BME615 Boundary Value Problems

1) Equations that define a mechanics BVP

Equations of equilibrium (3 eq.)

  ij   ij
 Bi  0 or, if body force is zero 0
x j x j

Equilibrium for the 2-D case (2 eq.):

  11   12   21   22
 0 and  0
 x1 x2  x1 x2

Strain-displacement relations (6 eq.):

1  ui u j 
 ij    
2   x j  xi 


Constitutive relations (6 eq.)

 i    S ij   j  or  i    C ij   j 
For 3D,
 15 equations (3 equilibrium, 6 strain displacement, 6 constitutive)
 15 parameters (6 stresses, 6 strains, 3 displacements)

BVP in mechanics always involve simplifying the above equations as much as

possible and then finding solutions.

If a problem becomes too complex and a closed form solution cannot be

found, computational methods (e.g. finite elements) solve these same
equations for simple elements and combine the elements to form more
complex structures.

2) Conditions of compatibility:

The strain-displacement relations have 6 equations relating strain to 3

displacements in x1 , x 2 and x 3 directions. These strains can be related to each
other by 6 strain-displacement relations are called “Conditions of compatibility”.
For example, in 2-D problem, we have following three strain-displacement
equations
 u1 u2   u1 u 2 
 11  ,  22  and  12  2  12    .
 x1 x2  x2  x1 

These 3 equations are easily interrelated by taking 2 derivatives of each strain

1
   12
2
  3 u1  u 2    11   22
3 2 2

     .
 x1  x 2   x1  x 2  x1  x 2  x2  x1
2 2 2 2

For full 3-D case, the same approach produces the following 6 conditions of
compatibility.
  12   11   22   13   11   33   23   22   33
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

  ,   ,  
 x1  x 2 x2  x1  x1  x 3  x3  x1  x 2  x3  x3 x2
2 2 2 2 2 2

  11     23   13   12    22     13   23   12 
2 2

2       , 2     ,
 x 2  x3  x1   x1 x2  x3   x1  x 3 x2  x2  x1  x3 

  33     12   13   23 
2

2     
 x1  x 2  x3   x3 x2  x1 

3) 2-D plane problems

Plane stress:  33   13   23  0
Example: Thin membrane in tension

Plane strain: Displacement in one direction can be neglected: u 3  0

Example: Blood vessel tethered so it cannot elongate or contract axially under
changes in blood pressure

4) One way to solve system 1) for a 2-D problem is by using an “Airy stress
function”.

Start with condition of compatibility

  12   11   22
2 2 2

 
 x1  x 2 x2  x1
2 2

Substitute second type of constitutive relation into this equation produces

  11
2
  22
2
  2 11  2 22    12
2
    12    12 
  '  2 
 2 1   '   1   '    .
x2  x1   x1 x2   x1  x 2   x 2  x1  x1  x 2 
2 2 2


Here,  '   for plane stress,  '  for other cases.
1 

By substituting equations of equilibrium for 2-D case into right-hand-side of this

eq., we get
 2  
2

  2 
  11   22   0 . (A)
  x1 x2 
2

2
 Now assume the existence of a function termed “Airy function” F  x1 , x 2  that is
related to three stress terms by,
 F  F  F
2 2 2

 11  ,  22  and  12  . (B)
x2  x1  x1  x 2
2 2

By plugging this into (A), we get a condition that governs Airy function.
 F
4
 F
4
 F
4
 2   
2 2
 
2

2    2 
 2 
F  x, y   0 . (C )
 x1  x1  x 2 x2    
4 2 2 4 2 2
 1 x x 2 
x1
x 2 

A function that satisfies this condition is called a “Bi-harmonic function”.

5) Problems in polar coordinate systems

There a quite few BVPs that require a polar coordinate system to be easily
described instead of Cartesian coordinates.

