Kirchhoff Love Research Articles

Modeling and solution of eigenvalue problems of laminated cylindrical shells consisting of nanocomposite plies in thermal environments

This work is dedicated to the modeling and solution of eigenvalue problems within shear deformation theory (SDT) of laminated cylindrical shells containing nanocomposite plies subjected to axial compressive load in thermal environments. In this study, the shear deformation theory for homogeneous laminated shells is extended to laminated shells consisting of functionally graded (FG) nanocomposite layers. The nanocomposite plies of laminated cylindrical shells (LCSs) are arranged in a piecewise FG distribution along the thickness direction. Temperature-dependent material properties of FG-nanocomposite plies are estimated through a micromechanical model, and CNT efficiency parameters are calibrated based on polymer material properties obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. After mathematical modeling, second-order time-dependent and fourth-order coordinate-dependent partial differential equations are derived within SDT, and a closed-form solution for the dimensionless frequency parameter and critical axial load is obtained for first time. After the accuracy of the applied methodology is confirmed by numerical comparisons, the unique influences of ply models, the number and sequence of plies and the temperature on the critical axial load and vibration frequency parameter within SDT and Kirchhoff–Love theory (KLT) are presented with numerical examples.

Mixed finite elements for Kirchhoff–Love plate bending

We present a mixed finite element method with triangular and parallelogram meshes for the Kirchhoff–Love plate bending model. Critical ingredient is the construction of low-dimensional local spaces and appropriate degrees of freedom that provide conformity in terms of a sufficiently large tensor space and that allow for any kind of physically relevant Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. For Dirichlet boundary conditions and polygonal plates, we prove quasi-optimal convergence of the mixed scheme. An a posteriori error estimator is derived for the special case of the biharmonic problem. Numerical results for regular and singular examples illustrate our findings. They confirm expected convergence rates and exemplify the performance of an adaptive algorithm steered by our error estimator.

Dimension reduction and homogenization of composite plate with matrix pre-strain

This paper focuses on the simultaneous homogenization and dimension reduction of periodic composite plates within the framework of non-linear elasticity. The composite plate in its reference (undeformed) configuration consists of a periodic perforated plate made of stiff material with holes filled by a soft matrix material. The structure is clamped on a cylindrical part. Two cases of asymptotic analysis are considered: one without pre-strain and the other with matrix pre-strain. In both cases, the total elastic energy is in the von-Kármán (vK) regime ( ε 5 ). A new splitting of the displacements is introduced to analyze the asymptotic behavior. The displacements are decomposed using the Kirchhoff–Love (KL) plate displacement decomposition. The use of a re-scaling unfolding operator allows for deriving the asymptotic behavior of the Green St. Venant’s strain tensor in terms of displacements. The limit homogenized energy is shown to be of vK type with linear elastic cell problems, established using the Γ-convergence. Additionally, it is shown that for isotropic homogenized material, our limit vK plate is orthotropic. The derived results have practical applications in the design and analysis of composite structures.

FEM-BEM analysis of acoustic interaction with submerged thin-shell structures under seabed reflection conditions

The paper introduces a novel method for simulating acoustic–shell interaction subject to seabed reflection. The vibration of thin-shell structure is analyzed using the finite element method (FEM) with Kirchhoff–Love shell elements. Exterior acoustic fields associated with seabed reflection is simulated by the boundary element method (BEM) with half-space fundamental solutions. Then the FEM and BEM are coupled to simulate interaction between acoustics wave and shell vibration in the context of isogeometric analysis. Finally, fast multipole method is formulated for the coupled system to accelerate computation and reduce memory storage. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the accuracy of the algorithm.

Extraction of stress intensity factors of biharmonic equations with free boundary conditions on crack faces (III): SIF of a thin plate subjected to the bending moment

The plate bending problems in the Kirchhoff–Love model can be reduced to biharmonic equations. In the previous papers (Kim et al., 2020; Kim et al., 2022), we derived stress intensity factors (SIF) extraction formulas of a biharmonic equation Δ2u=f in a non-convex (cracked, L-shaped) domain with various boundary conditions such as clamped, simply connected, free, and mixed. In previous papers, we could not show a general SIF formula related to Poisson’s ratio ν contained in the free boundary condition. Moreover, the previous SIF extraction formula obtained for a given Poisson’s ratio requires cumbersome line integrals. In this paper, removing the line integrals in the extraction formulas, we show improved SIF extraction formulas applicable to biharmonic equations with free boundary conditions. Thus, the new, improved SIF extraction formulas for free boundary conditions become more straightforward and can be applied to plate bending problems.

