Acta Mech 232, 3141–3148 (2021)

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-021-02994-7

O R I G I NA L PA P E R

Yi-Ying Feng · Xiao-Jun Yang · Jian-Gen Liu · Zhan-Qing Chen

Rheological analysis of the general fractional-order

viscoelastic model involving the Miller–Ross kernel

Received: 22 December 2020 / Revised: 5 January 2021 / Accepted: 20 April 2021 / Published online: 2 June 2021
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature 2021

Abstract The present work is mainly stimulated by the definition of the general fractional-order derivative
operator (GFODO) involving the Miller–Ross kernel in the sense of the Liouville–Sonine type. The novel
emphasis is the introduction of the GFODO within the Miller–Ross kernel into the Maxwell model and
Kelvin–Voigt model, thereby constructing viscoelastic constitutive models with the property of inheritance
and memorability. It is noteworthy that the fractional viscoelasticity can capture the strain response within a
wide range of strain rates. The procedure used in our paper to calculate the creep compliance of the proposed
model is the Laplace transform, and then comparisons between the general fractional-order models and the
classical integer-order models are presented. In summing up, it may be stated that the general fractional-order
Kelvin–Voigt model exhibits a very different behavior compared to the classical Kelvin–Voigt model and it
can describe the whole creep process including the accelerated creep stage.

1 Introduction

Rheology covers all solid materials, such as asphalt, glass, glaciers, rocks and crust. The most typical property
of rheology is viscoelasticity, an intermediate behavior between the ideal elastic solid and the ideal viscous
fluid. In viscoelastic materials, the study of stress and deformation has attracted lots of attention. It is of
great significance to construct a suitable constitutive relationship characterizing the viscoelastic mechanical
behavior of materials. When the elements are connected in different forms, series or parallel, the constitutive
equations of the same viscoelastic material will have a diversity of forms. Therefore, many kinds of viscoelastic
material constitutive models have been proposed by scholars studying the relationship between stress and
strain. Mathematical theoretical analysis plays an important role in establishing a proper constitutive model.
A macro–micro-creep constitutive model of viscoelastic–plastic deformation characteristics for three-phase
saturated frozen soils was derived in [1] based on micromechanics, considering the influences of ice content

Y.-Y. Feng · X.-J. Yang (B) · J.-G. Liu · Z.-Q. Chen

School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, China
X.-J. Yang
E-mail: dyangxiaojun@163.com

Y.-Y. Feng
E-mail: yyfeng12cumt@163.com

Y.-Y. Feng · X.-J. Yang · J.-G. Liu · Z.-Q. Chen

State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology,
Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, China

X.-J. Yang · J.-G. Liu

School of Mathematics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, China
3142 Y.-Y. Feng et al.

and temperature. The micromechanics-based constitutive model was proposed for linear viscoelastic particle-
reinforced composites based on a homogenization approach in the time domain by Chen in [2]. A viscoelastic
model based on the material structure of soft biological tissue was proposed and a corresponding nonlinear
viscoelastic constitutive equation was derived by Decraem in [3]. A serial two-stage viscoelastic viscoplastic
constitutive model was developed in [4] using the internal variables theory and the orthogonality principle
of the thermodynamics for modeling time-dependent behavior of asphalt concrete mixtures. The nonlinear
viscoelasto–plastic creep model with creep threshold and long-term strength was proposed in [5] by connecting
an instantaneous elastic Hooke body, a viscoelasto–plastic Schiffman body and a nonlinear viscoplastic body
in series mode.
Time plays an important role in the mechanical properties of viscoelastic materials. The temporal effect
indicates that the strain of viscoelastic materials is determined by the loading and deformation process (his-
tory), and is not a transient phenomenon. Consequently, viscoelastic materials are supposed to have memory
properties [6]. It is thus of utmost importance to introduce the concept of the fractional constitutive model
which describes the memory and hereditary properties of viscoelastic materials. These properties are novel
and efficient compared with the classical integer mechanical constitutive model. A new and efficient general
three-dimensional fractional constitutive formulation based on the use of a recurrence term was proposed by
Cunha-Filho [7] to give a simple and low-cost constitutive law to describe the frequency- and temperature-
dependent behavior of viscoelastic materials, especially for complex systems. The geometric descriptions of the
generalized fractional viscoelastic models were proposed by Takahiro [8] and showed that various viscoelastic
models can be unified into one geometric expression. Several hyper-viscoelastic constitutive models were
developed in [9] to simulate the variation in the mechanical properties of elastomeric materials by modifying
existing hyper-elastic models by incorporating existing viscoplastic models. A nonlinear finite element formu-
lation of viscoelastic beams in conjunction with the fractional derivative constitutive equations was developed
by Seyed in [10]. Does a fractal microstructure require a fractional viscoelastic model? Ostoja-Starzewski [11]
studied such question through a micromechanics model of a random viscoelastic microstructure, homogenized
according to a Hill–Mandel condition.
Fractional is the word referring to some characteristics and fundamental problems which arise in all
fields of science and technology. These problems are characterized by having some non-integer-order features
[12]. Different definitions for fractional derivatives were proposed due to their relatively intricate mathematical
implication, for example, the Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative [13,14], the Caputo fractional derivative
[15,16], the Weyl fractional derivative [17] and the Hilfer fractional derivative [18]. Replacing the different,
singular or nonsingular, kernel functions into the power function kernel of the Riemann–Liouville fractional
derivative, many researchers have proposed some new fractional models over recent years [19]. For example,
Baleanu [20] presented two new fractional derivatives which were closely related to each other and may be
expressed as a combination (or hybridization) of existing fractional operators in several different ways. The
main properties of harmonic wavelets and fractional harmonic wavelets were given in [21] by taking into
account their characteristic features in the Fourier domain. Fernandez [22] introduced and investigated several
different models of fractional calculus in view of an integral transform introduced by Prabhakar, involving
generalized multi-parameter Mittag-Leffler functions. The aforementioned definitions are neither used in this
paper, resorting instead to the GFODO involving the Miller–Ross kernel proposed by Yang [27] for the first
time. Recently, a few scholars have carried out some studies on the application of this general fractional-order
derivative. The complex process in the mining rock considering a general fractional-order wave model with the
general fractional-order derivative involving the Miller–Ross kernel was explored in [23] by Dou et al. Later,
Feng et al. given an explanation on a type of anomalous diffusion equation with the use of this new fractional
derivative definition in [24]. Yang [25] provided an introduction to the newly established fractional-order
calculus operators involving singular and nonsingular kernels with applications to fractional-order viscoelastic
models from the general fractional-order calculus operators’ view-point.
The main purpose of this paper is to introduce the general fractional-order viscoelastic constitutive models
within the Miller–Ross kernel in the sense of the Liouville–Sonine type and to obtain the creep compliance of
the proposed model. The outline of this research is organized as follows. In Sect. 2, the essential concepts of
the general fractional-order calculus are investigated. In Sect. 3, we propose the general fractional viscoelastic
models, i.e., the general fractional Maxwell model and the general fractional Kelvin–Voigt model, based on
the Miller–Ross kernel motivated by the above studies and present the comparison chats between the general
fractional-order models and the classical integer models. Finally, the conclusion is drawn in Sect. 4.
Rheological analysis of the general fractional-order viscoelastic model 3143

