scholarly journals Heterogeneous Tissue Modulus Improved Prediction of Mechanical Behavior in Osteoporotic Vertebral Cancellous Bone

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason M Cox ◽  
Joshua D Smith ◽  
Marjolein C H van der Meulen ◽  
Jacqueline H Cole

The structural integrity of cancellous bone, which is essential to skeletal load-bearing capacity, is governed chiefly by apparent density, trabecular architecture, and tissue material properties. Metabolic bone disorders such as osteoporosis can affect each of these factors separately, resulting in compromised load-bearing function. While the impact of apparent density and architecture on bone mechanical behavior has been well-documented, much less is known about the influence of tissue material properties, particularly in osteoporotic bone. The goal of the present study is to isolate the influence of tissue material properties on the pre-yield mechanical response of normal and osteoporotic cancellous bone to uniaxial compression using finite element (FE) models derived from 3D micro-computed tomography images. Both average tissue material properties and the degree of tissue material heterogeneity vary between individuals. Therefore, three sets of FE models were created to study the relative importance of these two factors: 1) models with material homogeneity within and between subjects, 2) models with material homogeneity within subjects only, and 3) models with material heterogeneity within and between subjects. The results of finite element analyses were compared to data gathered from physical testing with matched conditions. For normal bone, incorporating material heterogeneity within and between subjects had no significant effect on model performance. For osteoporotic bone, incorporating material heterogeneity within subjects did not affect model performance, but models that incorporated subject-specific average material properties were significantly more accurate in replicating the results of physical testing. We conclude that, while the influence of bone apparent density and trabecular architecture on apparent stiffness are dominant in healthy bone, average material properties also play a role in osteoporotic bone. Osteoporosis is diagnosed based on apparent density alone, so our findings suggest a need to consider other patient-specific differences that may affect average tissue material properties, such a bone remodeling rate, in clinical assessments of osteoporotic bone structural integrity.

2021 ◽  
pp. 174425912198938
Author(s):  
Michael Gutland ◽  
Scott Bucking ◽  
Mario Santana Quintero

Hygrothermal models are important tools for assessing the risk of moisture-related decay mechanisms which can compromise structural integrity, loss of architectural features and material. There are several sources of uncertainty when modelling masonry, related to material properties, boundary conditions, quality of construction and two-dimensional interactions between mortar and unit. This paper examines the uncertainty at the mortar-unit interface with imperfections such as hairline cracks or imperfect contact conditions. These imperfections will alter the rate of liquid transport into and out of the wall and impede the liquid transport between mortar and masonry unit. This means that the effective liquid transport of the wall system will be different then if only properties of the bulk material were modelled. A detailed methodology for modelling this interface as a fracture is presented including definition of material properties for the fracture. The modelling methodology considers the combined effect of both the interface resistance across the mortar-unit interface and increase liquid transport in parallel to the interface, and is generalisable to various combinations of materials, geometries and fracture apertures. Two-dimensional DELPHIN models of a clay brick/cement-mortar masonry wall were created to simulate this interaction. The models were exposed to different boundary conditions to simulate wetting, drying and natural cyclic weather conditions. The results of these simulations were compared to a baseline model where the fracture model was not included. The presence of fractures increased the rate of absorption in the wetting phase and an increased rate of desorption in the drying phase. Under cyclic conditions, the result was higher peak moisture contents after rain events compared to baseline and lower moisture contents after long periods of drying. This demonstrated that detailed modelling of imperfections at the mortar-unit interface can have a definitive influence on results and conclusions from hygrothermal simulations.


Author(s):  
Yongjian Gao ◽  
Yinbiao He ◽  
Ming Cao ◽  
Yuebing Li ◽  
Shiyi Bao ◽  
...  

In-Vessel Retention (IVR) is one of the most important severe accident mitigation strategies of the third generation passive Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). It is intended to demonstrate that in the case of a core melt, the structural integrity of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) is assured such that there is no leakage of radioactive debris from the RPV. This paper studied the IVR issue using Finite Element Analyses (FEA). Firstly, the tension and creep testing for the SA-508 Gr.3 Cl.1 material in the temperature range of 25°C to 1000°C were performed. Secondly, a FEA model of the RPV lower head was built. Based on the assumption of ideally elastic-plastic material properties derived from the tension testing data, limit analyses were performed under both the thermal and the thermal plus pressure loading conditions where the load bearing capacity was investigated by tracking the propagation of plastic region as a function of pressure increment. Finally, the ideal elastic-plastic material properties incorporating the creep effect are developed from the 100hr isochronous stress-strain curves, limit analyses are carried out as the second step above. The allowable pressures at 0 hr and 100 hr are obtained. This research provides an alternative approach for the structural integrity evaluation for RPV under IVR condition.


