Pub Date : 2025-08-11DOI: 10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104360
M.H.B.M. Shariff
In this study, we develop a nonlinear framework based on spectral invariants to model the electromagnetic behaviour of fibre-reinforced composites, explicitly accounting for the fibre stiffness of the embedded fibres. Employing Cosserat continuum theory, we derive general constitutive equations for stress and couple stress that capture the interactions between mechanical and electromagnetic fields. These equations also enable a physically meaningful decomposition of the couple stress tensor. To model materials in which fibre bending plays a dominant role, we refine the general constitutive equations by restricting their dependence on fibre direction gradients to directional derivatives along the fibre axis. Prototype forms of the internal energy function are proposed for both the general and specialized cases. We demonstrate the applicability of the specialized model by solving boundary value problems involving fibre bending and inflation, highlighting its physical relevance. The results offer a foundation for the design and simulation of advanced smart materials, particularly in applications where electromagnetic effects and fibre microstructure are strongly coupled.
{"title":"On the electromagnetic Cosserat spectral modelling of fibre-reinforced composites with fibre bending stiffness","authors":"M.H.B.M. Shariff","doi":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104360","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104360","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, we develop a nonlinear framework based on spectral invariants to model the electromagnetic behaviour of fibre-reinforced composites, explicitly accounting for the fibre stiffness of the embedded fibres. Employing Cosserat continuum theory, we derive general constitutive equations for stress and couple stress that capture the interactions between mechanical and electromagnetic fields. These equations also enable a physically meaningful decomposition of the couple stress tensor. To model materials in which fibre bending plays a dominant role, we refine the general constitutive equations by restricting their dependence on fibre direction gradients to directional derivatives along the fibre axis. Prototype forms of the internal energy function are proposed for both the general and specialized cases. We demonstrate the applicability of the specialized model by solving boundary value problems involving fibre bending and inflation, highlighting its physical relevance. The results offer a foundation for the design and simulation of advanced smart materials, particularly in applications where electromagnetic effects and fibre microstructure are strongly coupled.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14053,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Engineering Science","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 104360"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144810248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-31DOI: 10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104358
Asif Equbal, Paragmoni Kalita
Hemodynamic variables are vital for understanding the progression of cardiovascular diseases, but their accuracy depends on assumptions about arterial wall behaviour. Although the left anterior descending (LAD) branch of the left coronary artery (LCA) has been reported to be highly susceptible to atherosclerosis, there is a significant lack of studies comparing the effects of different wall models in this context. This study employs two-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations to investigate the impact of rigid, elastic, and hyperelastic wall models on the hemodynamics of a moderately stenosed LAD branch in an idealised LCA. The non-Newtonian properties of blood are captured using the Carreau viscosity model. Key hemodynamic parameters—primary velocity (), streamwise vorticity, time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), relative residence time (RRT), and fractional flow reserve (FFR)—are evaluated across these models. Results show that the rigid model mostly exhibits higher and TAWSS at the stenosis throat compared to the elastic and hyperelastic models. It overestimates the peak TAWSS by 6.22 % and 14.46 % relative to the elastic and hyperelastic models, respectively, suggesting a higher risk of plaque rupture in rigid walls. In terms of plaque progression, both the pre- and post-stenotic regions of the arterial wall show the most extensive affected areas in the hyperelastic model compared to the rigid and elastic models, indicated by severe negative and critically low values of TAWSS, and critically high values of OSI and RRT. The FFR value is the highest for the hyperelastic model (0.95), followed by the elastic (0.94) and rigid models (0.91). These findings underscore the importance of incorporating arterial wall flexibility in hemodynamic studies to improve risk assessment and clinical accuracy.
