A new finite element method for strain gradient theories and applications to fracture analyses

A new compatible finite element method for strain gradient theories is presented. In the new finite element method, pure displacement derivatives are taken as the fundamental variables. The new numerical method is successfully used to analyze the simple strain gradient problems – the fundamental fracture problems. Through comparing the numerical solutions with the existed exact solutions, the effectiveness of the new finite element method is tested and confirmed. Additionally, an application of the Zienkiewicz–Taylor C1 finite element method to the strain gradient problem is discussed. By using the new finite element method, plane-strain mode I and mode II crack tip fields are calculated based on a constitutive law which is a simple generalization of the conventional J₂ deformation plasticity theory to include strain gradient effects. Three new constitutive parameters enter to characterize the scale over which strain gradient effects become important. During the analysis the general compressible version of Fleck–Hutchinson strain gradient plasticity is adopted. Crack tip solutions, the traction distributions along the plane ahead of the crack tip are calculated. The solutions display the considerable elevation of traction within the zone near the crack tip.     

On conservative finite element formulations of the inviscid Boussinesq equations

The finite element discretization of the inviscid Boussinesq equations is studied with particular emphasis on the conservation properties of the discrete equations. Methods which conserve the total energy, total temperature and total temperature squared, or two of the above mentioned quantities, are presented. The effect of time discretization, and other numerical errors, on the conservation laws is considered. Finally, the theory is supported and illustrated by several numerical experiments.     

基于偶应力理论剪切带问题的弹塑性有限元分析

对于软化材料的剪切带问题,传统弹塑性有限元分析遇到了困难,进入弹塑性阶段,计算结果对网格划分敏感,出现所谓的有限元网格依赖性问题,随着网格的细分,计算常常因不收敛导致失效. 用有限元软件ABAQUS计算了3个例题,证实了传统弹塑性有限元分析软化材料剪切带问题的局限性,同时证实对于无剪切带的厚壁筒问题不会出现上述问题. 进一步引入细观非局部化理论,对非局部理论含有的细观参数\ell进行了深入讨论,并采用可通过C0 -1分片检验的18参偶应力三角形单元,重新计算了3个例题,结果避免了上述问题,说明细观偶应力有限元尤其适用于分析剪切带问题.      

Coupling between experimental measurements and polycrystal finite element calculations for micromechanical study of metallic materials

This paper presents a methodology for multiscale coupling between the morphology and texture of a microstructure as has been characterised experimentally, and the results of mechanical strain field analysis. This methodology is based on a coupling between experimental characterisation of the microstructure, in situ and/or ex situ mechanical tests, local strain field measurements performed at the grain scale, and finite element simulations. First, with orientation imaging microscopy, a map of the microstructure is generated that can be meshed. Then, finite element calculations are carried out on this mesh, using a constitutive law which takes into account the crystallographic orientation of each grain, as has been determined by the orientation imaging itself. These numerical results are then compared to the experimental strain field as obtained by digital image correlation at the scale of the grains.     

Finite element study for conical indentation of elastoplastic micropolar material

Numerous experiments have repetitively shown that the material behavior presents effective size dependent mechanical properties at scales of microns or submicrons. In this paper, the size dependent behavior of micropolar theory under conical indentation is studied for different indentation depths and micropolar material parameters. To illustrate the effectiveness of the micropolar theory in predicting the indentation size effect (ISE), an axisymmetric finite element model has been developed for elastoplastic contact analysis of the micropolar materials based on the parametric virtual principle. It is shown that the micropolar parameters contribute to describe the characteristic of ISE at different scales, where the material length scale regulates the rate of hardness change at large indentation depth and the value of micropolar shear module restrains the upper limit of hardness at low indentation depth. The simulation results showed that the indentation loads increase as the result of increased material length scale at any indentation depth, however, the rate of increase is higher for lower indentation depth, relative to conventional continuum. The numerical results are presented for perfectly sharp and rounded tip conical indentations of magnesium oxide and compared with the experimental data for hardness coming from the open literature. It is shown that the satisfactory agreement between the experimental data and the numerical results is obtained, and the better correlation is achieved for the rounded tip indentation compared to the sharp indentation.     

