Wave Propagation in a Viscoelastic Fiber Subjected to Transverse Impact

Abstract

A dynamical finite-element analysis is used to demonstrate the effect of viscoelastic relaxation on a 3-element rate-dependent model fiber subjected to transverse impact. The transverse shock waves produced by the impact are seen to propagate more slowly and at a larger fiber inclination than the rate-independent theory predicts, and these perturbations are shown to have an appreciable effect on dynamic stress-strain curves which are inferred from measurements of the fiber configuration during impact.