Modeling the indentation and puncturing of inflated elastic membranes by rigid indenters

• The puncturing of an inflated membrane subjected to indentation is investigated.
• Local and Global failure mechanisms are considered.
• Lower bound on the critical indenter displacement for puncturing is identified.
• The roles of membrane material properties, indenter radius and initial inflation are analyzed.
• Critical inflation where puncturing occurs without indentation is investigated.

In this paper energy argument and maximum local deformation criteria are used to predict the puncturing of inflated elastic membranes by a rigid indenter. The direct membrane theory and a particular Varga type strain energy function are used to model the indentation and puncturing of an isotropic spherical elastic membrane enclosing an incompressible fluid by a rigid frictionless cylindrical indenter. The non-linear equilibrium equations are formulated and numerical procedure is developed to obtain solutions. A global mode of failure is established by considering the resultant strain energy in the punctured membrane. An additional local mode of failure is identified in which the membrane fails once local deformation reaches a critical value. It is observed that the indenter radius, initial membrane inflation and material properties determine the conditions under which puncturing occurs.