The study of wave action on large, elastic floating bodies has received considerable attention, finding applications in both geophysics and marine engineering problems. In this context, a higher order finite-element method (FEM) for the numerical simulation of the transient response of thin, floating bodies in shallow water wave conditions is presented. The hydroelastic initial-boundary value problem, in an inhomogeneous environment, characterized by bathymetry and plate thickness variation, is analysed for two configurations: (i) a freely floating strip modelling an ice floe or a very large floating structure and (ii) a semi-fixed floating beam representing an ice shelf or shore fast ice, both under long-wave forcing. The variational formulation of these problems is derived, along with the energy conservation principle and the weak solution stability estimates. A special higher order FEM is developed and applied to the calculation of the numerical solution. Results are presented and compared against established methodologies, thus validating the present method and illustrating its numerical efficiency. Furthermore, theoretical results concerning the energy conservation principle are verified, providing a valuable insight into the physical phenomenon investigated.

The development of thermal stresses inside refractory ceramics experiencing severe thermal shock is studied. The present analysis departs from the linear theory of thermal stresses as it accounts for temperature dependent thermal and mechanical material properties. Radiation surface heat exchange between the refractory component and its surroundings is included. A Finite Element Procedure is presented and a MATLAB code is developed. The nonlinear heat equation is solved for the temperature field and this solution is subsequently used in order to determine the stress field evolution. The finite element code is validated and used for the thermal shock estimation of a refractory brick. Material properties corresponding to Al 2 O 3 are selected. A thermal cycle consisting of a heating stage followed by cooling down is simulated. The results are compared with those predicted by the linear thermal stresses theory and significant deviations are observed for the examined values of the Biot number.

Summary Reflections are typically observed when pulses propagate across interfaces. Accordingly, spurious reflections might occur at the interfaces between different models used to simulate the same medium. Examples of such coupled models include classical continuum descriptions with molecular dynamics or peridynamic (PD) grids. In this work, three different coupling approaches are implemented to couple bond‐based PDs with finite element (FE) solvers for solid mechanics. It is observed that incorporation of an overlapping zone, over which the coupling between FE and PD occurs, can lead to minimization of the reflected energy compared to a standard force coupling at the FE domain/PD grid interface. However, coupling with other existing methodologies, like the addition of ghost particles, achieves comparable accuracy at lower computational cost. Furthermore, the prudent selection of the discretization parameters is of pivotal importance as they control the high frequency cut‐off limit. Mismatch between the cut‐off frequencies of the different descriptions can lead to unrealistic results.

Closed circulatory systems display an exquisite balance between vascular elasticity and viscous fluid effects, to induce pulse-smoothing and avoid resonance during the cardiac cycle. Stents in the arterial tree alter this balance through stiffening and because a periodic structure is introduced, capable of interacting with the fluid in a complex way. While the former feature has been investigated, the latter received no attention so far. But periodic structures are the building blocks of metamaterials, known for their ‘non-natural’ behaviour. Thus, the investigation of a stent's periodic microstructure dynamical interactions is crucial to assess possible pathological responses. A one-dimensional fluid–structure interaction model, simple enough to allow an analytical solution for situations of interest involving one or two interacting stents, is introduced. It is determined: (i) whether or not frequency bands exist in which reflected blood pulses are highly increased and (ii) if these bands are close to the characteristic frequencies of arteries and finally, (iii) if the internal structure of the stent can sensibly affect arterial blood dynamics. It is shown that, while the periodic structure of an isolated stent can induce anomalous reflection only in pathological conditions, the presence of two interacting stents is more critical, and high reflection can occur at frequencies not far from the physiological values.

Abstract. The transient hydroelastic response of an ice shelf under long wave excitation is analysed by means of the finite element method. The simple model, presented in this work, is used for the simulation of the generated kinematic and stress fields in an ice shelf, when the latter interacts with a tsunami wave. The ice shelf, being of large length compared to its thickness, is modelled as an elastic Euler-Bernoulli beam, constrained at the grounding line. The hydrodynamic field is represented by the linearised shallow water equations. The numerical solution is based on the development of a special hydroelastic finite element for the system of governing of equations. Motivated by the 2011 Sulzberger Ice Shelf (SIS) calving event and its correlation with the Honshu Tsunami, the SIS stable configuration is studied. The extreme values of the bending moment distribution in both space and time are examined. Finally, the location of these extrema is investigated for different values of ice shelf thickness and tsunami wave length.