2 Essential concepts of the general fractional-order calculus

In this section, the basic definitions and mathematical tools are reviewed.

Definition 1 The Miller–Ross function with one parameter ξ (ξ ∈ R) is defined as [26]

MRα (ξ t α )
∞
 ξ ntn
= tα
(n + 1 + α)
n=0
∞
 ξ n t n+α
= , (1)
(n + 1 + α)
n=0

∞
where Re(α) ≥ 0, (·) denotes the Gamma function and (χ ) = 0 e−t · t χ −1 dt.

It is worth mentioning that the Laplace transform of the Miller–Ross function MRα (ξ t α ) is given as follows
[27]:

L {MRα (ξ t α )} = s −(α−1) (1 − ξ s −1 )−1 , (|ξ s −1 | < 1), (2)

where the Laplace transform operator L of the function z(t) is given by [28]

 ∞
L {z(t)} = z(s) = e−st z(t)dt. (3)
0

Definition 2 The general fractional-order integral operator involving the Miller–Ross kernel is defined as [27]


α,ξ
t  
MR
I0+ f (t) = MRα −ξ(t − τ )α f (τ )dτ. (4)
0

Based on the above-mentioned considerations, the GFODO involving the Miller–Ross kernel in the sense
of the Liouville–Sonine type can be defined as follows [27].

Definition 3 The general fractional-order derivative operator involving the Miller–Ross kernel in the sense of
the Liouville–Sonine type is defined as [27]


MR α,ξ α,ξ
t  
LS D0+ f (t) =MR I0+ f  (t) = MRα −ξ(t − τ )α f  (τ )dτ, (5)
0

where 0 < α < 1 and ξ ∈ C.

Furthermore, the Laplace transform of Eq. (5) is given as follows [27]:

α,ξ −α−1
L {MR
LS D0+ f (t)} = s (1 + ξ s −1 )−1 (s f (s) − f (0)), (|ξ s −1 | < 1). (6)

Setting f (0) = 0, Eq. (6) becomes [27]:

α,ξ −α−1 s 1−α

L {MR
LS D0+ f (t)} = s (1 + ξ s −1 )−1 · s f (s) = f (s), (|ξ s −1 | < 1). (7)
s+ξ
3144 Y.-Y. Feng et al.