Homogenization of non-rigid origami metamaterials as Kirchhoff–Love plates

Origami metamaterials have gained considerable attention for their ability to control mechanical properties through folding. Consequently, there is a need to develop systematic methods for determining their effective elastic properties. This study presents an energy-based homogenization framework for non-rigid origami metamaterials, effectively linking their mechanical treatment with that of traditional materials. To account for the unique mechanics of origami systems, our framework incorporates out-of-plane curvature fields alongside the usual in-plane strain fields used for homogenizing planar lattice structures. This approach leads to a couple-stress continuum, resembling a Kirchhoff–Love plate model, to represent the homogeneous response of these lattices. We use the bar-and-hinge method to assess lattice stiffness, and validate our framework through analytical results and numerical simulations of finite lattices. Initially, we apply the framework to homogenize the well-known Miura-ori pattern. The results demonstrate the framework’s ability to capture the unconventional relationship between stretching and bending Poisson’s ratios in origami metamaterials. Subsequently, we extend the framework to origami lattices lacking centrosymmetry, revealing two distinct neutral surfaces corresponding to bending along two lattice directions, unlike in the Miura-ori pattern. Our framework enables the inverse design of metamaterials that can mimic the unique mechanics of origami tessellations using techniques like topology optimization.

Closed-form methodology for the structural analysis of stiffened composite plates with cutouts and non-uniform lay-up

Building upon the methodology developed in prior studies, which utilized the Lekhnitskii formalism to address composite plates featuring cutouts, varying thicknesses, and different stacking sequences, the present work introduces the incorporation of stiffeners. The structural configuration comprises plates and stringers, with each stringer positioned between two plate regions and subjected to both stretching and bending loads. It is important to note that no coupling between the bending and stretching responses is accounted for; therefore, lay-ups must be symmetric, and stringers must be embedded and bisymmetric. The stringers are modeled using the Euler–Bernoulli formulation with the free torsion hypothesis, while the plates are modeled using the Kirchhoff–Love formulation. Several benchmark problems are analyzed, and the results are compared with those obtained using finite element analysis (utilizing Abaqus software), demonstrating a satisfactory agreement while also showcasing competitive computational efficiency. Thus, the present methodology provides the industry with a novel tool that enables efficient parametric analysis and facilitates the most promising configurations during the initial phases of the design to be selected by engineers.

Simulating Thin Shells by Bicubic Hermite Elements

In this study, we present the bicubic Hermite element method (BHEM), a new computational framework devised for the elastodynamic simulation of thin-shell structures. The BHEM is constructed based on quadrilateral Hermite patches, which serve as a unified representation for shell geometry, simulation, collision avoidance, as well as rendering. Compared with the commonly utilized linear FEM, the BHEM offers higher-order solution spaces, enabling the capture of more intricate and smoother geometries while employing significantly fewer finite elements. In comparison to other high-order methods, the BHEM achieves conforming C1 continuity for Kirchhoff–Love (KL) shells with minimal complexity. Furthermore, by leveraging the subdivision and convex hull properties of Hermite patches, we develop an efficient algorithm for ray-patch intersections, facilitating collision handling in simulations and ray tracing in rendering. This eliminates the need for laborious remodeling of the pre-existing surface as the conventional approaches do. We substantiate our claims with comprehensive experiments, which demonstrate the high accuracy and versatility of the proposed method.

An efficient active-stress electromechanical isogeometric shell model for muscular thin film simulations

We propose an isogeometric approach to model the deformation of active thin films using layered, nonlinear, Kirchhoff–Love shells. Isogeometric Collocation and Galerkin formulations are employed to discretize the electrophysiological and mechanical sub-problems, respectively, with the possibility to adopt different element and time-step sizes.Numerical tests illustrate the capabilities of the active-stress-based approach to effectively simulate the contraction of thin films in both quasi-static and dynamic conditions.