{"title":"Effect of wall models on hemodynamics in left coronary artery: A comparative numerical study","authors":"Asif Equbal, Paragmoni Kalita","doi":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104358","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104358","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hemodynamic variables are vital for understanding the progression of cardiovascular diseases, but their accuracy depends on assumptions about arterial wall behaviour. Although the left anterior descending (LAD) branch of the left coronary artery (LCA) has been reported to be highly susceptible to atherosclerosis, there is a significant lack of studies comparing the effects of different wall models in this context. This study employs two-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations to investigate the impact of rigid, elastic, and hyperelastic wall models on the hemodynamics of a moderately stenosed LAD branch in an idealised LCA. The non-Newtonian properties of blood are captured using the Carreau viscosity model. Key hemodynamic parameters—primary velocity (<span><math><msub><mi>V</mi><mi>p</mi></msub></math></span>), streamwise vorticity, time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), relative residence time (RRT), and fractional flow reserve (FFR)—are evaluated across these models. Results show that the rigid model mostly exhibits higher <span><math><msub><mi>V</mi><mi>p</mi></msub></math></span> and TAWSS at the stenosis throat compared to the elastic and hyperelastic models. It overestimates the peak TAWSS by 6.22 % and 14.46 % relative to the elastic and hyperelastic models, respectively, suggesting a higher risk of plaque rupture in rigid walls. In terms of plaque progression, both the pre- and post-stenotic regions of the arterial wall show the most extensive affected areas in the hyperelastic model compared to the rigid and elastic models, indicated by severe negative <span><math><msub><mi>V</mi><mi>p</mi></msub></math></span>and critically low values of TAWSS, and critically high values of OSI and RRT. The FFR value is the highest for the hyperelastic model (0.95), followed by the elastic (0.94) and rigid models (0.91). These findings underscore the importance of incorporating arterial wall flexibility in hemodynamic studies to improve risk assessment and clinical accuracy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14053,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Engineering Science","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 104358"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-28DOI: 10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104350
Andrea Francesco Russillo, Giuseppe Failla
Analysing elastic wave propagation in periodic small-size structures plays an important role in the design of many micro- and nano-engineering devices. However, as ad hoc size-dependent continuum theories are required to capture size effects, pertinent computational tools shall be developed to characterize the wave propagation properties. In this context, this paper introduces an original computational framework to build the dispersion diagram of periodic 3D small-size solids of arbitrary shape, as modelled by the well-established Eringen’s nonlocal integral theory. The framework makes use of a suitable periodic Bloch ansatz to represent the response variables involved in the weak formulation of the integro-differential free-vibration equilibrium equations of the unit cell. Building on the periodicity of the Bloch ansatz and introducing an appropriate change of variables, it is shown that the integral coupling the response at a given point of the unit cell to the responses at all points of the solid can be reverted to the summation of integrals defined on the domain of the unit cell only. This remarkable result paves the way to solve the wave propagation problem by a finite element formulation of the free-vibration equilibrium equations of the unit cell, which involves a standard mass matrix, a local stiffness matrix and a nonlocal stiffness matrix, with the latter being expressed by the infinite summation of nonlocal matrices accounting for the nonlocal interactions between the unit cell and the surrounding cells of the solid. In fact, the summation can be truncated to a finite order depending on the nonlocal horizon of the kernel function selected for the nonlocal integral model and the dispersion diagram can be obtained from a linear eigenvalue problem, derived enforcing the Bloch conditions in the finite element free-vibration equilibrium equations of the unit cell. Numerical applications substantiate correctness and accuracy of the proposed framework, which enables a consistent application of the Eringen’s nonlocal integral theory to study wave propagation in periodic 3D small-size structures of arbitrary shape, for the first time to the best of authors’ knowledge.
