The Mechanical Properties of Origami Structure Determined by the Improved Virtual Crease Method

The mechanical properties and deformation of Origami structures are studied in this paper. Usually, it is a coupling problem of crease rotation and shell deformation. Here, the creases are simplified as torsional springs, whose rotational stiffness [Formula: see text] is obtained by the experiment of compressing a creased shell. While the shells that may have large deformation are simplified as rigid plates connected by virtual creases, whose rotational stiffness is roughly expressed as bending stiffness divides width of the shell. Hence, a coupling factor [Formula: see text] is defined to evaluate the coupling effect of creases and shells. Implementing the obtained rotational stiffnesses of real and virtual creases into the expression of strain energy, an improved Virtual Crease Method (VCM) is proposed. By analyzing the bi-stability of creased shell and Miura-Ori structure, the accuracy and convergence of this improved VCM is proved.

DEFORMATION OF THE PACKING ELEMENT WHEN THE DIFFERENT PRESSURE IN THE BOREHOLE

a method for calculating the stress-deformed condition of the packing element shells reinforced with a system of metal tapes is proposed. The whole process of deformation of the shell under the influence of internal overpressure is conventionally divided into four stages. For each stage, the scheme of deformation of the shell is considered and the solution of the problem is given on the basis of the nonlinear theory of elasticity and the theory of soft shells. All stages of shell deformation considered in this paper are illustrated by the calculation scheme. An example of shell calculation with specified characteristics and deformation conditions is given.

Biomechanical behavior of modular acetabular cups made of poly-ether-ether-ketone: A finite element study

After total hip arthroplasty, stress-shielding is a potential risk factor for aseptic loosening of acetabular cups made of metals. This might be avoided by the use of acetabular cups made of implant materials with lower stiffness. The purpose of this numerical study was to determine whether a modular acetabular cup with a shell made of poly-ether-ether-ketone or poly-ether-ether-ketone reinforced with carbon fibers might be an alternative to conventional metallic shells. Therefore, the press-fit implantation of modular cups with shells made of different materials (Ti6Al4V, poly-ether-ether-ketone, and poly-ether-ether-ketone reinforced with carbon fibers) and varying liner materials (ceramics and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene) into an artificial bone cavity was simulated using finite element analysis. The shell material had a major impact on the radial shell deformation determined at the rim of the shell, ranging from 17.9 µm for titanium over 92.2 µm for poly-ether-ether-ketone reinforced with carbon fibers up to 475.9 µm for poly-ether-ether-ketone. Larger radial liner deformations (up to 618.4 µm) occurred in combination with the shells made of poly-ether-ether-ketone compared to titanium and poly-ether-ether-ketone reinforced with carbon fibers. Hence, it can be stated that conventional poly-ether-ether-ketone is not a suitable shell material for modular acetabular cups. However, the radial shell deformation can be reduced if the poly-ether-ether-ketone reinforced with carbon fiber material is used, while deformation of ceramic liners is similar to the deformation in combination with titanium shells.