Homogenization of fibre composites using X-FEM

A successful material design process for novel textile reinforced composites requires an integrated simulation of the material behaviour and the estimation of the effective properties used in a macroscopic structural analysis. In this context the Extended Finite Element Method (X-FEM) is used to model the behavior of materials that show a complex structure on the mesoscale efficiently. A homogenization technique is applied to compute effective macroscopic stiffness parameters. This contribution gives an outline of the implementation of the X-FEM for complex multi-material structures. A modelling procedure is presented that allows for the automated generation of an extended finite element model for a specific representative volume element. Furthermore, the problem of branching material interfaces arising from complex textile reinforcement architectures in combination with high fibre volume fractions will be addressed and an appropriate solution is proposed. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the simulation of textile reinforced concrete using a multi scale approach

Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) is a composite of textile structures made of multi-filament yarns (rovings) within a cementitious matrix. Experimental investigations of textile reinforced concrete specimen show very complex failure mechanisms on different length scales. Therefore mechanical models on the micro, meso and macro scale are introduced. The paper presents a hierarchical material model of TRC on three scales. While on the micro scale the individual filaments of the fiber bundles are distinguished to determine an effective roving behavior, models on the meso scale are used to predict the macroscopic response of the composite material. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Computational Homogenization of Micromechanically Resolved Textile Materials

This contribution deals with textile materials. On the macroscopic level textiles are characterized by a large area-to-thickness ratio, such that it is numerically efficient to treat the textile structure as a shell. To capture the contact behavior, fibers within a representative volume element are explicitly modeled by means of one dimensional beam elements on the microscopic level. A suitable, shell-specific homogenization method is developed, which connects the homogeneous shell specific macro level to a fiber structured micro level. This contribution investigates the determination of the nonlinear constitutive behavior of textile materials. Selected examples for the macroscopic behavior of microscopic heterogeneous fiber structured materials are presented. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Textile Drape as Mechanical Phenomenon

The paper copes with the based on the continuum mechanics simulation of the textile drape. A textile surface is treated as linear elastic two‐dimensional Cosserat continuum with independent in plane and out of plane material properties. Bending stiffness and in plane shearing stiffness measured with the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES‐F) are used in the calculations. Other necessary material constants in the model, which are not measurable in a direct way with the KES‐F and which are introduced in the model, are assumed. To solve the equilibrium equations of the system the Finite Element Method (FEM) is used. An implementation of the arc‐length algorithm makes the tracing of the full equilibrium path (pre‐buckling, critical and post‐buckling behaviour) possible. The paper proves that the simulation of the textile drape with the methods of continuum mechanics can be done regarding measured material mechanical properties and carrying out a stability analysis. By now, the stability analysis has not been examined by the FE textile researchers. Therefore neither critical and post‐buckling phenomena nor the ambiguity of the textile behaviour have been described or explained sufficiently.     

Toward a Hybrid-Trefftz element with a hole for elasto-plasticity?

The paper deals with the modelling of riveted assemblies for full-scale complete aircraft crashworthiness. Many comparisons between experiments and FE computations of bird impacts onto aluminium riveted panels have shown that macroscopic plastic strains were not sufficiently developed (and localised) in the riveted shell FE in the impact area. Consequently, FE models never succeed in initialising and propagating the rupture in the sheet metal plates and along rivet rows as shown by experiments, without calibrating the input data (especially the damage and failure properties of the riveted shell FE). To model the assembly correctly, it appears necessary to investigate on FE techniques such as Hybrid-Trefftz finite element method (H-T FEM). Indeed, perforated FE plates developed for elastic problems, based on a Hybrid-Trefftz formulation, have been found in the open literature. Our purpose is to find a way to extend this formulation so that the super-element can be used for crashworthiness. To reach this aim, the main features of an elastic Hybrid-Trefftz plate are presented and are then followed by a discussion on the possible extensions. Finally, the interpolation functions of the element are evaluated numerically.     

Theoretical study and numerical simulation of textiles

We propose a new approach for developing continuum models fit to describe the mechanical behavior of textiles. We develop a physically motivated model, based on the properties of the yarns, which can predict and simulate the textile behavior. The approach relies on the selection of a suitable topological model for the patch of the textile, coupled with constitutive models for the yarn behavior. The textile structural configuration is related to the deformation through an energy functional, which depends on both the macroscopic deformation and the distribution of internal nodes. We determine the equilibrium positions of these latter, constrained to an assigned macroscopic deformation. As a result, we derive a macroscopic strain energy function, which reflects the possibly nonlinear character of the yarns as well as the anisotropy induced by the microscopic topological pattern. By means of both analytical estimates and numerical experiments, we show that our model is well suited for both academic test cases and real industrial textiles, with particular emphasis on the tricot textile.     

