NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF A TRANSTIBIAL PROSTHESIS USING NATURAL FIBERS.
Marilza dos Santos Viana1; Miriam Lys Gemaque2; Erb Ferreira Lins2; Jorge Teofilo de Barros Lopes2
1 Federal University of Pará, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Belém, Pará, Brazil.; 2 Federal University of Pará, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Belém, Pará, Brazil
doi:10.20906/CPS/COB-2015-1747
Resumo
This work aims to present a numerical model for structural evaluation of a "flex run" prosthesis type for people with transtibial amputation, comparing the viability of the use of composite materials using natural fibers (sisal) with other existing materials already been used for this purpose. The human gait results from a complex interaction of muscular forces, joint movements and neural engine commands, thus the model was analyzed numerically through the Finite Element Method using the ANSYS software. This model take considers the geometry of the prosthesis, as well as the efforts that it suffers during running. The simulations were performed based on the prosthesis shape, verifying the loads applied in on the prosthesis during a real work situation and its response for different composites materials when under these loads. The results obtained for the use of natural fibers showed to have an equivalent behavior when compared with the composites already used on the type of prosthesis. However, the use of each of these fibers leads to a changing in the prosthesis shape to reach a general mechanical behavior.
Palavras-chave: : Finite Element Method; Transtibial Prosthesis; Natural Fibers