Injuries to the neck, or cervical region, are very importantsince there is a potential risk of damage to the spinal cord.Any neck injury can have devastating if not life threateningconsequences. High-speed transportation as well as leisure-timeadventures have increased the number of serious neck injuriesand made us increasingly aware of its consequences.Surveillance systems and epidemiological studies are importantprerequisites in defining the scope of the problem. Thedevelopment of mechanical and clinical tools is important forprimary prevention of neck injuries. Thus, the main objectives of the present doctoral thesisare:- To illustrate the dimension of cervical injuries inSweden,- To develop a Finite Element (FE) model of the uppercervical spine, and- To study spinal stability for cervical injuries. The incidence studies were undertaken with data from theinjury surveillance program at the Swedish National Board ofHealth and Welfare. All in-patient data from Swedish hospitals,ranging over thirteen years from 1987 to 1999, were analyzed.During this period 14,310 nonfatal and 782 fatal cervicalinjuries occurred. The lower cervical spine is the mostfrequent location for spinal trauma, although, this changeswith age so that the upper cervical spine is the most frequentlocation for the population over 65 years of age. The incidencefor cervical fractures for the Swedish population decreased forall age groups, except for those older than 65 years of age.The male population, in all age groups, has a higher incidencefor neck fractures than females. Transportation relatedcervical fractures have dropped since 1991, leaving fallaccidents as the sole largest cause of cervical trauma. An anatomically detailed FE model of the human uppercervical spine was developed. The model was validated to ensurerealistic motions of the joints, with significant correlationfor flexion, extension, lateral bending, axial rotation, andtension. It was shown that an FE-model could simulate thecomplex anatomy and mechanism of the upper cervical spine withgood correlation to experimental data. Three studies wereconducted with the FE model. Firstly, the model of the uppercervical spine was combined with an FE model of the lowercervical spine and a head model. The complete model was used toinvestigate a new car roof structure. Secondly, the FE modelwas used for a parameter study of the ligament materialcharacteristics. The kinematics of the upper cervical spine iscontrolled by the ligamentous structures. The ligaments have tomaintain spinal stability while enabling for large rotations ofthe joints. Thirdly, the FE-model was used to study spinalinjuries and their effect on cervical spinal stability inflexion, extension, and lateral bending. To do this, the intactupper cervical spine FE model was modified to implementruptures of the various spinal ligaments. Transection of theposterior atlantooccipital membrane, the ligametum flavum andthe capsular ligament had the most impact on flexion, while theanterior longitudinal ligament and the apical ligamentinfluenced extension. It is concluded that neck injuries in Sweden is a problemthat needs to be address with new preventive strategies. It isespecially important that results from the research on fallaccidents among the elderly are implemented in preventiveprograms. Secondly, it is concluded that an FE model of thecervical region is a powerful tool for development andevaluation of preventive systems. Such models will be importantin defining preventive strategies for the future. Lastly, it isconcluded that the FE model of the cervical spine can increasethe biomechanical understanding of the spine and contribute inanalyses of spinal stability.

When studying the structure formation and fragmentation of complex atomic and nuclear systems it is preferable to start with simple systems where all details can be explored. Some of the knowledge gained from studies of atomic dimers can be generalised to more complex systems. Adding a third atom to an atomic dimer gives a first chance to study how the binding between two atoms is affected by a third. Few-body physics is an intermediate area which helps us to understand some but not all phenomena in many-body physics. Very weakly bound, spatially very extended quantum systems with a wave function reaching far beyond the classical forbidden region and with low angular momentum are characterized as halo systems. These unusual quantum systems, first discovered in nuclear physics may also exist in systems of neutral atoms. Since the first clear theoretical prediction in 1977, of a halo system possessing an Efimov state, manifested in the excited state of the bosonic van der Waals helium trimer 42He3, small helium and different spin-polarised halo hydrogen clusters and their corresponding isotopologues have been intensively studied the last three decades. In the work presented here, the existence of the spin-polarized tritium trimer ground state, 31H3, is demonstrated, verifying earlier predictions, and the system's properties elucidated. Detailed analysis has found no found evidence for other bound states and shape resonances in this system. The properties of the halo helium trimers, 42He3 and 42He2-32He have been investigated. Earlier predictions concerning the ground state energies and structural properties of these systems are validated using our three-dimensional finite element method. In the last part of this work we present results on the bound states and structural properties of the van der Waals bosonic atomic trimers Ne3 and Ar3. We believe to be the first to find evidence of a possible shape resonance just above the three-body dissociation limit of the neon trimer.

In order to simulate both physically and visually realistic soft tissuedeformations, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is the mostpopular choice in the literature. However it is non-trivial to modelcomplex behaviour of soft tissue with sufficient refresh rates, especiallyfor haptic force feedback which requires an update rate ofthe order of 1 kHz. In this study the use of asynchronous regions isproposed to speed up the solution of FEM equations in real-time. Inthis way it is possible to solve the local neighborhood of the contactwith high refresh rates, while evaluating the more distant regions atlower frequencies, saving computational power to model complexbehaviour within the contact area. Solution of the different regionsusing different methods is also possible. To attain maximum efficiencythe size of the regions can be changed, in real-time, in responseto the size of the deformation.