{"title":"A novel computational framework for wave propagation analysis of periodic 3D small-size solids","authors":"Andrea Francesco Russillo, Giuseppe Failla","doi":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104350","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104350","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Analysing elastic wave propagation in periodic small-size structures plays an important role in the design of many micro- and nano-engineering devices. However, as ad hoc size-dependent continuum theories are required to capture size effects, pertinent computational tools shall be developed to characterize the wave propagation properties. In this context, this paper introduces an original computational framework to build the dispersion diagram of periodic 3D small-size solids of arbitrary shape, as modelled by the well-established Eringen’s nonlocal integral theory. The framework makes use of a suitable periodic Bloch ansatz to represent the response variables involved in the weak formulation of the integro-differential free-vibration equilibrium equations of the unit cell. Building on the periodicity of the Bloch ansatz and introducing an appropriate change of variables, it is shown that the integral coupling the response at a given point of the unit cell to the responses at all points of the solid can be reverted to the summation of integrals defined on the domain of the unit cell only. This remarkable result paves the way to solve the wave propagation problem by a finite element formulation of the free-vibration equilibrium equations of the unit cell, which involves a standard mass matrix, a local stiffness matrix and a nonlocal stiffness matrix, with the latter being expressed by the infinite summation of nonlocal matrices accounting for the nonlocal interactions between the unit cell and the surrounding cells of the solid. In fact, the summation can be truncated to a finite order depending on the nonlocal horizon of the kernel function selected for the nonlocal integral model and the dispersion diagram can be obtained from a linear eigenvalue problem, derived enforcing the Bloch conditions in the finite element free-vibration equilibrium equations of the unit cell. Numerical applications substantiate correctness and accuracy of the proposed framework, which enables a consistent application of the Eringen’s nonlocal integral theory to study wave propagation in periodic 3D small-size structures of arbitrary shape, for the first time to the best of authors’ knowledge.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14053,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Engineering Science","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 104350"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144713665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-25DOI: 10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104354
Yi Jiao, Shuo Li, Li Li
Metamaterials exhibit counterintuitive mechanical behaviors that derive from their artificial mesostructural configuration rather than the mechanical properties of each individual component. However, classical multiscale homogenization methods cannot capture the counterintuitive mechanical behaviors. This paper explores the role of mesoscopic configurations on the counterintuitive mechanical behavior of porous mechanical metamaterial structures, attributing the observed effects to nonlocal and surface effects arising from the configurations. A configuration-enabled multiscale method incorporating nonlocal and surface effects is proposed for porous mechanical metamaterial structures to efficiently and accurately forecast the configuration-induced nonlocal and surface effects. In the mesoscale, a variable-thickness representative volume element (RVE) is constructed; based on the variable-thickness RVE, the intrinsic length parameters of nonlocal and surface effects are calibrated for different configurations, thereby constructing an offline dataset. In the macroscale, porous mechanical metamaterial structures are modeled as homogenization structures incorporating nonlocal and surface effects, and the closed-form solution of displacements is derived for porous mechanical metamaterial bars. With the help of the offline dataset of the intrinsic length parameters and the closed-form solution of displacements, the performance of the proposed configuration-enabled multiscale approach, evaluated in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency, is directly compared to a high-fidelity finite element method (FEM) that fully solves the mesoscopic structural configuration. Results indicate that the configuration-enabled multiscale method incorporating nonlocal and surface effects not only offers an accurate representation of the multiscale architecture, significantly outperforming the classical multiscale homogenization approach, but also significantly reduces the computational efficiency of the high-fidelity FEM.
{"title":"A configuration-enabled multiscale method for porous mechanical metamaterial structures incorporating nonlocal and surface effects","authors":"Yi Jiao, Shuo Li, Li Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104354","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Metamaterials exhibit counterintuitive mechanical behaviors that derive from their artificial mesostructural configuration rather than the mechanical properties of each individual component. However, classical multiscale homogenization methods cannot capture the counterintuitive mechanical behaviors. This paper explores the role of mesoscopic configurations on the counterintuitive mechanical behavior of porous mechanical metamaterial structures, attributing the observed effects to nonlocal and surface effects arising from the configurations. A configuration-enabled multiscale method incorporating nonlocal and surface effects is proposed for porous mechanical metamaterial structures to efficiently and accurately forecast the configuration-induced nonlocal and surface effects. In the mesoscale, a variable-thickness representative volume element (RVE) is constructed; based on the variable-thickness RVE, the intrinsic length parameters of nonlocal and surface effects are calibrated for different configurations, thereby constructing an offline dataset. In the macroscale, porous mechanical metamaterial structures are modeled as homogenization structures incorporating nonlocal and surface effects, and the closed-form solution of displacements is derived for porous mechanical metamaterial bars. With the help of the offline dataset of the intrinsic length parameters and the closed-form solution of displacements, the performance of the proposed configuration-enabled multiscale approach, evaluated in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency, is directly compared to a high-fidelity finite element method (FEM) that fully solves the mesoscopic structural configuration. Results indicate that the configuration-enabled multiscale method incorporating nonlocal and surface effects not only offers an accurate representation of the multiscale architecture, significantly outperforming the classical multiscale homogenization approach, but also significantly reduces the computational efficiency of the high-fidelity FEM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14053,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Engineering Science","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 104354"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-25DOI: 10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104353
Wangxi Duan , Xiaoqin Shen , Paolo Piersanti , Ying Liu , Mingchao Cai
In this study, we propose a novel computational framework for approximating the dynamics of the elliptic membrane shell model when it is coupled with thermal equations. The algorithm we propose here effectively addresses the coupling between the displacement and temperature fields, significantly reducing computational complexity. Spatial discretization is performed using the finite element method, while time discretization is based on the Newmark–Crank–Nicolson scheme. Numerical experiments are conducted on parts of elliptic and spherical shells, and the corresponding errors are analyzed for different values of the Newmark parameters and spatial steps for varying material parameters. Notably, we observe that the error convergence is influenced by the symmetry of the middle surface of the elliptic membrane under consideration.