A finite deformation theory of strain gradient plasticity

Plastic deformation exhibits strong size dependence at the micron scale, as observed in micro-torsion, bending, and indentation experiments. Classical plasticity theories, which possess no internal material lengths, cannot explain this size dependence. Based on dislocation mechanics, strain gradient plasticity theories have been developed for micron-scale applications. These theories, however, have been limited to infinitesimal deformation, even though the micro-scale experiments involve rather large strains and rotations. In this paper, we propose a finite deformation theory of strain gradient plasticity. The kinematics relations (including strain gradients), equilibrium equations, and constitutive laws are expressed in the reference configuration. The finite deformation strain gradient theory is used to model micro-indentation with results agreeing very well with the experimental data. We show that the finite deformation effect is not very significant for modeling micro-indentation experiments.     

On the transverse compression response of Kevlar KM2 using fiber-level finite element model

Flexible textile composites like woven Kevlar fabrics are widely used in high velocity impact (HVI) applications. Upon HVI they are subjected to both longitudinal tensile and transverse compressive loads. To understand the role of transverse properties, the single fiber and tow transverse compression response (SFTCR and TTCR) of Kevlar KM2 fibers are numerically analyzed using plane strain finite element (FE) models. A finite strain formulation with a minimum number of 84 finite elements is determined to be required for the fiber cross section to capture the finite strain SFTCR through a mesh convergence study. Comparison of converged numerical solution to the experimental results indicates the dominant role of geometric stiffening at finite strains due to growth in contact width. The TTCR is studied using a fiber length scale FE model of a single tow comprised of 400 fibers transversely loaded between rigid platens. This study along with micrographs of yarn after mechanical compaction illustrates fiber spreading and fiber–fiber contact friction interactions are important deformation mechanisms at finite strains. The TTCR is also studied using homogenized yarn level models with properties from the literature. Comparison of TTCR between fiber length scale and homogenized yarn length scale models indicate the need for a nonlinear material model for homogenized approaches to accurately predict the transverse compression response of the fabrics.     

Finite deformation plate theory and large rigid-body motions

A refined non-linear first-order theory of multilayered anisotropic plates undergoing finite deformations is elaborated. The effects of the transverse shear and transverse normal strains, and laminated anisotropic material response are included. On the basis of this theory, a simple and efficient finite element model in conjunction with the total Lagrangian formulation and Newton-Raphson method is developed. The precise representation of large rigid-body motions in the displacement patterns of the proposed plate elements is also considered. This consideration requires the development of the strain-displacement equations of the finite deformation plate theory with regard to their consistency with the arbitrarily large rigid-body motions. The fundamental unknowns consist of six displacements and 11 strains of the face planes of the plate, and 11 stress resultants. The element characteristic arrays are obtained by using the Hu-Washizu mixed variational principle. To demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of this formulation and compare its performance with other non-linear finite element models reported in the literature, extensive numerical studies are presented.     

A nonlinear,transient finite element method for coupled solvent diffusion and large deformation of hydrogels

Hydrogels are capable of coupled mass transport and large deformation in response to external stimuli. In this paper, a nonlinear, transient finite element formulation is presented for initial boundary value problems associated with swelling and deformation of hydrogels, based on a nonlinear continuum theory that is consistent with classical theory of linear poroelasticity. A mixed finite element method is implemented with implicit time integration. The incompressible or nearly incompressible behavior at the initial stage imposes a constraint to the finite element discretization in order to satisfy the Ladyzhenskaya–Babuska–Brezzi (LBB) condition for stability of the mixed method, similar to linear poroelasticity as well as incompressible elasticity and Stokes flow; failure to choose an appropriate discretization would result in locking and numerical oscillations in transient analysis. To demonstrate the numerical method, two problems of practical interests are considered: constrained swelling and flat-punch indentation of hydrogel layers. Constrained swelling may lead to instantaneous surface instability for a soft hydrogel in a good solvent, which can be regulated by assuming a stiff surface layer. Indentation relaxation of hydrogels is simulated beyond the linear regime under plane strain conditions, in comparison with two elastic limits for the instantaneous and equilibrium states. The effects of Poisson’s ratio and loading rate are discussed. It is concluded that the present finite element method is robust and can be extended to study other transient phenomena in hydrogels.     

