Bjørn Skallerud

Fatigue life assessment of aluminum alloys with casting defects

Abstract The fatigue lifetimes of cylindrical aluminum specimens containing shrinkage cavities were measured. The results were compared with those of specimens without macroscopic cavities (DC cast). Two different heat treatments were considered: T4 (naturally aged) and T6 (near peak aged). The pore shape and distribution in the specimens were complex. Pores with a maximum diameter larger than 0.2 mm resulted in a significant reduction of the lifetime. Numerical calculations were carried out to predict the fatigue life and crack growth model taking crack closure effects into account was used. This model tended to give somewhat nonconservative results when compared with test results. Modification of the model, taking a short crack effect into account, gave conservative results.

Finite element analysis of the mitral apparatus: annulus shape effect and chordal force distribution

This study presents a three-dimensional finite element model of the mitral apparatus using a hyperelastic transversely isotropic material model for the leaflets. The objectives of this study are to illustrate the effects of the annulus shape on the chordal force distribution and on the mitral valve response during systole, to investigate the role of the anterior secondary (strut) chordae and to study the influence of thickness of the leaflets on the leaflets stresses. Hence, analyses are conducted with a moving and fixed saddle shaped annulus and with and without anterior secondary chordae. We found that the tension in the secondary chordae represents 31% of the load carried by the papillary muscles. When removing the anterior secondary chordae, the tension in the primary anterior chordae is almost doubled, the displacement of the anterior leaflet toward the left atrium is also increased. The moving annulus configuration with an increasing annulus saddle height does not give significant changes in the chordal force distribution and in the leaflet stress compared to the fixed annulus. The results also show that the maximum principle stresses in the anterior leaflet are carried by the collagen fibers. The stresses calculated in the leaflets are very sensitive to the thickness employed.

On modelling and analysis of healthy and pathological human mitral valves: Two case studies

Biomechanical data and related constitutive modelling of the mitral apparatus served as a basis for finite element analyses to better understand the physiology of mitral valves in health and disease. Human anterior and posterior leaflets and chordae tendinae from an elderly heart showing no disease and a hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathic heart (HOCM) were mechanically tested by means of uniaxial cyclic extension tests under quasi-static conditions. Experimental data for the leaflets and the chordae tendinae showed highly nonlinear mechanical behaviours and the leaflets were anisotropic. The mitral valve from the HOCM heart exhibited a significantly softer behaviour than the valve from the healthy one. A comparison with porcine data was included because many previous mitral modelling studies have been based on porcine data. Some differences in mechanical response were observed. Material parameters for hyperelastic, transversely isotropic constitutive laws were determined. The experimental data and the related model parameters were used in two finite element studies to investigate the effects of the material properties on the mitral valve response during systole. The analyses showed that during systole the mitral valve from the HOCM heart bulged into the left atrium by taking on the shape of a balloon, whereas the anterior leaflet of the healthy valve remained in the left ventricle.

Efficient fracture assessment of pipelines. A constraint-corrected SENT specimen approach

Abstract Reeling has proven to be an efficient and cost effective method for offshore pipelaying. During the reeling process the pipe undergoes deformation that can strain the material by 1–2%. The existing failure assessment methods often turn out to be too conservative to allow such a strain level in the structure. The amount of conservatism can be significantly reduced by using a new failure assessment approach developed by SINTEF. This approach depends on finite element calculations for establishing the non-linear fracture mechanics parameters and the stress and strain distributions in the pipe. The present study addresses the performance of shell and line spring finite elements as a cost effective tool for performing such numerical calculations.

Modeling active muscle contraction in mitral valve leaflets during systole: a first approach

The present study addresses the effect of muscle activation contributions to mitral valve leaflet response during systole. State-of-art passive hyperelastic material modeling is employed in combination with a simple active stress part. Fiber families are assumed in the leaflets: one defined by the collagen and one defined by muscle activation. The active part is either assumed to be orthogonal to the collagen fibers or both orthogonal to and parallel with the collagen fibers (i.e. an orthotropic muscle fiber model). Based on data published in the literature and information herein on morphology, the size of the leaflet parts that contain muscle fibers is estimated. These parts have both active and passive materials, the remaining parts consist of passive material only. Several solid finite element analyses with different maximum activation levels are run. The simulation results are compared to corresponding echocardiography at peak systole for a porcine model. The physiologically correct flat shape of the closed valve is approached as the activation levels increase. The non-physiological bulging of the leaflet into the left atrium when using passive material models is reduced significantly. These results contribute to improved understanding of the physiology of the native mitral valve, and add evidence to the hypothesis that the mitral valve leaflets not are just passive elements moving as a result of hemodynamic pressure gradients in the left part of the heart.