{"title":"An efficient decoupling algorithm for thermoelastic dynamic system of elliptic membrane shell","authors":"Wangxi Duan , Xiaoqin Shen , Paolo Piersanti , Ying Liu , Mingchao Cai","doi":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104353","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104353","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, we propose a novel computational framework for approximating the dynamics of the elliptic membrane shell model when it is coupled with thermal equations. The algorithm we propose here effectively addresses the coupling between the displacement and temperature fields, significantly reducing computational complexity. Spatial discretization is performed using the finite element method, while time discretization is based on the Newmark–Crank–Nicolson scheme. Numerical experiments are conducted on parts of elliptic and spherical shells, and the corresponding errors are analyzed for different values of the Newmark parameters and spatial steps for varying material parameters. Notably, we observe that the error convergence is influenced by the symmetry of the middle surface of the elliptic membrane under consideration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14053,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Engineering Science","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 104353"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-24DOI: 10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104357
Ying Zhou , Mohammed Samier Sebaq
Previous studies mainly evaluated the global vertical stiffness (Kv) of laminated rubber bearings, typically considering the total vertical deformation as the sum of individual rubber layers. Under pure compression, maximum deformation occurs in the top layer. However, under combined axial pressure and lateral deformation, deformation distribution shifts, with the location of maximum deformation varying with lateral displacement magnitude among the rubber layers. Thus, evaluating the local Kv of each rubber layer is essential to accurately capture mechanical behavior. A layer-by-layer analysis identifies the most deformed layer under different lateral displacements, enabling determination of the minimum local Kv. Finite element simulations are significantly improved by incorporating the Mullins effect and Prony-series viscoelasticity into the Yeoh hyperelastic model, thereby capturing the full loading and unloading behavior and achieving strong agreement with experimental data. This study presents a comprehensive investigation into both the global and local Kv of rubber bearings, considering variations in the first and second shape factors (S₁ and S₂) and different axial pressure levels (P, 2P, and 3P), where P denotes the design pressure. The results indicate that increasing S₂ enhances global Kv but also leads to more severe degradation in local Kv. In contrast, higher S₁ values improve bearing stability and reduce the sensitivity of local Kv relative to global Kv. Bearings with low S₁ and high S₂ exhibit greater stiffness reduction under increasing axial pressure, while higher S₁ values mitigate this effect. Finally, empirical formulations for normalized global and local stiffness are proposed, showing good correlation with both finite element and experimental results.