<p>Methodologies for the analysis and computer simulations of active optimal vibration control of complex elastic structures are considered. The structures, generally represented by a large number of degrees of freedom (DOF), are to be controlled by a comparatively small number of actuators.</p><p>Various techniques presently available to solve the optimal control problems are briefly discussed. A Parametric optimization technique that is versatile enough to solve almost any type of optimization problems is found to give poor accuracy and is time consuming. More promising is the optimality equations approach, which is based on Pontryagins principle. Several new numerical procedures are developed using this approach. Most of the problems in this thesis are analysed in the modal space. Even complex structures can be approximated accurately in the modal space by using only few modes. Different techniques have been first applied to the cases where the number of modes to control was the same as the number of actuators (determined optimal control problems), then to cases in which the number of modes to control is larger than the number of actuators (overdetermined optimal control problems). </p><p>The determined optimal control problems can be solved by applying the Independent Modal Space Control (IMSC) approach. Such an approach is implemented in the Beam Analogy (BA) method that solves the problem numerically by applying the Finite Element Method (FEM). The BA, which uses the ANSYS program, is numerically very efficient. The effects of particular optimization parameters involved in BA are discussed in detail. Unsuccessful attempts have been made to modify this method in order to make it applicable for solving overdetermined or underactuated problems. </p><p>Instead, a new methodology is proposed that uses modified optimality equations. The modifications are due to the extra constraints present in the overdetermined problems. These constraints are handled by time dependent Lagrange multipliers. The modified optimality equations are solved by using symbolic differential operators. The corresponding procedure uses the MAPLE programming, which solves overdetermined problems effectively despite of the high order of differential equations involved.</p><p>The new methodology is also applied to the closed loop control problems, in which constant optimal gains are determined without using Riccatis equations.</p>

This work develops a methodology for full engine FEA simulation of the fan blade off containment test for a jet engine using LS-Dyna. The fan blade off containment test is a safety requirement involving the intentional release of a fan blade when the engine is running at full power. The released blade must not pierce or fracture the engine cases during the impact or rotating unbalance. The novel feature of the LS-Dyna simulation is the extensive full engine geometry as well as the widespread use of nonlinearities (mainly plasticity and friction) to absorb the large kinetic energies of the engine rotors. The methodology is simple to use, runs quickly and is being recognized by industry as a contender for widespread implementation. Future applications look promising enough that the methodology warrants further development and refinement.

No description available.

When doing finite element analysis upon the structure of Saab’s aeroplanes a coarse global model of mainly shell elements is used to determine the load distribution for sizing the structure. At some parts of the aeroplane it is however desirable to implement a more detailed analysis. These areas are usually modelled with solid elements; the problem of connecting the fine local solid elements to the coarse global model will shell elements then arises.   This master thesis is preformed to investigate possible Global-Local methods to use for the structural analysis on Gripen. First a literature study of current methods on the market is made, thereafter a few methods are implemented on a generic test structure and later on also tested on a real detail of Gripen VU. The methods tested in this thesis are Mesh refinement in HyperWorks, RBE3 in HyperWorks, Glue in MSC Patran/Nastran and DMIG in MSC Nastran. The software is however not evaluated in this thesis, and a further investigation is recommended to find the most fitting software for this purpose. All analysis are performed with linear assumptions.   Mesh refinement is an integrated technique where the elements are gradually decreasing in size. Per definition, this technique cannot handle gaps, but it has almost identical results to the fine reference model.   RBE3 is a type of rigid body elements with zero stiffness, and is used as an interface element. RBE3 is possible to use to connect both Shell-To-Shell and Shell-To-Solid, and can handle offsets and gaps in the boundary between the global and local model.   Glue is a contact definition and is also available in other software under other names. The global respectively the local model is defined as contact bodies and a contact table is used to control the coupling. Glue works for both Shell-To-Shell and Shell-To-Solid couplings, but has problem dealing with offsets and gaps in the boundary between the global and local model.   DMIG is a superelement technique where the global model is divided into smaller sub-models which are mathematically connected. DMIG is only possible to use when the nodes on the boundary on the local model have the same position as the nodes at the boundary of the global model. Thus, it is not possible to only use DMIG as a Global-Local method, but can advantageously be combined with other methods.   The results indicate that the preferable method to use for Global-Local analysis is RBE3. To decrease the size of the files and demand of computational power, RBE3 can be combined with a superelement technique, for example DMIG.   Finally, it is important to consider the size of the local model. There will inevitably be boundary effect when performing a Global-Local analysis of the suggested type, and it is therefore important to make the local model big enough so that the boundary effects have faded before reaching the area of interest.