The two coordinate systems are related by

1 y
x1  x  r cos  and x 2  y  r sin  and r  x  y and   tan
2 2 2

and
  rr  r   r  r  cos  sin     11  12   cos   sin  
      . (D )
  r     r      sin  cos    12  22   sin  cos  

6) Derivation of equations of equilibrium and strain-displacement relations in

polar coordinates

Equations of equilibrium (Fig. 3.5)

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Equilibrium in radial direction is given by
  r      d
 r  dr   r  dr  d    r rd       d  dr sin
 r     2
d    r  d d
   dr sin    r  d   dr cos   r dr cos  Fr drd   0
2    2 2

Now assume d  ~ 0 , sin d  / 2 ~ d  / 2 and cos d  / 2 ~ 1 . Also ignore the higher

order terms and divide whole relation by rdrd  , then we can simplify this
relation to be
 r 1   r  r 
Radial direction:    Fr  0 .
r r  r

With similar steps, in tangential direction:

1  r   r  r
 2  F  0 .
r  r r

Strain-displacement relations (see Fig. 3.6)

u
Total strain in radial direction (Fig.3.6a):  r 
r
Tangential direction strain contributed by displacement u (Fig.3.6b):
(r  u )  r  u
u  
r  r

4
 Tangential direction strain contributed by displacement v (Fig.3.6b):
(v /  ) 1 v
v  
r  r 

1 v u
Total tangential strain:      u    v  
r  r
(u /  ) 1 u
Shear strain contributed by displacement u (fig.3.6c):  r u  
r  r 
v v
Shear strain contributed by displacement v (fig.3.6d):  r v  
r r
1 u v v
Total tangential strain:  r   r u   r v   
r  r r

7) Constitutive relation for polar coordinate system: Same as the one given for
Cartesian coordinate system.

8) Conversion of the stress-Airy function relation (B) into polar system:

Since,
F F r F  F  F sin 
   cos   , relations (B) will be given by
x r x  x r  r

 F  F  F sin 2  F cos   F
2 2 2 2 2 2

 11    sin   
2

x2 y r r  
2 2 2 2 2
r r
cos   F sin 2  F
2

 
r 
2
r r

 F  F  F sin 2  F sin   F
2 2 2 2 2 2

 22    cos   
2

 x1 x r r  
2 2 2 2 2
r r
sin   F sin 2  F
2

 
r 
2
r r
 F  F sin 2  F cos 2  F sin 2  F
2 2 2 2 2

 12     
 x1  x 2 xy r r  
2 2 2
2 r 2r
sin 2  F cos 2  F
 
r 
2
2r r

Now by applying stress transformation rule (D ) , we get

1 F 1  F
2

 rr  
r r 
2 2
r

5
  F
2

   (E)
r
2

1 F 1  F
2

 r  r  
r  r r 

So, relation (C) for a polar coordinate system is given by

 2 1  1   
2 2
1  1  
2

 2   2 
  2 
F  r ,   0 (F)
       
2 2 2
 r r r r  r r r r 

Now we have basic tools to explore many BVPs!

9) Example problem A (Fig. A): Blood vessel under uniform compression for P.

Fig. A: Cylinder under uniform pressure P

Define displacement field: Due to Axi-symmetric deformation.

u
 0 (Radial displacement is no function of tangential direction!)

v  0 (Tangential displacement does not exist!)

Derive the Strain field:

u u
r  ,   and  r  0
r r

Derive constitutive relation:

u 1
r     rr  v '    ,
r E'
u 1
       v '  rr 
r E'
 r   r  0

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 E v
Here, E '  and v '  .
1 v 1 v
2

Derive equation of equilibrium:

 r  r 
  0 only! No body force in this problem.
r r
Solve the biharmonic function to find stress function F:
From (F), we get
4 3 2 3 2
d F 2 d F 1 d F 1 dF d f 2 d f 1 df 1
4
 3
 2 2
 3
 3
 2
 2
 3
f  0.
dr r dr r dr r dr dr r dr r dr r

General solution of this equation (check with any text book on ordinal differential
equations) is given by
dF C1
f    C 2 r  C 3 r log r . (G)
dr r

 v  u 1 v
2
u
By the way, we can get  ( r   )   r from  r  and     .
r  r r r  r

Hence we can reach following new relations.

 v 
2
2C 3
 (r  )   r  .
r  r E'

In the process, f-> stress-stress function relation (E) -> stress -> constitutive
relation -> strains are utilized.

