Mikko Hokka

In-vivo deformation measurements of the human heart by 3D Digital Image Correlation

Fast and accurate measurements of the kinetics and deformation of the heart during cardiac surgery can be useful for assessing the best strategies for the protection of the myocardium. While measurements based on ultrasonic technology such as the transesophageal echocardiography are rapidly developing in this direction, also other analysis methods based on optical imaging have been developed within the recent decade. The improved quality of digital cameras and increased computational power of personal computers have led to the development of deformation analysis method known as Digital Image Correlation (DIC). This paper presents preliminary results on the application of the DIC technique on analysing of the movement and deformation of the myocardial movement during a cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. The results show that the natural pattern of the heart should be sufficient for DIC, but better and more accurate results could be obtained with improved contrast conditions. DIC has a potential to be used as a sensitive tool for the surgeon to monitor the cardiac function.

Investigation of the effect of different cutting parameters on chip formation of low-lead brass with experiments and simulations

Poor chip breakage causes problems in machining of low-lead brass. To improve chip breakage, finite element model simulations were implemented in cutting tool design. Finite element model simulations enable high number of experiments that would be expensive and slow to perform by conventional cutting tests. Compression tests and cutting experiments under different temperatures and strain rates were performed for lead-free brass, to acquire material parameters for the finite element model. It was observed that the coupled effect of thermal softening and rate sensitivity of the material was difficult to take into account with the existing material model. Furthermore, it was found that there are no reported material models that can take rate sensitivity–temperature coupling into account. This was counteracted by fitting the model with least square method to the stress–strain data at the cutting temperature, although this causes error in simulations with temperatures higher or lower than the supposed cutting temperature. Nevertheless, the simulated results proved accurate enough to model the chip breakage. Based on the simulations and experiments, the use of a positive rake angle, high cutting speed and low cutting feed rate improve chip breakage from continuous chip to a chip of average length of 4 mm.

Dynamic Tensile Behaviour of TRIP and DP Steels at Different Temperatures

The stress-strain response of TRIP 700 and DP 600 steels was studied at a wide range of strain rates and temperatures using a special high/low temperature tensile Hopkinson Split Bar (THSB) device. The mechanical properties of the studied steels, especially of the TRIP steel, were found to be strongly affected by both temperature and strain rate. The beneficial TRIP effect in the studied steel reached its maximum at temperatures between 75-150 °C. The transformation behaviour of the retained austenite in the TRIP steel was studied by XRD, revealing that the phase transformation rate increases with decreasing temperature and decreases with increasing strain rate. A phenomenological numerical model was also presented to describe the behaviour of the TRIP and DP steels at different temperatures and strain rates.

Experimental and numerical study of drill bit drop tests on Kuru granite

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study of Kuru grey granite impacted with a seven-buttons drill bit mounted on an instrumented drop test machine. The force versus displacement curves during the impact, so-called bit–rock interaction (BRI) curves, were obtained using strain gauge measurements for two levels of impact energy. Moreover, the volume of removed rock after each drop test was evaluated by stereo-lithography (three-dimensional surface reconstruction). A modified version of the Holmquist–Johnson–Cook (MHJC) material model was calibrated using Kuru granite test results available from the literature. Numerical simulations of the single drop tests were carried out using the MHJC model available in the LS-DYNA explicit finite-element solver. The influence of the impact energy and additional confining pressure on the BRI curves and the volume of the removed rock is discussed. In addition, the influence of the rock surface shape before impact was evaluated using two different mesh geometries: a flat surface and a hyperbolic surface. The experimental and numerical results are compared and discussed in terms of drilling efficiency through the mechanical specific energy. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Experimental testing and modelling of brittle materials at high strain rates’.

Effects of strain rate and surface cracks on the mechanical behaviour of Balmoral Red granite

This work presents a systematic study on the effects of strain rate and surface cracks on the mechanical properties and behaviour of Balmoral Red granite. The tensile behaviour of the rock was studied at low and high strain rates using Brazilian disc samples. Heat shocks were used to produce samples with different amounts of surface cracks. The surface crack patterns were analysed using optical microscopy, and the complexity of the patterns was quantified by calculating the fractal dimensions of the patterns. The strength of the rock clearly drops as a function of increasing fractal dimensions in the studied strain rate range. However, the dynamic strength of the rock drops significantly faster than the quasi-static strength, and, because of this, also the strain rate sensitivity of the rock decreases with increasing fractal dimensions. This can be explained by the fracture behaviour and fragmentation during the dynamic loading, which is more strongly affected by the heat shock than the fragmentation at low strain rates. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Experimental testing and modelling of brittle materials at high strain rates’.

