Coupling Geometrically Exact Cosserat Rods and Linear Elastic Continua

Abstract

We consider the mechanical coupling of a geometrically exact Cosserat rod to a linear elastic continuum. The coupling conditions are formulated in the nonlinear rod configuration space. We describe a Dirichlet-Neumann algorithm for the coupled system, and use it to simulate the static stresses in a human knee joint, where the Cosserat rods are models for the ligaments. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.