Folding of a growing hyperelastic sheet in a viscous fluid

Understanding the growth-induced deformation of soft materials in viscous environments is important for a variety of problems in nature and engineering. Here, we focus on the fluid–structure interaction of a hyperelastic sheet growing in an incompressible Newtonian fluid in the Stokes flow regime. We develop a computational framework for simulating this problem, where the isogeometric boundary integral method is used with the Kirchhoff–Love shell formulation and elastic–plastic decomposition of the deformation gradient tensor. We quantify the relative effects of the growth rate, the sheet bending rigidity, and the fluid viscosity on the fold formation and development of the growing sheet. Our results suggest that the viscous resistance to in-plane deformation promotes fold formation, whereas the viscous resistance to out-of-plane deformation suppresses fold development. We also investigate the effects of the thickness and aspect ratio of the rectangular sheet. Finally, we compare the growth- and prestrain-induced deformations to find a common behavior of sheets under viscous environments.

A Coarsened-Shell-Based Cosserat Model for the Simulation of Hybrid Cables

The simulation of elastic slender objects like cables is essential for industrial applications in predicting elastic behaviors and life cycles. The Cosserat model and its variants are the dominant approaches due to their high efficiency and accuracy. However, these assume cables with homogeneous interiors and thus cannot simulate hybrid cables containing different materials. We address this by developing a novel coarsened-shell-based Cosserat (CSC) model. The CSC model constructs a material-aware elastic energy function along the cable’s cross-section to describe the global elastic behavior. The CSC model is specifically developed by carefully leveraging the strengths of three approaches: the Cosserat theory to model slender cables, the Kirchhoff–Love shell theory to model the cable’s cross-sectional energy, and numerical coarsening to reduce the degrees of freedom in the shell simulation via constructing a set of new types of material-aware shape/base functions. This allows the more accurate computation of the local and global deformations of hybrid cables, surpassing the classical Cosserat models in accuracy.

A hyperelastic extended Kirchhoff–Love shell model with out-of-plane normal stress: II. An isogeometric discretization method for incompressible materials

This is Part II of a multipart article on a hyperelastic extended Kirchhoff–Love shell model with out-of-plane normal stress. We introduce an isogeometric discretization method for incompressible materials and present test computations. Accounting for the out-of-plane normal stress distribution in the out-of-plane direction affects the accuracy in calculating the deformed-configuration out-of-plane position, and consequently the nonlinear response of the shell. The return is more than what we get from accounting for the out-of-plane deformation mapping. The traction acting on the shell can be specified on the upper and lower surfaces separately. With that, the model is now free from the “midsurface’ location in terms of specifying the traction. In dealing with incompressible materials, we start with an augmented formulation that includes the pressure as a Lagrange multiplier and then eliminate it by using the geometrical representation of the incompressibility constraint. The resulting model is an extended one, in the Kirchhoff–Love category in the degree-of-freedom count, and encompassing all other extensions in the isogeometric subcategory. We include ordered details as a recipe for making the implementation practical. The implementation has two components that will not be obvious but might be critical in boundary integration. The first one is related to the edge-surface moment created by the Kirchhoff–Love assumption. The second one is related to the pressure/traction integrations over all the surfaces of the finite-thickness geometry. The test computations are for dome-shaped inflation of a flat circular shell, rolling of a rectangular plate, pinching of a cylindrical shell, and uniform hydrostatic pressurization of the pinched cylindrical shell. We compute with neo-Hookean and Mooney–Rivlin material models. To understand the effect of the terms added in the extended model, we compare with models that exclude some of those terms.

Goal-adaptive Meshing of Isogeometric Kirchhoff–Love Shells

AbstractMesh adaptivity is a technique to provide detail in numerical solutions without the need to refine the mesh over the whole domain. Mesh adaptivity in isogeometric analysis can be driven by Truncated Hierarchical B-splines (THB-splines) which add degrees of freedom locally based on finer B-spline bases. Labeling of elements for refinement is typically done using residual-based error estimators. In this paper, an adaptive meshing workflow for isogeometric Kirchhoff–Love shell analysis is developed. This framework includes THB-splines, mesh admissibility for combined refinement and coarsening and the Dual-Weighted Residual (DWR) method for computing element-wise error contributions. The DWR can be used in several structural analysis problems, allowing the user to specify a goal quantity of interest which is used to mark elements and refine the mesh. This goal functional can involve, for example, displacements, stresses, eigenfrequencies etc. The proposed framework is evaluated through a set of different benchmark problems, including modal analysis, buckling analysis and non-linear snap-through and bifurcation problems, showing high accuracy of the DWR estimator and efficient allocation of degrees of freedom for advanced shell computations.