Since v=0 from displacement condition, C 3  0 .

Now (G) can be reduced to

dF C1
f    C2r .
dr r

And the stress components in radial and tangential directions then become
1 C1 d C1
 rr  f  2
 C 2 and    f  2
 C2 .
r r dr r

So, the form of the solution is known but the constants must still be determined
from boundary conditions.

Boundary conditions:
r  a :  rr  0 and r  b :  rr   p .

Solve for constants:

7
 2
b P  a 
2 2
b P  a 
2

 rr   2 
1  2 
,  
   1  2 
and  r  0 .
b a  b a
2 2 2
r   r 

10) Example problem (Fig. B): Infinite plate with hole under tension P.

Fig. B: Plate with hole under tensile stress P.

Since stress condition at the point that is far away from the hole ( r   ) the plate
is given by
 xx  P and  yy   xy  0 ,
stresses in polar coordinate are given by transformation relation (D) as
 rr  P co s  ,    P sin  and  r   P sin  cos  .
2 2

But with the assistance of basic trigonometry, these simplify to

P P P P
 rr   rr 1   rr 2   cos 2 ,      1    2   cos 2
2 2 2 2
P
and  r   r 1   r 2  0  sin 2 at ( r   ) (H)
2

This indicates that this problem can be considered as the combination of TWO
problems.

Problem 1: Cylinder under uniform stress with BC (boundary conditions) of

at r  a :  rr   r  0
at r  b    :  rr  P / 2,  r  0

By referring to the solutions given in the previous example, the solution of this
problem is given by

8
 P a  P a 
2 2

 rr 1   1  2 
,   1
  1  2 
and  r 1  0 .
2 r  2 r 

Problem 2: Cylinder under unknown stress function with BC of

at r  a :  rr   r  0
at r  b    :  rr  P / 2,  r  0 .

By viewing (H), we guess the stress function to take the following form.
F  r ,    f  r  cos 2 .

By substituting this into condition (F), we will get

 2 1  4  
2
1  4 
 2   2 
  2  f r   0
 r r r r   r r r r 
2

Again, referring to text book of ordinal differential equations, we can find the
solution of this relation to be
f  r   C1 r  C 2 r  C 3 r  C 4 .
2 4 2
(I)

From this stress function, the stresses are given by

 rr 2    2 C 1  6 C 3 r  4 C 4 r  cos 2 ,   2   2 C 1  12 C 2 r  6 C 3 r  cos 2
4 2 2 4

 r 2   2 C 1  6 C 2 r  6 C 3 r  sin 2 .
4 2
 2C 4 r
2

From BC at r   (H), we get  2 C1  P / 2 and C 2  0 and BC at

4 2
Pa Pa
r  a :  rr 2   r 2  0 , C 3   and C 4  .
4 2

Finally, the stress components are given by

P   

2 4 2
a 3a 4a
 rr 2  1  2
  1  4
 2  cos 2 
2 
 r  r r  

P   

2 4
a 3a
   1  2
  1  4  cos 2 
2 
 r  r  

P 
4 2
3a 2a
 r    1  4
 2  sin 2 .
2 r r 

9
(Stress concentration issue)
Consider the tangential stress on the boundary of r  a .
P   

2 4
a 3a
From    1  2
  1  4  cos 2  , we can find the tangential stress on the
2 
 r  r  

boundary to be    P 1  2 cos 2  . With this solution, you can find out that
magnitude of tangential stress to be
  0 :     P ,   30 :    0 and   90 :    3 P .
0 0

Now consider the x component of stress along y axis from point  to point 
P  3a  

2 4
a
( y   ). Again from    1  2   1  4  cos 2  , the solution is
2 
 r  r  

 a
2
3a 
4

 xx x0
   
  P 1  2
 4 
.
2  2y 2y 

From this solution, we can tell that  xx x0

 3P at y  a and  xx x0
 3P at y   .

Here, we can define a coefficient termed “Stress concentration factor” that is

 xx x0, y a
defined to be S tress concentration factor k  . In this case, k=3!
 xx x0, y 

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