Author(s):  
Komei Suzuki ◽  
Etsuo Murai ◽  
Yasuhiko Tanaka ◽  
Iku Kurihara ◽  
Tomoharu Sasaki ◽  
...  

Closure head forging (SA508, Gr.3 Cl.1) integrated with flange for PWR reactor pressure vessel has been developed. This is intended to enhance structural integrity of closure head resulted in elimination of ISI, by eliminating weld joint between closure head and flange in the conventional design. Manufacturing procedures have been established so that homogeneity and isotropy of the material properties can be assured in the closure head forging integrated with flange. Acceptance tensile and impact test specimens are taken and tested regarding the closure head forging integrated with flange as very thick and complex forgings. This paper describes the manufacturing technologies and material properties of the closure head forging integrated with flange.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Culler ◽  
Keri A. Ledford ◽  
Jason H. Nadler

ABSTRACTRemora fish are capable of fast, reversible and reliable adhesion to a wide variety of both natural and artificial marine hosts through a uniquely evolved dorsal pad. This adhesion is partially attributed to suction, which requires a robust seal between the pad interior and the ambient environment. Understanding the behavior of remora adhesion based on measurable surface parameters and material properties is a critical step when creating artificial, bio-inspired devices. In this work, structural and fluid finite element models (FEM) based on a simplified “unit cell” geometry were developed to predict the behavior of the seal with respect to host/remora surface topology and tissue material properties.


Author(s):  
Nak-Kyun Cho ◽  
Youngjae Choi ◽  
Haofeng Chen

Abstract Supercritical boiler system has been widely used to increase efficiency of electricity generation in power plant industries. However, the supercritical operating condition can seriously affect structural integrity of power plant components due to high temperature that causes degradation of material properties. Pressure reducing valve is an important component being employed within a main steam line of the supercritical boiler, which occasionally thermal-fatigue failure being reported. This research has investigated creep-cyclic plastic behaviour of the pressure reducing valve under combined thermo-mechanical loading using a numerical direct method known as extended Direct Steady Cyclic Analysis of the Linear Matching Method Framework (LMM eDSCA). Finite element model of the pressure-reducing valve is created based on a practical valve dimension and temperature-dependent material properties are applied for the numerical analysis. The simulation results demonstrate a critical loading component that attributes creep-fatigue failure of the valve. Parametric studies confirm the effects of magnitude of the critical loading component on creep deformation and total deformation per loading cycle. With these comprehensive numerical results, this research provides engineer with an insight into the failure mechanism of the pressure-reducing valve at high temperature.


CORROSION ◽  
10.5006/3728 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Hartt

Post-tensioning (PT) has evolved to become an important technology for affecting integrity of large, increasingly sophisticated reinforced concrete structures. In the case of bridges, however, tendon failures resulting from wire/strand corrosion have been reported as early as two years post construction. In response to this, a recent study introduced, evaluated, and employed an analytical modeling approach that projects timing of such failures, given statistics which characterize the distribution of wire corrosion rate. These efforts all considered that corrosion penetration is normally distributed across the entire population of wires comprising all tendons. However, it has been reported that corrosion, resultant wire and strand fractures, and tendon failures can be confined to a specific location on a bridge structure as a result of variations in material properties or construction improprieties (or both). Also, the distribution of corrosion rates can differ within individual tendons because of, first, variations in grout structure and composition and, second, presence of voids and free water. The present research extends these previous efforts and addresses such situations; that is, those where the corrosion rate distribution is spatially variable. The results are discussed within the context of better assuring structural integrity for PT bridges.


1980 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonius Rohlmann ◽  
Hans Zilch ◽  
Georg Bergmann ◽  
Reinhard Kolbel

Author(s):  
Ugur Erturun ◽  
Karla Mossi

This study investigates the feasibility of improving the structural integrity of thermoelectric modules (TEMs) with varying geometry. For this purpose, six different TEM models with various thermoelectric leg geometries were designed and modeled in order to perform a thermal stress FEA using ANSYS Workbench. Temperature dependent material properties were used since some properties such as coefficients of thermal expansion change with temperature. Significant decrease in thermal stresses and leg deformations were observed with some models. Particularly, the cylindrical TE leg geometry model has approximately 54% lower Von Mises stresses (294MPa) and 13% lower TE leg deformations (3.9μm) than those of the typical TE leg geometry model (635MPa and 4.5μm). Power generation analyses of the models were performed to evaluate the effect of new TE leg geometries on the performance. TEM model with cylindrical TE leg geometry has the highest power generation (29.3mW) among all the models.


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