分数阶导数粘弹性模型的有限元法

在分析分数阶导数三元件模型理论的基础上,把分数阶导数三元件模型引入有限元模型中,推导出具有分数阶导数三元件本构关系的粘弹性结构动力学有限元格式。同时,应用分数阶导数型粘弹性结构动力学方程的数值算法求解了该有限元格式的数值解。并以二维沥青路面结构为例进行了路面动态粘弹性响应分析。算例分析表明,该方法能够正确有效地进行路面动态粘弹性分析。     

塑性应变与塑性应变率意义下的滑坡判据研究

本文在目前滑坡研究中滑坡判据没有统一标准的前提下, 提出了小变形条件下的统一滑坡判据, 并讨论了在数值模拟时不同方法的精度问题及应力间断线上重要的一些性质。对有限变形时塑性应变或塑性应变率作为滑坡判据的可能性作了进一步的分析。最后, 指出了目前滑坡研究中存在的最大缺陷及解决方法。     

The dynamic response of an incompressible non-linearly elastic membrane tube subjected to a dynamic extension

The dynamic response of an isotropic hyperelastic membrane tube, subjected to a dynamic extension at its one end, is studied. In the first part of the paper, an asymptotic expansion technique is used to derive a non-linear membrane theory for finite axially symmetric dynamic deformations of incompressible non-linearly elastic circular cylindrical tubes by starting from the three-dimensional elasticity theory. The equations governing dynamic axially symmetric deformations of the membrane tube are obtained for an arbitrary form of the strain-energy function. In the second part of the paper, finite amplitude wave propagation in an incompressible hyperelastic membrane tube is considered when one end is fixed and the other is subjected to a suddenly applied dynamic extension. A Godunov-type finite volume method is used to solve numerically the corresponding problem. Numerical results are given for the Mooney-Rivlin incompressible material. The question how the present numerical results are related to those obtained in the literature is discussed.     

Post-necking behaviour modelled by a gradient dependent plasticity theory

The delay of the onset of localization and the post-necking behaviour for stretched thin sheets are determined by three-dimensional effects. Thus, a 2-D finite element analysis based on a local plasticity theory will give a physically unrealistic mesh dependent solution. This, in spite of the fact that the stress state, is essentially two-dimensional. By incorporating a length scale with relation to the thickness of the sheet, it is demonstrated how a 2-D finite element analysis based on a gradient dependent plasticity theory can give a good approximation of the post-necking behaviour. This is illustrated by numerical comparison of results from a full 3-D finite element analysis, with results from a 2-D finite element model based on a finite strain version of a gradient dependent J₂-flow theory. Some numerical problems in the modeling will be discussed briefly.     

A micromorphic model for the multiple scale failure of heterogeneous materials

The multi-scale micromorphic theory developed in our previous paper [Vernerey, F.J., Liu, W.K., Moran, B., 2007. Multi-scale micromorphic theory for hierarchical materials. J. Mech. Phys. Solids, doi:10.1016/j.jmps.2007.04.008] is used to predict the failure of heterogeneous materials illustrated by a high strength steel alloy possessing two populations of hard particles distributed at two distinct length scales in an alloy matrix. To account for the effect and size of microstructural features during fracture, additional kinematic variables are added, giving rise to the couple stresses associated with each population of particles. The various stress and strain measures must satisfy a set of coupled multi-scale governing equations derived from the principle of virtual power. A three-scale constitutive model is then developed to represent the failure of the alloy from nucleation, growth and coalescence of voids from each population of particles. For this, three distinct yield functions, each corresponding to a different scale, are introduced. Cell model simulations using finite elements are performed to determine the constitutive relations based on the key microstructural features. Two-dimensional failure analyses are then presented in tension and in shear, and show good agreement with direct numerical simulation of the microstructure.     