{"title":"Global and local vertical stiffness of laminated rubber bearings under severe compression and lateral deformation","authors":"Ying Zhou , Mohammed Samier Sebaq","doi":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104357","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104357","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous studies mainly evaluated the global vertical stiffness (<em>K</em><sub>v</sub>) of laminated rubber bearings, typically considering the total vertical deformation as the sum of individual rubber layers. Under pure compression, maximum deformation occurs in the top layer. However, under combined axial pressure and lateral deformation, deformation distribution shifts, with the location of maximum deformation varying with lateral displacement magnitude among the rubber layers. Thus, evaluating the local <em>K</em><sub>v</sub> of each rubber layer is essential to accurately capture mechanical behavior. A layer-by-layer analysis identifies the most deformed layer under different lateral displacements, enabling determination of the minimum local <em>K</em><sub>v</sub>. Finite element simulations are significantly improved by incorporating the Mullins effect and Prony-series viscoelasticity into the Yeoh hyperelastic model, thereby capturing the full loading and unloading behavior and achieving strong agreement with experimental data. This study presents a comprehensive investigation into both the global and local <em>K</em><sub>v</sub> of rubber bearings, considering variations in the first and second shape factors (<em>S</em>₁ and <em>S</em>₂) and different axial pressure levels (<em>P</em>, 2<em>P</em>, and 3<em>P</em>), where <em>P</em> denotes the design pressure. The results indicate that increasing <em>S</em>₂ enhances global <em>K</em><sub>v</sub> but also leads to more severe degradation in local <em>K</em><sub>v</sub>. In contrast, higher <em>S</em>₁ values improve bearing stability and reduce the sensitivity of local <em>K</em><sub>v</sub> relative to global <em>K</em><sub>v</sub>. Bearings with low <em>S</em>₁ and high <em>S</em>₂ exhibit greater stiffness reduction under increasing axial pressure, while higher <em>S</em>₁ values mitigate this effect. Finally, empirical formulations for normalized global and local stiffness are proposed, showing good correlation with both finite element and experimental results.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14053,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Engineering Science","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 104357"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-24DOI: 10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104355
Daniel Jodko , Tracie Barber
As the two-way coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) methodology has become a widely accepted numerical tool for solving biomedical engineering problems, several questions have arisen regarding the assumptions that must be made when employing FSI. This study focuses on the assumption-related sensitivity FSI analysis of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) case. AVF is the widely accepted vascular access for hemodialysis, in which highly disturbed non-physiological blood flow is observed and mutual fluid-wall interaction is unavoidable. In the presented high-flow AVF, blood rheology played a minor role since the used Newtonian and non-Newtonian models overlap in the high-shear strain environment. Critical factors that play an important role in FSI simulations were analysed: 1) damping of loose connective tissue (LCT) embedding the AVF vasculature, 2) outlet pressure conditions and dealing with pressurization phase, 3) compliance of LCT, and 4) compliance of blood vessel walls. All of the above-mentioned mechanical factors to some extent affected the temporal quantitative results: lower damping can lead to wall vibrations resulting in biological response; correct procedure coping with the pressurization phase is of very high importance as data concerning the geometry of vasculature are acquired in the prestressed state; the total wall compliance resulting from the elasticity of walls and LCT remains unknown but may be responsible for significant differences in wall extension and temporal progression of hemodynamic parameters. However, when flow parameters are averaged over time, properly performed FSI produces comparable results to the rigid wall approach, which may be alternatively used to analyse hemodynamics in relatively small or stiff vascular models.
{"title":"Fluid-structure interaction in an arteriovenous fistula: An assumption-related sensitivity analysis","authors":"Daniel Jodko , Tracie Barber","doi":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the two-way coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) methodology has become a widely accepted numerical tool for solving biomedical engineering problems, several questions have arisen regarding the assumptions that must be made when employing FSI. This study focuses on the assumption-related sensitivity FSI analysis of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) case. AVF is the widely accepted vascular access for hemodialysis, in which highly disturbed non-physiological blood flow is observed and mutual fluid-wall interaction is unavoidable. In the presented high-flow AVF, blood rheology played a minor role since the used Newtonian and non-Newtonian models overlap in the high-shear strain environment. Critical factors that play an important role in FSI simulations were analysed: 1) damping of loose connective tissue (LCT) embedding the AVF vasculature, 2) outlet pressure conditions and dealing with pressurization phase, 3) compliance of LCT, and 4) compliance of blood vessel walls. All of the above-mentioned mechanical factors to some extent affected the temporal quantitative results: lower damping can lead to wall vibrations resulting in biological response; correct procedure coping with the pressurization phase is of very high importance as data concerning the geometry of vasculature are acquired in the prestressed state; the total wall compliance resulting from the elasticity of walls and LCT remains unknown but may be responsible for significant differences in wall extension and temporal progression of hemodynamic parameters. However, when flow parameters are averaged over time, properly performed FSI produces comparable results to the rigid wall approach, which may be alternatively used to analyse hemodynamics in relatively small or stiff vascular models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14053,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Engineering Science","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 104355"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-24DOI: 10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104359