Cervical spine injury can range from minor to severe or fatal, where severe injuries can result in incomplete or complete quadriplegia. There are close to 45,000 Canadians currently affected by paralysis due to traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) with an estimated 1700 new cases each year. The majority of tSCI occur in automotive collisions, and current methods for injury prediction are limited to predicting the likelihood for occupant injury but lack the detail to predict the specific injury and location at the tissue level. This research focused on major injuries associated with high impact automotive collisions such as rollover type collisions. Although whiplash is an injury commonly associated with automotive collisions, it was not considered for this study based on the low risk of neurological impairment. The goal of this study was to develop a cervical spine segment finite element model capable of predicting severe injuries such as ligament tears, disc failure, and bone fracture. The segment models used in this study were developed from previous cervical spine segment models representative of a 50th percentile male. The segment models included the vertebrae, detailed representations of the disc annulus fibres and nucleus, and the associated ligaments. The original model was previously verified and validated under quasi-static loading conditions for physiological ranges of motion. To accomplish the objectives of this research, the original models were modified to include updated material properties with the ability to represent tissue damage corresponding to injuries. Additional verification of the model was required to verify that the new material properties provided a physically correct response. Progressive failure was introduced in the ligament elements to produce a more biofidelic failure response and a tied contact between the vertebral bony endplates and the disc was used to represent disc avulsion. To represent the onset of bone fracture, a critical plastic strain failure criterion was implemented, and elements exceeding this criterion were eroded. The changes made to the material models were based on experimental studies and were not calibrated to produce a specific result. After verifying the modifications were implemented successfully, the models were validated against experimental segment failure tests. Modes of loading investigated included tension, compression, flexion, extension and axial rotation. In each case, the simulated response of the segment was evaluated against the average failure load, displacement at failure, and the observed injuries reported in the experimental studies. Additionally, qualitative analysis of elevated stress locations in the model were compared to reported fracture sites. Overall, the simulations showed good agreement with the experimental failure values, and produced tissue failure that was representative of the observed tissue damage in the experimental tests. The results of this research have provided a solid basis for cervical spine segment level injury prediction. Some limitations include the current implementation of bone fracture under compressive loads, and failure within the annulus fibrosus fibres of the disc should be investigated for future models. In addition to material model modifications, further investigation into the kinetics and kinematics of the upper cervical spine segment are important to better understand the complex interactions between the bone geometry and ligaments. This would give insight into the initial positioning and expected response in subsequent models. Future research will include integrating the current segment-level failure criteria into a full cervical spine model for the purpose of predicting severe cervical spine injury in simulated crash scenarios, with future applications in sports injury prevention and protective equipment.

<p>Methodologies for the analysis and computer simulations of active optimal vibration control of complex elastic structures are considered. The structures, generally represented by a large number of degrees of freedom (DOF), are to be controlled by a comparatively small number of actuators.</p><p>Various techniques presently available to solve the optimal control problems are briefly discussed. A Parametric optimization technique that is versatile enough to solve almost any type of optimization problems is found to give poor accuracy and is time consuming. More promising is the optimality equations approach, which is based on Pontryagins principle. Several new numerical procedures are developed using this approach. Most of the problems in this thesis are analysed in the modal space. Even complex structures can be approximated accurately in the modal space by using only few modes. Different techniques have been first applied to the cases where the number of modes to control was the same as the number of actuators (determined optimal control problems), then to cases in which the number of modes to control is larger than the number of actuators (overdetermined optimal control problems). </p><p>The determined optimal control problems can be solved by applying the Independent Modal Space Control (IMSC) approach. Such an approach is implemented in the Beam Analogy (BA) method that solves the problem numerically by applying the Finite Element Method (FEM). The BA, which uses the ANSYS program, is numerically very efficient. The effects of particular optimization parameters involved in BA are discussed in detail. Unsuccessful attempts have been made to modify this method in order to make it applicable for solving overdetermined or underactuated problems. </p><p>Instead, a new methodology is proposed that uses modified optimality equations. The modifications are due to the extra constraints present in the overdetermined problems. These constraints are handled by time dependent Lagrange multipliers. The modified optimality equations are solved by using symbolic differential operators. The corresponding procedure uses the MAPLE programming, which solves overdetermined problems effectively despite of the high order of differential equations involved.</p><p>The new methodology is also applied to the closed loop control problems, in which constant optimal gains are determined without using Riccatis equations.</p>

This work develops a methodology for full engine FEA simulation of the fan blade off containment test for a jet engine using LS-Dyna. The fan blade off containment test is a safety requirement involving the intentional release of a fan blade when the engine is running at full power. The released blade must not pierce or fracture the engine cases during the impact or rotating unbalance. The novel feature of the LS-Dyna simulation is the extensive full engine geometry as well as the widespread use of nonlinearities (mainly plasticity and friction) to absorb the large kinetic energies of the engine rotors. The methodology is simple to use, runs quickly and is being recognized by industry as a contender for widespread implementation. Future applications look promising enough that the methodology warrants further development and refinement.