A brain impact stress analysis using advanced discretization meshless techniques

Abstract

This work has the objective to compare the mechanical behaviour of a brain impact using an alternative numerical meshless technique. Thus, a discrete geometrical model of a brain was constructed using medical images. This technique allows to achieve a discretization with realistic geometry, allowing to define locally the mechanical properties according to the medical images colour scale. After defining the discrete geometrical model of the brain, the essential and natural boundary conditions were imposed to reproduce a sudden impact force. The analysis was performed using the finite element analysis and the radial point interpolation method, an advanced discretization technique. The results of both techniques are compared. When compared with the finite element analysis, it was verified that meshless methods possess a higher convergence rate and that they are capable of producing smoother variable fields.