples of the buckling analysis of functionally graded plates demonstrate the accuracy of the present theory.

Modeling large-deformation features of the Lower San Fernando Dam failure with the Material Point Method

The Material Point Method (MPM) is used to model the well-known case study of the earthquake-induced Lower San Fernando Dam failure. This upstream flow slide, leaving only 1–2 m freeboard, emphasized the importance of seismic hazard analyses of earthen dams. This study expands on the Chowdhury (2019) nonlinear seismic deformation analysis, which successfully captured liquefaction initiation and engineering failure characteristics. It could not, however, fully capture the large-deformation behavior and post-failure equilibrium cross-section due to mesh entanglement limitations of the Finite Difference Method. This MPM model initializes post-shaking and simulates the large-deformation undrained behavior of both liquefied sands and shear-softened clays. Several novel features implemented in the MPM advance modeling capabilities, including a nonconforming traction boundary to model reservoir pressure, and an adhesion boundary to model the reservoir bottom sliding interface. Compared to previous studies, the current study predicts improved kinematic behavior and post-failure cross-sectional features. Qualitative highlights include well-defined shear banding, sharp heel scarp features, blocky features, a toe bulge, and shear separation of the leading slide mass. Quantitative highlights include 1.5 m remaining freeboard, 20 m crest loss, and 66 m upstream toe runout, versus field observations of 1.2–1.8, 20, and 65 m, respectively.

Peridynamic equation with boundary traction

Peridynamic equation with boundary traction

Variant of strain gradient elasticity with simplified formulation of traction boundary value problems

AbstractIn this paper, we show that within the class of isotropic Mindlin‐Toupin gradient theories there exist a particular variant of the theory, which allows a completely simplified form of traction boundary value problems. This theory can be obtained assuming that the high‐grade part of the strain energy density depends only on the vector‐type quantities, that are the gradient of dilatation and the curl of small rotation. Such incomplete gradient theory becomes positive semi‐definite and at the same time it obeys the strong ellipticity conditions of the general Mindlin‐Toupin first strain gradient elasticity. Based on the variational approach it is shown that the equilibrium equations of the developed theory and its definition for the surface traction can be given only in terms of the total stresses (like in classical elasticity). Such formulation can be useful for derivation of the closed form solutions for the problems with traction‐type boundary conditions. Examples of the solutions for the problem of cylindrical bending and for the inplane crack tip fields are presented. It is shown that considered theory allows to obtain a regularized solution for the crack problems and at the same time it does not predict a non‐physical infinite increase of the material's rigidity under bending.

Universal displacements in inextensible fiber-reinforced linear elastic solids

For a given class of materials, universal displacements are those displacements that can be maintained for any member of the class by applying only boundary tractions. In this paper, we study universal displacements in compressible anisotropic linear elastic solids reinforced by a family of inextensible fibers. For each symmetry class and for a uniform distribution of straight fibers respecting the corresponding symmetry, we characterize the respective universal displacements. A goal of this paper is to investigate how an internal constraint affects the set of universal displacements. We have observed that other than the triclinic and cubic solids in the other five classes (a fiber-reinforced solid with straight fibers cannot be isotropic), the presence of inextensible fibers enlarges the set of universal displacements.

A stabilized nonconforming Crouzeix–Raviart finite element method for the elasticity eigenvalue problem with the pure traction boundary condition

The linear elasticity problem has important applications in structural analysis and engineering design. It is shown that the classical Crouzeix–Raviart finite element method is unstable to solve the linear elasticity eigenvalue problem with the pure traction boundary condition. In this paper, first we propose a new scheme with the stabilization terms. Then we prove the a priori error estimates for approximate eigenpairs. Finally, we carry out numerical experiments using the stabilized scheme. Theoretical analysis and numerical results show that this scheme is locking free and efficient.

Flow reversals of a non-Newtonian fluid in an expanding channel

The flow of an incompressible power-law fluid through convergent–divergent channels is considered where the choice of the viscosity is such that the zero-shear rate viscosity is neither zero nor infinity for any finite value of the power-law exponent. Rather than employing the classical similarity transformation employed by Jeffery and Hamel implying purely radial solutions for the velocity field, we instead consider flow in both the radial and angular directions, under three sets of boundary conditions. This work is in contrast to the earlier study by Mansutti and Rajagopal (1991). wherein the viscosity could be zero or infinity for certain values of the power-law exponent. While seeking solutions to nonlinear differential equations, when seeking similarity solutions, one ought to be cognizant that the equations might have solutions in addition to the similarity solution that is being sought. We observe that the tangential velocity does indeed play a role in the flow regime of the fluid, with flow reversal also present for certain values of α. In the case of traction boundary conditions, we also observe a change in the flow characteristics.