An interior penalty coupling strategy for isogeometric non-conformal Kirchhoff–Love shell patches

This work focuses on the coupling of trimmed shell patches using Isogeometric Analysis, based on higher continuity splines that seamlessly meet the C1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$C^1$$\\end{document} requirement of Kirchhoff–Love-based discretizations. Weak enforcement of coupling conditions is achieved through the symmetric interior penalty method, where the fluxes are computed using their correct variationally consistent expression that was only recently proposed and is unprecedentedly adopted herein in the context of coupling conditions. The constitutive relationship accounts for generically laminated materials, although the proposed tests are conducted under the assumption of uniform thickness and lamination sequence. Numerical experiments assess the method for an isotropic and a laminated plate, as well as an isotropic hyperbolic paraboloid shell from the new shell obstacle course. The boundary conditions and domain force are chosen to reproduce manufactured analytical solutions, which are taken as reference to compute rigorous convergence curves in the L2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$L^2$$\\end{document}, H1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$H^1$$\\end{document}, and H2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$H^2$$\\end{document} norms, that closely approach optimal ones predicted by theory. Additionally, we conduct a final test on a complex structure comprising five intersecting laminated cylindrical shells, whose geometry is directly imported from a STEP file. The results exhibit excellent agreement with those obtained through commercial software, showcasing the method’s potential for real-world industrial applications.

Large rotation isogeometric shell model for alternating stiff/soft curved laminates including warping and interlayer thickness change

The mechanics of laminates made up of elastic alternating stiff/soft layers is dominated by bending and membrane actions in the stiff layers, while transverse shear deformations concentrate in the soft interlayers producing significant zigzag warping effects. Additionally, curved geometry and large deformations can induce an interlayer thickness strain affecting the overall response of the laminate. This work presents a rotation-free Total Lagrangian large deformation curved shell model to accurately capture such a structural response. Each stiff layer is modeled as a Kirchhoff–Love shell. Without additional DOFs, each soft interlayer is modeled as a solid-shell by expressing, in finite kinematics, the displacement of top and bottom interfaces as a function of the mid-surface displacement of the upper and lower stiff layers it couples. The model is characterized by a sparse stiffness matrix compared to high-order theories and requires a small number of DOFs (3 per stiff layer) to reproduce the 3D solution. A NURBS discretization meets the high continuity of the weak form with a patch-wise reduced quadrature to avoid locking and enhance efficiency. All thickness integrals are pre-computed just once.

Vibration frequency and mode localization characteristics of strain gradient variable-thickness microplates

Based on the modified strain gradient theory and Kirchhoff–Love assumptions, a free vibration model is established for variable-thickness microplates with three material length scale parameters, and the corresponding Euler–Lagrange equation is derived. Keeping the microplate volume constant, three kinds of thickness variations along the X-direction are considered: linear, parabolic, and cubic variations. Further, a C2-type four-node 36-degree-of-freedom variable-thickness differential quadrature finite element is developed to solve the resulting variable-coefficient boundary value problem by combining the Gauss–Lobatto and differential quadrature rules. Galerkin approximate solution for fully simply supported microplates is provided as a benchmark for numerical method verification. The convergence and accuracy of the model are verified through several examples. Finally, the vibration frequencies of the microplates under different thickness variation types, taper ratios, thickness ratios, material length scale parameters, and boundary conditions are examined through parametric analysis. Also, the influence of each factor on the mode localization of the microplates is quantitatively characterized by the modal assurance criterion (MAC) for the first time. The numerical results show that the thickness variation has a minor effect on the vibration frequency but a significant influence on the mode shape when the volume of the microplate is constant. The strain gradient, taper ratio, and discontinuous boundary have a remarkable effect on the distribution of higher-order mode shape contour lines and the regions where vibration localization occurs.

The Application of the Modified Lindstedt–Poincaré Method to Solve the Nonlinear Vibration Problem of Exponentially Graded Laminated Plates on Elastic Foundations