Fig. 1 The Liouville–Sonine–Miller–Ross (LSMR) dashpot

Fig. 2 The general fractional-order Maxwell model involving the Miller–Ross kernel

3 Application of the new GFODO to viscoelasticity

A creep test aims to investigate the deformation of a material when it is subjected to a constant load or stress
[29]. The creep compliance refers to the creep function of linear viscoelastic materials in the one-dimensional
case, and represents the strain response with time changing under the unit stress. The concept of the general
fractional-order derivative, taking the place of the integer-order derivative, is employed in the formulation of
the strain response for viscoelasticity in this section.
In the field of modeling fractional viscoelastic model, the Abel dashpot was proposed by Blair, G. S. based
on the Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative, which can be given as [30]

σ (t) = η · R L D α ε(t), (8)

where σ and ε denote the stress and strain, respectively, η is the viscosity coefficient and R L D α f (t) stands
for the Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative of the function f (t).
As shown in Fig. 1, motivated by the Abel dashpot, the Liouville–Sonine–Miller–Ross (LSMR) dashpot is
minted by replacing the Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative with the GFODO involving the Miller–Ross
kernel in the sense of the Liouville–Sonine type, which can be expressed as follows [25,27]:
α,ξ
σ (t) = η · MR
LS D0+ ε(t). (9)

3.1 The general fractional-order Maxwell model involving the Miller–Ross kernel

The combination of the spring and LSMR dashpot which placed in series leads to the Maxwell unit (cf. [25]),
depicted in Fig. 2.
With the initial condition σ (t) = σ0 H (t), where H (t) is the Heaviside Step Function [31], the constitutive
equation of the general fractional-order Maxwell model involving the Miller–Ross kernel is given as follows:

MR α,ξ 1 MR α,ξ σ (t)

LS D0+ ε(t) = · LS D0+ σ (t) + , (10)
E η
where σ0 represents the initial stress and E is the Young’s modulus.
It is worth remarking that [27]
1
L {H (t)} = (11)
s
and
  s −α
MR α,ξ
L LS D0+ H (t) = . (12)
s+ξ
Making use of the Laplace transform of the GFODO within the Miller–Ross kernel in the sense of the
Liouville–Sonine type, Eq. (10) is represented as:
σ0 1 σ 0
ε(s) = + · s α−1 + ξ s α−2 . (13)
E s η
Rheological analysis of the general fractional-order viscoelastic model 3145

Fig. 3 The creep compliance M J (t) of the general fractional-order Maxwell model

Fig. 4 Comparison between fractional and integer-order Maxwell model

The analytical solution of Eq. (10) can be obtained by the inverse Laplace transform of Eq. (13) as follows:

σ0 σ0 t −α ξ σ0 t 1−α
ε(t) = + · + · . (14)
E η (1 − α) η (2 − α)

Therefore, as shown in Fig. 3, the creep compliance M J (t) of the general fractional-order Maxwell model
involving the Miller–Ross kernel is given as follows:

ε(t) 1 t −α ξ t 1−α
M
J (t) = = + + · . (15)
σ0 E η(1 − α) η (2 − α)
The comparison of the general fractional-order Maxwell model involving the Miller–Ross kernel and the
classical integer-order Maxwell model is presented in Fig. 4.

3.2 The general fractional-order Kelvin–Voigt model involving the Miller–Ross kernel

The creep process is better described by the Kelvin–Voigt unit depicted in Fig. 5, in which the spring and
LSMR dashpot are in parallel [25].
3146 Y.-Y. Feng et al.

Fig. 5 The general fractional-order Kelvin–Voigt model involving the Miller–Ross kernel

Fig. 6 The creep compliance K V J (t) of the general fractional Kelvin–Voigt model

The constitutive equation of the general fractional-order Kelvin–Voigt model involving the Miller–Ross
kernel is given as follows:

MR α,ξ E σ (t)
LS D0+ ε(t) + ε(t) = , (16)
η η
with the initial condition σ (t) = σ0 H (t).
Following the same steps in the deduction of the general fractional-order Maxwell model involving the
Miller–Ross kernel, as shown in Fig. 6, the creep compliance K V J (t) of the general fractional-order Kelvin–
Voigt model involving the Miller–Ross kernel is presented as follows:
∞ ∞
1  η n  (n)k (−ξ t)k
KV
J (t) = − · t nα · · , (17)
E E (1 + k + nα) (k + 1)
n=0 k=0

where the Pochhammer symbol is [32]:

(ϕ + β)
(ϕ)β = ϕ(ϕ + 1)(ϕ + 2) · · · (ϕ + β + 1) = . (18)
(ϕ)
The comparison of the general fractional-order Kelvin–Voigt model involving the Miller–Ross kernel and
the classical integer-order Kelvin–Voigt model is presented in Fig. 7. The general fractional-order Kelvin–Voigt
model exhibits a very different behavior of the classical Kelvin–Voigt model and it can describe the whole
creep process.

4 Conclusion

The general fractional-order viscoelastic constitutive models involving the Miller–Ross kernel in the sense
of the Liouville–Sonine type were presented in this paper. The generalized model was started from the main
Rheological analysis of the general fractional-order viscoelastic model 3147

Fig. 7 Comparison between fractional and integer-order Kelvin–Voigt model

assumption that the fractional-order operator has hereditary effects, a exhibiting the history of stress and creep
compliance. A comparative analysis was made and it was shown that the Kelvin–Voigt model connect the
spring and LSMR dashpot in parallel has proven fruitful to describe the whole creep stage, i.e., the attenuation
creep stage, steady-state creep stage and accelerated creep stage, while the classical integer-order model has
limitations in describing the accelerated creep stage.

Acknowledgements This work was supported by the Yue-Qi Scholar of the China University of Mining and Technology (Grant
No. 102504180004).

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