Search

In this paper we present a dimensional reduction to obtain a one-dimensional model to analyze localized necking or bulging in a residually stressed circular cylindrical solid. The nonlinear theory of elasticity is first specialized to obtain the equations governing the homogeneous deformation. Then, to analyze the non-homogeneous part, we include higher order correction terms of the axisymmetric displacement components leading to a three-dimensional form of the total potential energy functional. Details of the reduction to the one-dimensional form are given. We focus on a residually stressed Gent material and use numerical methods to solve the governing equations. Two loading conditions are considered. In the first, the residual stress is maintained constant, while the axial stretch is used as the loading parameter. In the second, we keep the pre-stretch constant and monotonically increase the residual stress until bifurcation occurs. We specify initial conditions, find the critical values for localized bifurcation and compute the change in radius during localized necking or bulging growth. Finally, we optimize material properties and use the one-dimensional model to simulate necking or bulging until the Maxwell values of stretch are reached.

We investigate the theoretical nonlinear response, Hessian stability, and possible wrinkling behaviour of a voltage-activated dielectric plate immersed in a tank filled with silicone oil. Fixed rigid electrodes are placed on the top and bottom of the tank, and an electric field is generated by a potential difference between the electrodes. We solve the associated incremental boundary value problem of superimposed, inhomogeneous small-amplitude wrinkles, signalling the onset of instability. We decouple the resulting bifurcation equation into symmetric and antisymmetric modes. For a neo-Hookean dielectric plate, we show that a potential difference between the electrodes can induce a thinning of the plate and thus an increase of its planar area, similar to the scenarios encountered when there is no silicone oil. However, we also find that, depending on the material and geometric parameters, an increasing applied voltage can also lead to a thickening of the plate, and thus a shrinking of its area. In that scenario, Hessian instability and wrinkling bifurcation may then occur spontaneously once some critical voltages are reached.

We study the propagation of Lamb waves in soft dielectric plates subject to mechanical and electrical loadings. We find explicit expressions for the dispersion equations in the cases of neo-Hookean and Gent dielectrics. We elucidate the effects of the electric field, of the thickness-to-wavelength ratio, of pre-stress and of strain-stiffening on the wave characteristics.