• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.227-245
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• 2006

The performance of a three dimensional non-linear finite element model for hyperelastic material considering the effect of compressibility is studied by analyzing rubber blocks under different modes of deformation. It includes simple tension, pure shear, simple shear, pure bending and a mixed mode combining compression, shear and bending. The compressibility of the hyperelastic material is represented in the strain energy function. The nonlinear formulation is based on updated Lagrangian (UL) technique. The displacement model is implemented with a twenty node brick element having u, ${\nu}$ and w as the degrees of freedom at each node. The results obtained by the present numerical model are compared with the analytical solutions available for the basic modes of deformation where the agreement between the results is found to be satisfactory. In this context some new results are generated for future references since the number of available results on the present problem is not sufficient enough.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.6 no.8
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• pp.889-903
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• 2010

Idea of using piezoelectric materials with flexible structures made of rubber-like materials is quite novel. In this study a non-linear finite element model based on updated Lagrangian (UL) approach has been developed for dynamic response and its control of rubber-elastic material with surface-bonded PVDF patches/layers. A compressible stain energy density function has been used for the modeling of the rubber component. The results obtained are compared with available analytical solutions and other published results in some cases. Some results are reported as new results which will be useful for future references since the number of published results is not sufficient.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.23-42
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• 2009

In order to reduce vibration or to control shape of structures made of metal or composites, piezoelectric materials have been extensively used since their discovery in 1880's. A recent trend is also seen to apply piezoelectric materials to flexible structures made of rubber-like materials. In this paper a non-linear finite element model using updated Lagrangian (UL) approach has been developed for static analysis of rubber-elastic material with surface-bonded piezoelectric patches. A compressible stain energy function has been used for modeling the rubber as hyperelastic material. For formulation of the nonlinear finite element model a twenty-node brick element is used. Four degrees of freedom u, v and w and electrical potential ${\varphi}$ per node are considered as the field variables. PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) patches are applied as sensors/actuators or sensors and actuators. The present model has been applied to bimorph PVDF cantilever beam to validate the formulation. It is then applied to study the smart rubber components under different boundary and loading conditions. The results predicted by the present formulation are compared with the analytical solutions as well as the available published results. Some results are given as new ones as no published solutions available in the literatures to the best of the authors' knowledge.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.619-628
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• 2011

Human soft tissues, including muscles, ligaments, skin, and blood vessels, are an interesting subject because damage to them can be observed in everyday life. Besides the lack of available experimental data and the large deformation upon loading, the anisotropic and compressible nature of annulus fibrosus makes it more difficult to find a simple material model. A fiber-reinforced hyperelastic material model is used to determine the stress-strain curves upon uniaxial loading. The energy potential function for annulus fibrosus is composed of three different parts: matrix, fibers, and matrix-fiber interaction, which accounts for the angles between two families of fibers. In this paper, two different types of energy potential function for the matrix are considered, and are inserted into the fiber-reinforced model. The calculated results are compared with the Neo-Hookean model and experimental data, and reasonable agreement is observed overall.