Sharif Digital Repository

In this study, a nonlinear poroelastic model of intervertebral disc as an infrastructure was developed. Moreover, a new element was defined consisting a disc (Viscoelastic Euler Beam Element) and a vertebra (Rigid Link) as a unit element. Using the new element, three different viscoelastic finite element models were prepared for lumbar motion segment (L4/L5). Prolonged loading (short-term and long-term creep) and cyclic loading were applied to the models and the results were compared with results of in vivo tests. Simplification of the models by using the new element leads to reduction of the runtime of the models in dynamic analyses to few minutes without losing the accuracy in the results  

This paper introduces three geometric features, from deformed shape of a soft tissue, which demonstrate good correlation with probing force and maximum local stress. Using FEM simulation, 2D and 3D model of an in vivo porcine liver was built for different probing tasks. Maximum deformation angle, maximum deformation depth and width of displacement constraint of the reconstructed shape of the deformed body were calculated. Two neural networks were trained from these features and the calculated interaction forces. The features are shown to have high potential to provide force estimation either for haptic devices or to assess the damage to the tissue in large deformations of up to 40%  

We studied the flow stress and microstructural changes of nanostructured Al-6063 alloy produced by mechanical alloying at various temperatures and strain rates. The analysis of flow curves was performed by a constitutive equation, and the stress exponent and activation energy were determined as functions of strain. The deformation mechanisms were elaborated through microstructural observations by electron backscattering diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Coarsening of the subgrains and grain growth upon deformation was monitored and related to the Zener-Hollomon parameter  

A mathematical model is proposed for the determination of the thermo-mechanical stresses in work-rolls during hot-strip rolling. The model describes the evolution of the temperature fields in the work-roll and in the work-piece, and in the latter the plastic heat generation is taken into account. The frictional heat generated on the contact surface is also included. The problem is treated in two steps. First, a numerical method is developed for the analysis of the coupled thermal problem of the temperature distributions within the work-roll and metal being rolled, while an admissible velocity field is employed to estimate the heat of deformation. In the second step, the finite-element method... 

Arterial diseases, namely atherosclerosis, are believed to be a product of abnormal changes in both hemodynamic and non-hemodynamic factors. In order to explornmk,e the role of different factors in initiation and progression of this disease, a CFD technique was applied to study Interaction between the structure of the artery and blood flow for different suggested models that were used to describe mechanics of vessel wall. This study presents a three-dimensional, steady state simulation of blood flow through the single and double layered carotid artery bifurcation using fluid structure interaction (FSI) method. The wall shear stress and mechanical stress/strain are computed and analyzed under... 

In order to evaluate dynamic properties of Babolsar and Toyoura sands at saturation levels of 25, 50, 75 & 100%, a series of cyclic simple shear tests were carried out. The SGI type cyclic simple shear device was used to study the shear modulus, G, and damping ratio, D, of the above mentioned sands at cyclic shear strain of 0.5, 5 & 10%. The effect of degree of saturation (S), vertical consolidation stress (σ vc) and number of loading cycles (N) were investigated. On the basis of the tests results, the shear modulus approximately remains constant by change of degree of saturation from 25 to 50% and decreases when reaches the degree of saturation 75%. Damping ratio approximately is constant... 

This paper deals with analytical thermomechanical stress analysis of adhesively bonded composite joints in presence of a structural imperfection in the form of an interfacial void within the adhesive layer based on the full layerwise theory (FLWT). The joints are subjected to mechanical tension, uniform temperature change, or steady-state heat conduction. The proposed adhesive joint is divided into three distinct regions along its length and a large number of mathematical plies through its thickness. Three sets of fully coupled governing equilibrium equations are derived employing the principle of minimum total potential energy. The three-dimensional nonlinear interlaminar stress... 

Porous shape memory alloys (SMAs) exhibit the interesting characteristics of porous metals together with shape memory effect and pseudo-elasticity of SMAs that make them appropriate for biomedical applications. In this paper, a 3-D phenomenological constitutive model for the pseudo-elastic behavior and shape memory effect of porous SMAs is developed within the framework of irreversible thermodynamics. Comparing to micromechanical and computational models, the proposed model is computationally cost effective and predicts the behavior of porous SMAs under proportional and non-proportional multiaxial loadings. Considering the pressure dependency of phase transformation in porous SMAs, proper... 

There has been a rising trend towards robotic tele-surgery operations in recent years. A major concern, however, is the lack of direct contact between the surgeon and patient's body. Several researchers have proposed various designs of tactile sensors for surgical instruments to improve the dexterity of surgeons. Previously designed sensors, however, are mostly suitable for instruments with small contact areas. In this paper, a novel tactile sensor is introduced in integration with the teeth of a surgical grasper for large organs. It includes strain gauges embedded underneath a toothed plate, which also act as grasping teeth of the jaws of the instrument. The thickness of the plate and the... 

To characterize the role of specimen disturbance and structure in the hydromechanical behavior of collapsible soils, two sets of wetting-induced collapse and suction-controlled triaxial tests were conducted on intact and reconstituted specimens of a loessial soil taken from a loess deposit in Gorgan, a city in the northeastern Golestan province of Iran. The testing approach used an advanced triaxial testing device that was specifically modified to control pressures applied to a soil specimen and to monitor and measure the amount of changes in volume and water content of the soil specimens during testing using highly sensitive digital sensors with an accuracy of 60.01 cm3. Results of the... 

