Nonlinear morphoelastic energy based theory for stimuli responsive elastic shells

TL;DR

This paper develops a nonlinear morphoelastic shell theory to model large deformations in biological and elastic shells under stimuli, extending classical models to curved geometries and including material nonlinearities.

Contribution

It introduces a reduced 2D morphoelastic energy formulation for curved shells with non-elastic stimuli, extending previous flat-shell theories to curved geometries with nonlinear constitutive laws.

Findings

The model captures large deformations in spherical shells during eversion.

Compressibility and curvature significantly influence snap-through behavior.

The framework applies to biological processes like vesiculation and shape transformations.

Abstract

Large deformations play a central role in the shape transformations of slender active and biological structures. A classical example is the eversion of the Volvox embryo, which demonstrates the need for shell theories that can describe large strains, rotations, and the presence of incompatible stimuli. In this work, a reduced two-dimensional morphoelastic energy is derived from a fully nonlinear three-dimensional formulation. The resulting model describes the mechanics of naturally curved shells subjected to non-elastic stimuli acting through the thickness, thereby extending previous morphoelastic theories developed for flat plates to curved geometries. Two representative constitutive laws, corresponding to incompressible Neo-Hookean and compressible Ciarlet-Geymonat materials, are examined to highlight the influence of both geometric and constitutive nonlinearities. The theory is applied to the eversion of open and closed spherical shells and to vesiculation processes in biological systems. The results clarify how compressibility, curvature, and through-the-thickness kinematics govern snap-through and global deformation, extending classical morphoelastic shell models. The framework provides a consistent basis for analyzing large deformations in elastic and biological shells driven by non-mechanical stimuli.