Modelling of the collision of two viscoelastic spherical shells

Abstract

In the present paper, the collision of two viscoelastic spherical shells is investigated using the wave theory of impact. The model developed here suggests that after the moment of impact quasi-longitudinal and quasi-transverse shock waves are generated, which then propagate along the spherical shells. The solution behind the wave fronts is constructed with the help of the theory of discontinuities. Since the local bearing of the materials of the colliding viscoelastic shells is taken into account, the solution in the contact domain is found via the modified Hertz contact theory involving the operator representation of viscoelastic analogs of Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio. The collision of two elastic spherical shells is considered first, and then using Volterra correspondence principle, according to which the elastic constants in the governing equations should be replaced by the corresponding viscoelastic operators, the solution obtained for elastic shells is extended over the case of viscoelastic shells.