Dynamic Behavior and Numerical Modeling of Titanium 15-3-3-3 Alloy

Metastable beta titanium alloys combine excellent mechanical properties with low density, and are therefore very attractive in many mechanically demanding applications. The high strength and hardness, however, cause several challenges in the machining of these materials, and the machining costs of titanium components can be significant compared to the overall costs of the component. The cutting conditions can be optimized using finite element simulations, leading to reduced machining costs and improved machining quality. However, the simulations of the rather complex machining processes need reliable material models. The models can only be generated when the mechanical behavior of the material is well understood. In this work, the mechanical response of Ti-15-3-3-3 alloy has been characterized in a wide range of strain rates and temperatures. The Johnson-Cook material model was fit to the measurement data, and the model was used to simulate orthogonal cutting of the material. The simulation results were further compared to cutting experiments at high cutting speeds. The current model is able to simulate the serrated chip formation frequently observed in machining of titanium alloys at high cutting speeds. Also, the simulated cutting forces match well with the experimentally obtained forces. However, the model needs to be further developed to match also the fine details of the chip, such as the chip curl and thickness of the individual serrations.

A method for stereoscopic strain analysis of the right ventricle by digital image correlation during coronary bypass surgery: short communication.

Abstract Perioperative cardiosurgical management of volume therapy remains one of the challenging tasks in cases of patients with severe heart disease. Early detection of congestive cardiac failure prevents subsequent low output and worse outcome. An effective method for controlling extracorporeal circulation is created by developing a non-invasive intraoperative method for right ventricular strain analysis through digital image contrast correlation.

Finite-Element Simulations of Split Hopkinson Test of Ti-Based Alloy

Ti-based alloys are extensively used in aerospace and other advanced engineering fields due to their high strength and toughness, light weight, excellent corrosion resistance and ability to withstand extreme temperatures. Since these alloys are hard to machine, there is an obvious demand to develop simulation tools in order to analyse the materials behaviour during machining and thus optimise the entire machining process. The deformation processes in machining of Ti-alloys are typically characterized by high strains and temperatures. A Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) technique is a commonly used experimental method to characterize a material`s behaviour at high strain rates; a stress-strain relation of the material is derived from the obtained experimental data. A computational study on a three-dimensional finite element model of the SHPB experiment is performed to assess various features of the underlying mechanics of deformation processes at high-strain and -strain-rate regimes. In the numerical analysis, an inhomogeneous deformation behaviour is observed in the workpiece at the initial stages of compression contrary to a standard assumption of stress and strain homogeneity in the specimen.

An Optical Method for the In-Vivo Characterization of the Biomechanical Response of the Right Ventricle

The intraoperative in-vivo mechanical function of the left ventricle has been studied thoroughly using echocardiography in the past. However, due to technical and anatomical issues, the ultrasound technology cannot easily be focused on the right side of the heart during open-heart surgery, and the function of the right ventricle during the intervention remains largely unexplored. We used optical imaging and digital image correlation for the characterization of the right ventricle motion and deformation during open-heart surgery. This work is a pilot study focusing on one patient only with the aim of establishing the framework for long term research. These experiments show that optical imaging and the analysis of the images can be used to obtain similar parameters, and partly at higher accuracy, for describing the mechanical functioning of the heart as the ultrasound technology. This work describes the optical imaging based method to characterize the mechanical response of the heart in-vivo, and offers new insight into the mechanical function of the right ventricle.

Effects of Adiabatic Heating Estimated from Tensile Tests with Continuous Heating

The mechanical behavior of metastable austenitic stainless steels is strongly influenced by the strain induced phase transformation of austenite into martensite. The phase transformation rate is significantly affected by the strain rate and by the adiabatic heating at higher strain rates. Uncoupling of the effects of strain rate and adiabatic heating can lead to a better understanding of the strain-induced martensitic transformation and allow more accurate material modeling. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the effects of adiabatic heating during a tensile test. The adiabatic heating as a function of strain was calculated from the stress-strain curves obtained in adiabatic conditions. Then the tensile tests were carried out at a lower strain rate while continuously heating the specimen at the same rate as obtained in the adiabatic conditions. With this method, the thermal conditions of the adiabatic tests were reproduced in the low rate conditions, which would normally be isothermal without the external heating. The martensite fraction was evaluated using the magnetic balance method. In this paper, we present a detailed description of the experimental procedure and discuss the observed changes in the mechanical behavior and microstructure of the studied steel.