Ziyu Xing
The constitutive behavior of rubbery polymers, particularly their elasticity and damage mechanisms, has been a significant area of interest for scientists due to its crucial role in engineering applications. This study suggests that the primary causes of damage and mechanochemical network alterations in these rubbery polymers are chain rupture, fluctuations in crosslinking points, and disentanglement. The proposed model suggests that both network and chain damage and mechanochemistry are consequences of instantaneous free energy effects and alterations in end-to-end vectors, which are analyzed using the Flory-Huggins lattice-like theory and rubber elasticity. This study posits that polymer damage follows a dangling and evolution of networks, which results in a constant magnitude of free energy terms but a decreasing slope (stress), ultimately leading to decreased mechanical properties. For the first time, this paper utilizes the Flory-Huggins lattice-like model to quantify conformational changes in rubbery polymers resulting from chain rupture and crosslinking point fluctuations, enabling the quantification of the mechanical dependency of mechanochemical effects in these polymers, specifically showing a scaling of the first strain invariant squared. The paper also presents and analysis a series of experiments, including hysteresis energetics, uniaxial loading-unloading tests, uniaxial and pure shear loading-unloading tests, and balloon inflation cycling, to confirm the accuracy and validity of the modeling, offering potential theoretical solutions for the design of rubbery polymers and the mitigation of damage and mechanochemistry.
{"title":"A network alteration theory of rubbery polymers for exploring the damage and mechanochemistry","authors":"Ziyu Xing","doi":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104359","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104359","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The constitutive behavior of rubbery polymers, particularly their elasticity and damage mechanisms, has been a significant area of interest for scientists due to its crucial role in engineering applications. This study suggests that the primary causes of damage and mechanochemical network alterations in these rubbery polymers are chain rupture, fluctuations in crosslinking points, and disentanglement. The proposed model suggests that both network and chain damage and mechanochemistry are consequences of instantaneous free energy effects and alterations in end-to-end vectors, which are analyzed using the Flory-Huggins lattice-like theory and rubber elasticity. This study posits that polymer damage follows a dangling and evolution of networks, which results in a constant magnitude of free energy terms but a decreasing slope (stress), ultimately leading to decreased mechanical properties. For the first time, this paper utilizes the Flory-Huggins lattice-like model to quantify conformational changes in rubbery polymers resulting from chain rupture and crosslinking point fluctuations, enabling the quantification of the mechanical dependency of mechanochemical effects in these polymers, specifically showing a scaling of the first strain invariant squared. The paper also presents and analysis a series of experiments, including hysteresis energetics, uniaxial loading-unloading tests, uniaxial and pure shear loading-unloading tests, and balloon inflation cycling, to confirm the accuracy and validity of the modeling, offering potential theoretical solutions for the design of rubbery polymers and the mitigation of damage and mechanochemistry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14053,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Engineering Science","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 104359"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104348
Xiwei Pan , Yichao Zhu
Shell structures are generally modeled based on kinematic hypotheses, where some of the parameters are preferentially evaluated in a phenomenological manner. In this article, asymptotic analysis against the underlying three-dimensional equation system is considered so as to provide a rational framework for modeling and interpreting the deformation behavior of multi-layered thin shells (MTSs). Capable of accurately predicting both overall stiffness and detailed stress distribution, the proposed shell theory shows its distinguishing features at least in the following aspects. Firstly, it naturally introduces a rule for classifying the deformation modes of MTSs based on the magnitude of the maximum dimensionless principal curvature. Secondly, for each class, the hierarchy in the order of the involved field quantities is examined, and it is shown that when the product of the maximum principal curvature and the characteristic shell size reaches the magnitude of unity or larger, the resulting shell theory cannot be treated by natural extension of plate theories. Lastly, it is demonstrated that, for moderate shear forces and comparable material properties, a leading-order multi-layered shell theory derived from asymptotic analysis should suffice to output satisfactory predictions over the shell stiffness, as well as its internal stress distribution. Numerical examples of the deformation and strength analysis for MTSs are also presented to show the reliability of the leading-order model.
