Finite element model of viscoelastic membrane deformation (Q581054)

A numerical scheme is presented for modeling the axisymmetric inflation of a thin incompressible isotropic sheet up to a rigid obstacle under the action of a uniform pressure. A membrane model is assumed for the behaviour of the sheet. When the sheet makes contact with the obstacle it is further assumed that a condition of total sticking occurs. In the scheme the equilibrium and constitutive equations are kept separate and a modified \(H^ 1\)-Galerkin technique using cubic Hermite approximations is employed. Numerical results are presented for the cases of both flat and elliptical obstacles and for both materials of the Mooney-Rivlin elastic type and of a viscoelastic generalization of the Mooney-Rivlin model.