The solution of the nonlinear (NL) vibration problem of the interaction of laminated plates made of exponentially graded orthotropic layers (EGOLs) with elastic foundations within the Kirchhoff–Love theory (KLT) is developed using the modified Lindstedt–Poincaré method for the first time. Young’s modulus and the material density of the orthotropic layers of laminated plates are assumed to vary exponentially in the direction of thickness, and Poisson’s ratio is assumed to be constant. The governing equations are derived as equations of motion and compatibility using the stress–strain relationship within the framework of KLT and von Karman-type nonlinear theory. NL partial differential equations are reduced to NL ordinary differential equations by the Galerkin method and solved by using the modified Lindstedt–Poincaré method to obtain unique amplitude-dependent expressions for the NL frequency. The proposed solution is validated by comparing the results for laminated plates consisting of exponentially graded orthotropic layers with the results for laminated homogeneous orthotropic plates. Finally, a series of examples are presented to illustrate numerical results on the nonlinear frequency of rectangular plates composed of homogeneous and exponentially graded layers. The effects of the exponential change in the material gradient in the layers, the arrangement and number of the layers, the elastic foundations, the plate aspect ratio and the nonlinearity of the frequency are investigated.

Automated shape and thickness optimization for non-matching isogeometric shells using free-form deformation

AbstractIsogeometric analysis (IGA) has emerged as a promising approach in the field of structural optimization, benefiting from the seamless integration between the computer-aided design (CAD) geometry and the analysis model by employing non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) as basis functions. However, structural optimization for real-world CAD geometries consisting of multiple non-matching NURBS patches remains a challenging task. In this work, we propose a unified formulation for shape and thickness optimization of separately parametrized shell structures by adopting the free-form deformation (FFD) technique, so that continuity with respect to design variables is preserved at patch intersections during optimization. Shell patches are modeled with isogeometric Kirchhoff–Love theory and coupled using a penalty-based method in the analysis. We use Lagrange extraction to link the control points associated with the B-spline FFD block and shell patches, and we perform IGA using the same extraction matrices by taking advantage of existing finite element assembly procedures in the FEniCS partial differential equation (PDE) solution library. Moreover, we enable automated analytical derivative computation by leveraging advanced code generation in FEniCS, thereby facilitating efficient gradient-based optimization algorithms. The framework is validated using a collection of benchmark problems, demonstrating its applications to shape and thickness optimization of aircraft wings with complex shell layouts.

A solid-shell model of hard-magnetic soft materials

Hard-magnetic soft materials (HMSMs) consisting of an elastomer matrix filled with high remnant magnetic particles can exhibit flexible programmability and rapid shape changing under non-contact activation, showing promising potential applications in soft robotics, biomedical devices and flexible electronics. Precise predictions of large deformations of hard-magnetic soft materials would be a key for relevant applications. Here, we develop a magneto-mechanical theoretical framework to model large deformations of magneto-active elastomers by applying solid-shell formulations based on the variational principle. Within the 3D geometric description, the complete Green–Lagrange strain tensors are considered and thus 3D nonlinear material laws can be employed straightforwardly, without presupposing Kirchhoff–Love hypothesis and plane stress constraints. In addition, the solid-shell model avoids introducing rotational degrees of freedom in computation and thus does not require complex finite-rotation update, which also works well for thick shells at large strains. We adopt the enhanced assumed strain (EAS) and assumed natural strain (ANS) methods to overcome locking effects. Several representative examples with various deformed configurations are explored, showing precise predictions of morphological transformations of HMSMs based on our model, in good agreement with experiments. Our model provides a versatile tool to harness large deformations of magneto-elastic structures, and could be used for rational designs of active flexible devices and robots.

Bending edge wave on a functionally graded fluid‐saturated porous magneto‐electro‐elastic plate

AbstractThis study investigates the localized wave propagation at the free edge of a thin semi‐infinite Magneto‐Electro‐Elastic (MEE) plate. The plate is supported by a two‐parameters elastic foundation. Biot's porosity theory is considered to formulate the porosity in the model, and the pore structure is saturated with an incompressible fluid. The Kirchhoff–Love plate theory determines the plate displacement field. A non‐homogeneity in the material parameters is considered, which varies with the spatial coordinate along the thickness direction of the plate. In order to illustrate the impacts of the surface elements on bending wave propagation, the model incorporates the surface elasticity theory. The short circuit boundary conditions are implemented to derive the general form of the potential function connected with the electric and magnetic fields, respectively. The dispersion relation for bending edge wave on a MEE fluid‐saturated porous plate is obtained by considering a sinusoidal waveform, which propagates along the free edge of the plate. A numerical method named Finite Difference (FD) scheme is employed to analyze the stability of the numerical scheme and also extract the expression of the velocity profiles of the bending edge wave in the absence of the pore structure. The impacts of the various parameters included in the considered model are examined using a numerical example, from which conclusions regarding their sensitivity are derived.