Optimization of the strain energy density in linear anisotropic elasticity (Q1338457)

The author studies the optimization of strain energy density in a linear anisotropic material by varying the relative orientation between a fixed stress state and a fixed material symmetry. It is shown that the principal axes of stress must coincide with the principal axes of strain in order to minimize or maximize the strain energy density function in this situation. Specific conditions for maxima are obtained. These conditions involve the stress state and the elastic constants. It is shown that the symmetry coordinate system of cubic symmetry is the only situation in linear anisotropic elasticity for which a strain energy density extremum can exist for all stress state. The conditions for the extrema of the strain energy density for transversely isotropic and orthotropic materials with respect to uniaxial normal stress states are obtained and illustrated with data on elastic constants of some composite materials. The results show that a uniaxial normal stress in the grain direction in wood minimizes the strain energy in the set of all uniaxial stress states. These extrema are of interest in structural and material optimizations. This work is quite interesting and may find several readers working in structural and material engineering.