{"title":"Asymptotic formulation of the role of shear loads on multi-layered thin shells and classification of their deformation modes","authors":"Xiwei Pan , Yichao Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104348","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104348","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Shell structures are generally modeled based on kinematic hypotheses, where some of the parameters are preferentially evaluated in a phenomenological manner. In this article, asymptotic analysis against the underlying three-dimensional equation system is considered so as to provide a rational framework for modeling and interpreting the deformation behavior of multi-layered thin shells (MTSs). Capable of accurately predicting both overall stiffness and detailed stress distribution, the proposed shell theory shows its distinguishing features at least in the following aspects. Firstly, it naturally introduces a rule for classifying the deformation modes of MTSs based on the magnitude of the maximum dimensionless principal curvature. Secondly, for each class, the hierarchy in the order of the involved field quantities is examined, and it is shown that when the product of the maximum principal curvature and the characteristic shell size reaches the magnitude of unity or larger, the resulting shell theory cannot be treated by natural extension of plate theories. Lastly, it is demonstrated that, for moderate shear forces and comparable material properties, a leading-order multi-layered shell theory derived from asymptotic analysis should suffice to output satisfactory predictions over the shell stiffness, as well as its internal stress distribution. Numerical examples of the deformation and strength analysis for MTSs are also presented to show the reliability of the leading-order model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14053,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Engineering Science","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 104348"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144685876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104349
Qilong Lian, Yuan Xiao, Zhanshuo Cao, Lingyu Meng, Guomin Cui
Through careful physical modeling, this study provides insight into the effect of forces on hemolysis exerted on blood cells in the viscous subrange of the turbulence spectrum. We constructed a simplified coupling model of eddy currents with blood cells and analyzed it using a membrane tension quantification index directly related to hemolysis. It is found that the membrane tension resulting from blood cell interactions changes the overall ensemble force by an order of magnitude and more, and in some high-energy vortices, even dominates the ensemble force. This finding emphasizes that blood cannot simply be regarded as a dilute flow field in simulating the hemolysis process, but the real mechanical forces exerted on blood cells must be fully considered. Based on these findings, we propose an improved blood cell shear force model, which optimizes the classical Kolmogorov theoretical formulation in the viscous subrange, and by combining the model with the blood cell trajectory equation, we have successfully modified the force environment of blood cells, which makes the simulation results closer to the reality. Under two operating conditions of the FDA blood pump (2.5 L/min, 3500 rpm, 7.0 L/min, 3500 rpm), the turbulent intermittency inside the flow field reaches the maximum effect at multiple Reynolds numbers. The error of the relative hemolysis value calculated by the new model is significantly reduced compared with the original model. The error from the experiments reached less than 8% under multiple computational conditions, demonstrating an excellent prediction ability.
{"title":"Kinetic modeling of blood cells in a turbulent environment and its effect on hemolysis","authors":"Qilong Lian, Yuan Xiao, Zhanshuo Cao, Lingyu Meng, Guomin Cui","doi":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104349","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijengsci.2025.104349","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Through careful physical modeling, this study provides insight into the effect of forces on hemolysis exerted on blood cells in the viscous subrange of the turbulence spectrum. We constructed a simplified coupling model of eddy currents with blood cells and analyzed it using a membrane tension quantification index directly related to hemolysis. It is found that the membrane tension resulting from blood cell interactions changes the overall ensemble force by an order of magnitude and more, and in some high-energy vortices, even dominates the ensemble force. This finding emphasizes that blood cannot simply be regarded as a dilute flow field in simulating the hemolysis process, but the real mechanical forces exerted on blood cells must be fully considered. Based on these findings, we propose an improved blood cell shear force model, which optimizes the classical Kolmogorov theoretical formulation in the viscous subrange, and by combining the model with the blood cell trajectory equation, we have successfully modified the force environment of blood cells, which makes the simulation results closer to the reality. Under two operating conditions of the FDA blood pump (2.5 L/min, 3500 rpm, 7.0 L/min, 3500 rpm), the turbulent intermittency inside the flow field reaches the maximum effect at multiple Reynolds numbers. The error of the relative hemolysis value calculated by the new model is significantly reduced compared with the original model. The error from the experiments reached less than 8% under multiple computational conditions, demonstrating an excellent prediction ability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14053,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Engineering Science","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 104349"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144685879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}