Swelling-induced finite bending of functionally graded pH-responsive hydrogels:a semi-analytical method

Recently, pH-sensitive hydrogels have been utilized in the diverse applications including sensors, switches, and actuators. In order to have continuous stress and deformation ?elds, a new semi-analytical approach is developed to predict the swelling induced?nite bending for a functionally graded(FG) layer composed of a pH-sensitive hydrogel,in which the cross-link density is continuously distributed along the thickness direction under the plane strain condition. Without considering the intermediary virtual reference,the initial state is mapped into the deformed con?guration in a circular shape by utilizing a total deformation gradient tensor stemming from the inhomogeneous swelling of an FG layer in response to the variation of the pH value of the solvent. To enlighten the capability of the presented analytical method, the ?nite element method(FEM) is used to verify the accuracy of the analytical results in some case studies. The perfect agreement con-?rms the accuracy of the presented method. Due to the applicability of FG pH-sensitive hydrogels, some design factors such as the semi-angle, the bending curvature, the aspect ratio, and the distributions of deformation and stress ?elds are studied. Furthermore, the tangential free-stress axes are illustrated in deformed con?guration.

Transient swelling-induced finite bending of hydrogel-based bilayers:analytical and FEM approaches

Hydrogels with their time-dependent intrinsic behaviors have recently been used widely in soft structures as sensors/actuators.One of the most interesting structures is the bilayer made up of hydrogels which may undergo swelling-induced bending.In this work,by proposing a semi-analytical method,the transient bending of hydrogel-based bilayers is investigated.Utilizing nonlinear solid mechanics,a robust semi-analytical solution is developed which captures the transient finite bending of hydrogel-based bilayers.Moreover,the multiphysics model of the hydrogels is implemented in the finite element method(FEM) framework to verify the developed semi-analytical procedure results.The effects of different material properties are investigated to illustrate the nonlinear behavior of these structures.The von-Mises stress contour extracted from FEM shows that the critical area of these soft structures is at the interface of the layers which experiences the maximum stress,and this area is most likely to rupture in large deformations.

An investigation on multilayer shape memory polymers under finite bending through nonlinear thermo-visco-hyperelasticity

This study presents a semi-analytical solution to describe the behavior of shape memory polymers(SMPs) based on the nonlinear thermo-visco-hyperelasticity which originates from the concepts of internal state variables and rational thermodynamics.This method is developed for the finite bending of multilayers in a dual-shape memory effect(SME) cycle.The layer number and layering order are investigated for two different SMPs and a hyperelastic material.In addition to the semi-analytical solution,the finite element simulation is performed to verify the predicted results,where the outcomes demonstrate the excellent accuracy of the proposed solution for predicting the behavior of the multilayer SMPs.Since this method has a much lower computational cost than the finite element method(FEM),it can be used as an effective tool to analyze the SMP behavior under different conditions,including different materials,different geometries,different layer numbers,and different layer arrangements.

Two-way coupled analysis of lithium diffusion and diffusion induced finite elastoplastic bending of bilayer electrodes in lithium-ion batteries

A fully coupling model for the diffusion induced finite elastoplastic bending of bilayer electrodes in lithium-ion batteries is proposed. The effect of the mechanical stress on the lithium diffusion is accounted for by the mechanical part of the chemical potential derived from the Gibbs free energy along with the logarithmic stress and strain. Eight dimensionless parameters, governing the stress-assisted diffusion and the diffusion induced elastoplastic bending, are identified. It is found that the finite plasticity starting from the interface of the bilayer increases the chemical potential gradient and thereby facilitates the lithium diffusion. The full plastic flow makes the abnormal lithium concentration distribution possible, i.e., the concentration at the lithium inlet can be lower than the concentration at the interface(downstream). The increase in the thickness of the active layer during charging is much larger than the eigen-stretch due to lithiation, and this excess thickening is found to be caused by the lithiation induced plastic yield.

Finite element analysis of stress and strain distributions in mortise and loose tenon furniture joints

We studied the effect of loose tenon dimensions on stress and strain distributions in T-shaped mortise and loose tenon （M＆amp;LT） furni-ture joints under uniaxial bending loads, and determined the effects of loose tenon length （30, 45, 60, and 90 mm） and loose tenon thickness （6 and 8 mm） on bending moment capacity of M＆amp;LT joints constructed with polyvinyl acetate （PVAc） adhesive. Stress and strain distributions in joint elements were then estimated for each joint using ANSYS finite element （FE） software. The bending moment capacity of joints increased significantly with thickness and length of the tenon. Based on the FE analysis results, under uniaxial bending, the highest shear stress values were obtained in the middle parts of the tenon, while the highest shear elastic strain values were estimated in glue lines between the tenon sur-faces and walls of the mortise. Shear stress and shear elastic strain values in joint elements generally increased with tenon dimensions and corre-sponding bending moment capacities. There was consistency between predicted maximum shear stress values and failure modes of the joints.

Buckling Response of Pipe-in-Pipe Systems Subjected to Bending

The buckling response of pipe-in-pipe(PIP)systems subjected to bending is investigated in this paper. A set of parameterized models are established to explore the bending characteristics of the PIP systems through eigenvalue buckling analysis and nonlinear post-buckling analysis. The results show that the length of PIP systems and the height of centralizers are the most significant factors that influence the buckling moment, ultimate bending moment and buckling mode; the other geometric characteristics, such as initial geometric imperfection and friction between centralizers and outer pipes, evidently influence the post-buckling path and ductility of PIPs; the equivalent bending stiffness is dependent on the length and centralizers. Moreover, the range of equivalent bending stiffness is also discussed.