Development of an improved mathematical model for the dynamic response of a sphere located at a viscoelastic medium interface

Abstract

A comprehensive investigation on the static and dynamic responses of a sphere located at elastic and viscoelastic medium interfaces is performed in this study. First, the mathematical models commonly used for predicting the static displacement of a sphere located at an elastic medium interface are presented and their performances are compared. After that, based on the finite element analyses, an accurate mathematical model to predict the static displacement of a sphere located at an elastic medium interface valid for different Poisson's ratios of the medium and small and large sphere displacements is proposed. Then, an improved mathematical model for the dynamic response of a sphere located at a viscoelastic medium interface is developed. In addition to the Young's modulus of the medium and the radius of the sphere, the model takes into account the density, Poisson's ratio and viscosity of the medium, the mass of the sphere and the radiation damping. The effects of the radiation damping, the Young's modulus, density and viscosity of the medium and the density of the sphere on the dynamic response of the sphere located at a viscoelastic medium interface are explored. The developed model can be used to understand the dynamic responses of spherical objects located at viscoelastic medium interfaces in practical applications. Furthermore, the proposed model is a significant tool for graduate students and researchers in the fields of engineering, materials science and physics to gain insight into the dynamic responses of spheres located at viscoelastic medium interfaces.