A kinetic theory solution method for the Navier–Stokes equations

The kinetic-theory-based solution methods for the Euler equations proposed by Pullin and Reitz are here extended to provide new finite volume numerical methods for the solution of the unsteady Navier–Stokes equations. Two approaches have been taken. In the first, the equilibrium interface method (EIM), the forward- and backward-flowing molecular fluxes between two cells are assumed to come into kinetic equilibrium at the interface between the cells. Once the resulting equilibrium states at all cell interfaces are known, the evaluation of the Navier–Stokes fluxes is straightforward. In the second method, standard kinetic theory is used to evaluate the artificial dissipation terms which appear in Pullin's Euler solver. These terms are subtracted from the fluxes and the Navier–Stokes dissipative fluxes are added in. The new methods have been tested in a 1D steady flow to yield a solution for the interior structure of a shock wave and in a 2D unsteady boundary layer flow. The 1D solutions are shown to be remarkably accurate for cell sizes large compared to the length scale of the gradients in the flow and to converge to the exact solutions as the cell size is decreased. The steady-state solutions obtained with EIM agree with those of other methods, yet require a considerably reduced computational effort.     

Multiscale modeling and simulation of single-crystal MgO through an atomistic field theory

The present work is concerned with the application of an atomistic-continuum field theory (AFT) in modeling and simulation of crystalline materials. Atomistic formulation of the field theory and its finite element implementation are introduced. Single-crystal MgO under mechanical loading is modeled and simulated. With a coarse mesh, the field theory is shown to be able to simulate dynamic and nonlinear behavior of multi-atom crystalline materials without the need of additional numerical treatments. Reducing the finite element mesh to the atomic scale, i.e., the finite element size is equal to the size of the primitive unit cell, atomic-scale critical phenomena, including dislocations nucleation and motion, have been successfully reproduced.     

Incompatible numerical manifold method for fracture problems

The incompatible numerical manifold method （INMM） is based on the finite cover approximation theory, which provides a unified framework for problems dealing with continuum and discontinuities. The incompatible numerical manifold method employs two cover systems as follows. The mathematical cover system provides the nodes for forming finite covers of the solution domain and the weighted functions, and the physical cover system describes geometry of the domain and the discontinuous surfaces therein. In INMM, the mathematical finite cover approximation theory is used to model cracks that lead to interior discontinuities in the process of displacement. Therefore, the discontinuity is treated mathematically instead of empirically by the existing methods. However, one cover of a node is divided into two irregular sub-covers when the INMM is used to model the discontinuity. As a result, the method sometimes causes numerical errors at the tip of a crack. To improve the precision of the INMM, the analytical solution is used at the tip of a crack, and thus the cover displacement functions are extended with higher precision and computational efficiency. Some numerical examples are given.     

Dynamics of finite element structural models with multiple unilateral constraints

Fast and accurate simulation of mechanical structures with complex geometry requires application of the finite element method. This leads frequently to models with a relatively large number of degrees of freedom, which may also possess non-linear properties. Things become more complicated for systems involving unilateral contact and friction. In classical structural dynamics approaches, such constraints are usually modeled by special contact elements. The characteristics of these elements must be selected in a delicate way, but even so the success of these methods cannot be guaranteed. This study presents a numerical methodology, which is suitable for determining dynamic response of large scale finite element models of mechanical systems with multiple unilateral constraints. The method developed is based on a proper combination of results from two classes of direct integration methodologies. The first one includes standard methods employed in determining dynamic response of structural models possessing smooth non-linearities. The second class of methods includes specialized methodologies that simulate the response of dynamical systems with unilateral constraints. The validity and effectiveness of the methodology developed is illustrated by numerical results.     

矩形薄板分析的大位移几何非线性有限元线法

本文建立了分析矩形薄板的大位移几何非线性有限元法理论，导出了相应的大位移非线性计算公式，并解决了板组结构中板元相连处位移连续性和互约束协调性问题。算例结果比较表明，本文方法可靠、精度高。     

平面Cosserat模型有限元分析的4和8节点单元与分片试验研究

经典连续体理论不包括物质内部尺度,当考虑应变软化问题时,有限元结果对网格具有很强的依赖性。与经典连续介质力学理论不同,Cosserat连续体模型在传统平动自由度的基础上添加了一独立的旋转自由度,在本构模型中引入了内尺度参数。本文研究了基于Cosserat理论的平面4和8节点等参元以及8（4）节点线、角位移混合插值等参单元,给出Cosserat单元分片试验的实施过程。最后将单元运用到小孔应力集中问题的分析当中,通过计算结果与理论解的比较,表明了4和8节点以及8（4）节点等参元的适用性,为问题的非线性分析打下基础。