Three-dimensional thermo-mechanical stress analysis of composite joints with bi-adhesive bonding is presented using the full layerwise theory. Based on three-dimensional elasticity theory, sets of fully coupled governing differential equations are derived using the principle of minimum total potential energy and are simultaneously solved using the state space approach. Results show that bi-adhesive bonding substantially relieves the edge effects. Moreover, series of parametric studies reveal the nonlinear effects of bonding length ratio and the relative stiffness and coefficient of thermal expansion of the mid- and side-adhesives. It is also concluded that the optimum design of a bi-adhesive... 

In this paper an integrated model has been developed that is capable of considering the effects of process parameters on the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the work-roll and the strip during hot rolling operations. The commercially finite element package ABAQUS is utilized to solve the governing equations, while an elasto-viscoplastic material behaviour is utilized in the model. The model may be employed in single-pass as well as multi-pass rolling layouts. Various aspects of the hot rolling process are predicted including temperature field and thermo-mechanical stresses within the work-roll as well as temperature, strain, and residual stresses distributions within the strip. To assess the... 

Patellar lateral stability was studied using a 2D transverse plane model with deformable articular surfaces. Quadriceps muscles and patellar tendon were considered as strings with predefined forces and lateral and medial retinaculum as tensile springs. Deformation behavior of articular cartilage was modeled by a set of compression springs perpendicular to articular surfaces, based on rigid body spring model method (RBSM). Patellar lateral stability was investigated using restraining force method (the external force required to cause up to 10 mm lateral displacement on patella). The results were in good agreement with experimental reports for normal joint, vastus lateralis and vastus medialis... 

Based on the force-deflection equation for a beam subjected to lateral point loads, a C2 continuous piecewise bicubic mathematical representation was proposed to model complicated geometrical surfaces, e.g. the articular surfaces of human joints. The method was then extended so that it could be used for mathematical modelling of incomplete nets of data points, as well as smoothing of noisy and/or filtering of erroneous data points. Mathematical techniques were also developed to calculate the required unknown parameters explicitly, with no need to solve the system of equations simultaneously. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated on a number of surface modelling problems,... 

A modified two-surface critical state plasticity model for saturated and unsaturated soil is presented in this study. The key modification in new model is inclusion of an alternative yield surface used to simulate the behavior of unsaturated soils in addition to corresponding saturated conditions. Moreover, a numerical technique is used to obtain an incremental stress–strain response from loading curves. Modification is applied continuously in each incremental step to return the final stress states and hardening parameters to the yield surface. Results revealed that the adopted modeling approach can predict two independent sets of laboratory unsaturated experiments under various conditions... 

This paper aims to identify an optimum bone fracture stabilizer. For this purpose, three design variables including the ratio of the screw diameter to the plate width at three levels, the ratio of the plate thickness to the plate width at three levels, and the diameter of the bone at two levels were selected for analysis. Eighteen 3D verified finite element models were developed to examine the effects of these parameters on the weight, maximum displacement and maximum von Mises stress of the fixation structure. Considering the relations between the inputs and outputs using multivariate regression, a genetic algorithm was used to find the optimal choices. Results showed that the diameter of... 

Muscle fatigue affects the underlying EMG-force relationship on which EMG-assisted biomechanical models rely. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of short duration muscle fatigue on the muscle gain value. Participants performed controlled, isometric trunk extension exertions at 10, 20, and 30 degrees of trunk flexion and controlled isokinetic trunk extension exertions at 5 and 15°/sec on five separate days. Fatigue of the lumbar extensors was generated by moderate-intensity, trunk extension exertions. Participants performed controlled test contractions at defined intervals throughout the fatiguing bout and the EMG activities of trunk muscles were collected. These EMG data were... 

Finite element analysis is an effective tool to evaluate the material properties of living tissue. For an interactive optimization procedure, the finite element analysis usually needs many simulations to reach a reasonable solution. The metamodel analysis of finite element simulation can be used to reduce the computation of a structure with complex geometry or a material with composite constitutive equations. The intervertebral disc is a complex, heterogeneous, and hydrated porous structure. A poroelastic finite element model can be used to observe the fluid transferring, pressure deviation, and other properties within the disc. Defining reasonable poroelastic material properties of the... 

An analytical approach which is popular in micromechanical studies has been extended to the solution for the interference fit problem of the femoral stem in cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA). The multiple inhomogeneity problem of THA in transverse plane, including an elliptical stem, a cortical wall, and a cancellous layer interface, was formulated using the equivalent inclusion method (EIM) to obtain the induced interference elastic fields. Results indicated a maximum interference fit of about 210 μm before bone fracture, predicted based on the Drucker-Prager criterion for a partially reamed section. The cancellous layer had a significant effect on reducing the hoop stresses in the... 

In the present paper, radial and hoop thermal and mechanical stress analysis of a rotating disk made of functionally graded material (FGM) with variable thickness is carried out by using finite element method (FEM). To model the disk by FEM, one-dimensional two-degree elements with three nodes are used. It is assumed that the material properties, such as elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio and thermal expansion coefficient, are considered to vary using a power law function in the radial direction. The geometrical and boundary conditions are in the shape of two models including thermal stress (model-A) and mechanical stress (model-B). In model-A there exists no pressure in both external and...