2021/05/20 by Christoph Meier, Meier, Christoph, Maximilian J. Grill +3 · 2 citations
Engineering · #Classical Physics (physics.class-ph) #Composite Structure Analysis and Optimization #Dynamics and Control of Mechanical Systems #FOS: Physical sciences #Mechanical Engineering and Vibrations Research
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2105.10032
openalex publication_date 2021/05/20 · openalex created_date 2022/10/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The present contribution proposes a universal framework to formulate generalized section-section interaction potentials (SSIP) within the geometrically exact beam theory. By exploiting the fundamental kinematic assumption of undeformable cross-sections, an objective (i.e., frame-invariant) description of SSIPs via a minimal set of six (translational and rotational) relative coordinates, either in spatial or in material form, is proposed. Based on work-pairing, work-conjugated section-section interaction forces and moments, either in spatial or in material form, are identified that can be consistently derived from a variational principle. Interestingly, it is shown that hyperelastic stored-energy functions relating the deformation measures and stress-resultants of the well-known geometrically exact Simo-Reissner beam theory can also be identified as SSIPs when considering the asymptotic limit of small relative distances and rotations between the interacting cross-sections. Moreover, the proposed variational problem formulation is demonstrated to be of a very general nature, thus allowing for the formulation of translational and rotational constraints between arbitrarily oriented cross-sections based on either a penalty or a Lagrange multiplier potential. Possible applications include fiber-based structures and materials in technical and biological systems, where the proposed approach allows to model short- or long-ranged inter-molecular (e.g., electrostatic, van der Waals or repulsive steric) interactions between fibers in geometrically complex arrangements and to formulate translational and rotational coupling constraints between different fibers (e.g., cross-linked polymer chains) or between fibers and a matrix phase (e.g., fiber-reinforced composites).