Hybrid 3D mass-spring system for simulation of isotropic materials with any Poisson’s ratio

Abstract: Mass-Spring Systems (MSS) simulating elastic materials obey constraints known in elasticity as the Cauchy relations, restricting the Poisson ratio of isotropic systems to be exactly nu = 1/4. We remind that this limitation is intrinsic to centrosymmetric spring systems (where each node is a center of symmetry), forbidding them for instance to simulate incompressible materials (with nu = 1/2). To overcome this restriction, we propose to supplement the spring deformation energy with an energy depending on the volume only, insensitive to change of shape, permitting MSS to simulate any real isotropic materials. In addition, the freedom in choosing the spring constants realizing a given elastic behavior allows to manage instabilities. The proposed hybrid model is evaluated by comparing its response to various deformation geometries with analytical model and/or Finite Element Model (FEM). The results show that the hybrid MSS model allows to simulate any compressible isotropic elastic material and in particular the nearly incompressible (Poisson ratio nu approximately equal to 1/2) biological soft tissues to which it is dedicated.

Keywords: Physical Simulation; Mass-Spring System; Isotropic material