SummaryTendons are tough fibrous tissues that facilitate skeletal movement by transferring muscular force to bone. Studies into the effects of mechanical stress on tendons have shown that these can either accelerate healing or cause tendon injuries depending on the load applied. It is known that local strain magnitude and direction play an important role in tendon remodelling and also failure, and different techniques to study strain distribution have been proposed. Image registration and processing techniques are among the recently employed methods. In this study, a novel three-dimensional image processing technique using the Sheffield Image Registration Toolkit is introduced to study local strain and displacement distribution in tendon. The results show that the local normal strain values in the loading axis are smaller than the global applied load, and fibre sliding was detected as a dominant mechanism for transferring the applied load within tendon. However, results from different samples suggest three distinct modes of deformation during loading, as some show only parallel sliding of fibres in respect to the loading axis, whereas others are twisted or deflected in directions transverse to the loading axis. The proposed 3D image registration method is essential for analysing this out-of-plane movement, which cannot be detected using a standard 2D method.

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Classical and numerical approaches to determining V-section band clamp axial sti nessAbstract: V-band clamp joints are used in a wide range of applications to connect circular anges, for ducts, pipes and the turbocharger housing. Previous studies and research on V-bands are either purely empirical or analytical with limited applicability on the variety of V-band design and working conditions. In this paper models of the V-band are developed based on the classical theory of solid mechanics and the nite element method to study the behaviour of the V-bands under axial loading conditions. The good agreement between results from the developed FEA and the classical model support the suitability of the latter to model V-band joints with diameters greater than 110 mm under axial loading. The results from both models suggest that the axial sti ness for this V-band cross section reaches a peak value for V-bands with radius of approximately 150 mm across a wide range of coe cients of friction. Also, it is shown that the coe cient of friction and the wedge angle have a signi cant e ect on the axial sti ness of V-bands.

Abstract. V-band clamps offer an efficient clamping solution in diverse applications including process equipment, exhaust systems and air handling. This paper studies the distribution of interface contact pressure between the V-band and flange when the coupling is established. The determination of the contact area and pressure distribution in a joint is essential information, as it determines the integrity of the coupling. A three dimensional finite element model has been developed for this purpose. Contrary to the previous assumption in developing axisymmetric models, the 3D results showed that the contact pressure is nonuniform around the circumference of V-band with maximum contact pressure near the T-bolt area. This is in agreement with the theory in the literature. The presence and magnitude of friction has a noticeable influence on the form of the interface pressure distribution curve. It is also shown that the diameter of the band interacts with the effect of friction.

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