Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis of Flow-Induced Deformation in a Two-Phase, Neo-Hookean Marine Egg

Abstract

Coupled computational fluid dynamics and finite element analyses were used to determine the material properties of the egg and jelly layer of the sea urchin Arbacia punctulata. Prior experimental shear flow results were used to provide material parameters for these simulations. A Neo-Hookean model was used to model the hyperelastic behaviors of the jelly layer and egg. A simple compressive simulation was then performed, to compare the maximum von Mises stresses within eggs, with and without jelly layers. Results of this study showed that (1) shear moduli range from ∼100to160Pa, and ∼40to140Pa for an egg without a jelly layer, and jelly layer itself, respectively; and (2) the presence of the jelly layer significantly reduces maximum von Mises stress in an egg undergoing compression.