Subject specific finite element analysis of stress shielding around a cementless femoral stem

BACKGROUND Stress shielding around a femoral stem is usually assessed experimentally using composite or human cadaver femurs. In the present study we have explored the feasibility of using subject specific finite element models to determine stress shielding in operated femurs. METHODS Cortical strain was measured experimentally on seven human cadaver femurs, intact and implanted with a straight cementless prosthesis. Two load configurations were considered: single leg stance and stair climbing. Subject specific finite element models derived from computed tomography of the same femurs were analysed intact and with an implant. Principal cortical strain was used to validate the finite element models. Stress shielding was defined as the change in equivalent (von Mises) strain between pre- and post-operative femurs. FINDINGS Cortical strain predicted by the finite element analyses showed to be close to unity with the experimental observations for both intact (R2=0.94, slope=0.99), operated femurs (R2=0.86, slope=0.86) and stress shielding (R2=0.70, slope=0.90). In the proximal calcar area, the region most prone to periprosthetic remodelling, the finite element models were found to successfully reproduce the stress shielding observed experimentally. INTERPRETATION The study shows that subject specific finite element models manage to describe the stress shielding pattern measured in vitro in the different femurs. Finite element models based on actual human femurs (cadaver and/or patient) could thus be a useful tool in the pre-clinical evaluation of new implants.

Collapse of thin shell structures—stress resultant plasticity modelling within a co‐rotated ANDES finite element formulation

Due to the very non-linear behaviour of thin shells under collapse, numerical simulations are subject to challenges. Shell finite elements are attractive in these simulations. Rotational degrees of freedom do, however, complicate the solution. In the present study a co-rotated formulation is employed. The deformation of the shell is decomposed in to a contribution from large rigid body rotation and a strain producing term. A triangular assumed strain shell finite element is used. Hence, a high performance elastic element is combined with the co-rotated formulation. In the co-rotated co-ordinate system the plasticity is accounted for by a simplifyed Ilyushin stress resultant yield surface. The stress update is determined from the backward Euler difference, and a consistent geometrical and material tangent stiffness is derived. Comparison with other published analysis results show that the present formulation gives acceptable accuracy. Copyright

Subject specific finite element analysis of implant stability for a cementless femoral stem

BACKGROUND The primary stability of a cementless implant is crucial to ensure long term stability through osseointegration. In the present study we have examined how subject specific finite element models can be used to evaluate the stability of a cementless femoral stem. METHODS Micromotion on the bone-implant interface of a cementless stem was measured experimentally in six human cadaver femurs. Subject specific finite element models were built from computed tomography of the same femurs, and used to simulate the same load scenario used experimentally. FINDINGS Both experimental measurements and numerical analyses showed a tendency of increased rotational stability for bigger implants. Good correlation was found between measurements and calculated values of axial rotation (R(2)=0.74, P<0.001). The finite element models produced interface micromotion of the same magnitude as measured experimentally, with micromotion generally below 40 microm. Bigger femoral stems were found to decrease the micromotion in the experimental measurements. This tendency could not be recognised in the interface micromotion from the finite element models. INTERPRETATION The finite element models showed limited success in predicting interfacial micromotion, but reproduced a similar pattern of rotational stability for the implants as seen experimentally. Since rotation in retroversion is often the main concern when studying implant stability, subject specific finite element models could be employed for pre-clinical evaluation of implants.

FSI simulation of asymmetric mitral valve dynamics during diastolic filling

In this article, we present a fluid–structure interaction algorithm accounting for the mutual interaction between two rigid bodies. The algorithm was used to perform a numerical simulation of mitral valve (MV) dynamics during diastolic filling. In numerical simulations of intraventricular flow and MV motion, the asymmetry of the leaflets is often neglected. In this study the MV was rendered as two rigid, asymmetric leaflets. The 2D simulations incorporated the dynamic interaction of blood flow and leaflet motion and an imposed subject-specific, transient left ventricular wall movement obtained from ultrasound recordings. By including the full Jacobian matrix in the algorithm, the speed of the simulation was enhanced by more than 20% compared to using a diagonal Jacobian matrix. Furthermore, our results indicate that important features of the flow field may not be predicted by the use of symmetric leaflets or in the absence of an adequate model for the left atrium.

A 3D numerical study of ductile tearing and fatigue crack growth under nominal cyclic plasticity

Abstract Structures subjected to severe cyclic loading may fail due to low cycle fatigue. During the latter part of the fatigue life the crack growth rate may increase due to the occurence of crack growth from static failure modes, e.g. void growth. The present investigation attempts to predict the combined crack growth by means of nonlinear FE methods. The case studied is an axially loaded flat plate with embedded, nearly circular cracks growing under nominal cyclic plasticity, as test data for this case has been obtained previously. The fatigue part of the crack growth is determined by using the computed cyclic J-integral and the static mode crack growth from ductile tearing is determined from computations accounting for void nucleation/growth/coalescence by means of a modified Gurson-Tvergaard model. Comparison with the test results shows acceptable correspondence.