Modeling of the effective viscoelastic material behavior of textile reinforced composites using a multi-scale approach

The increasing importance of constructive lightweight in modern engineering science involves the use of advanced materials like textile reinforced composites. In order to reduce development costs, efficient numerical simulations are needed to model the macroscopic behavior of the final product. Focussing on long term phenomena, which are important when parts made of composites with rate-dependent material behavior are assembled by bolted or screwed joints, a two-step homogenization procedure is used to obtain an effective homogeneous equivalent material at the macroscopic scale. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Homogenization for contact problems with friction on rough interface

We consider a contact problem between a macroscopic solid with a smooth boundary and a technical textile, while the textile has a periodic microscopic structure and microscopically rough surface. Two–scale homogenization approach is applied to the problem. The microscopic solution is approximated in terms of macroscopic solution and some concentration factor, given as a solution of auxiliary boundary value or contact problems of elasticity on the periodicity cell. Local friction condition is represented as a continuous non–linear functional over the stress field. Two–scale convergence is used to prove the convergence of friction functional. The macroscopic initial frictional limit is found. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Stress continuity in DEM-FEM multiscale coupling based on the generalized bridging domain method

Concurrent multiscale method is a spatial and temporal combination of two different scale models for describing the micro/meso and macro mixed behaviors observed in strain localization, failure and phase transformation processes, etc. Most of the existing coupling schemes use the displacement compatibility conditions to glue different scale models, which leads to displacement continuity and stress discontinuity for the obtained multiscale model. To overcome stress discontinuity, this paper presented a multiscale method based on the generalized bridging domain method for coupling the discrete element (DE) and finite element (FE) models. This coupling scheme adopted displacement and stress mixed compatibility conditions. Displacements that were interpolated from FE nodes were prescribed on the artificial boundary of DE model, while stresses at numerical integration points that were extracted from DE contact forces were applied on the material transition zone of FE model (the coupling domain and the artificial boundary of FE model). In addition, this paper proposed an explicit multiple time-steps integration algorithm and adopted Cundall nonviscous damping for quasi-static problems. DE and FE parameters were calibrated by DE simulations of a biaxial compression test and a deposition process. Numerical examples for a 2D cone penetration test (CPT) show that the proposed multiscale method captures both mesoscopic and macroscopic behaviors such as sand soil particle rearrangement, stress concentration near the cone tip, shear dilation, penetration resistance vibration and particle rotation, etc, during the cone penetration process. The proposed multiscale method is versatile for maintaining stress continuity in coupling different scale models.     

Ductile failure with gradient plasticity coupled to the phase-field fracture at finite strains

Most metals fail in a ductile fashion, i.e, fracture is preceded by significant plastic deformation. The modeling of failure in ductile metals must account for complex phenomena at micro-scale, such as nucleation, growth and coalescence of micro-voids. In this work, we start with von-Mises plasticity model without considering void generation. The modeling of macroscopic cracks can be achieved in a convenient way by the continuum phase field approaches to fracture, which are based on the regularization of sharp crack discontinuities [1]. This avoids the use of complex discretization methods for crack discontinuities and can account for complex crack patterns. The key aspect of this work is the extension of the energetic and the stress-based phase field driving force function in brittle fracture to account for a coupled elasto-plastic response in line with our recent work [3]. We develop a new theoretical and computational framework for the phase field modeling of ductile fracture in elastic-plastic solids. To account for large strains, the constitutive model is constructed in the logarithmic strain space, which simplify the model equations and results in a formulation similar to small strains. We demonstrate the modeling capabilities and algorithmic performance of the proposed formulation by representative simulations of ductile failure mechanisms in metals. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Modeling of microscopic failure in heterogeneous materials

The proper modeling of state-of-the-art engineering materials requires a profound understanding of the nonlinear macroscopic material behavior. Especially for heterogeneous materials the effective macroscopic response is amongst others driven by damage effects and the inelastic material behavior of the individual constituents [1]. Since the macroscopic length scale of such materials is significantly larger than the fine-scale structure, a direct modeling of the local structure in a component model is not convenient. Multiscale techniques can be used to predict the effective material behavior. To this end, the authors developed a modeling technique based on representative volume elements (RVE) to predict the effective material behavior on different length scales. The extended finite element method (XFEM) is used to model discontinuities within the material structure independent of the underlying FE mesh. A dual enrichment strategy allows for the combined modeling of kinks (material interfaces) and jumps (cracks) within the displacement field [2]. The gradual degradation of the interface is thereby controlled by a cohesive zone model. In addition to interface failure, a non-local strain driven continuum damage model has been formulated to efficiently detect localization zones within the material phases. An integral formulation introduces a characteristic length scale and assures the convergence of the approach upon mesh refinement [3]. The proposed method allows for an efficient modeling of substantial failure mechanisms within a heterogeneous structure without the need of remeshing or element substitution. Due to the generality of the approach it can be used on different length scales. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Coupled Problems of Dynamics in Materially Incompressible Saturated Porous Media

The mechanical behavior of saturated porous materials is largely governed by the interaction between the solid skeleton and the pore fluid. This interaction is particularly strong in dynamic problems and leads to numerical challenges especially in the case of incompressible constituents. In fact, the permeability plays a significant role in this coupling and influences the choice of a proper time integration scheme. Proceeding from the macroscopic Theory of Porous Media (TPM) within the isothermal and geometrical linear regime, the governing balance equations of the dynamic binary solid–fluid model are the solid and fluid momentum balances, and the overall volume balance of the biphasic mixture. This set of coupled partial differential equations (PDEs) is solved within the framework of the mixed Finite Element Method (FEM) applying two different time solution methods, viz., a monolithic implicit and a splitted implicit–explicit scheme. The time stepping algorithms are implemented into the FE program PANDAS and a Scilab FE routine and compared on a one–dimensional wave propagation example. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the macroscopic material behaviour of textile reinforced concrete undertensile loading

This paper concerns with the development of the macroscopic material behaviour of textile reinforced concrete (TRC) using an analytical approach. Therefore the heterogeneous structure of TRC is modelled on the mesoscopic level. The overall material behaviour on the macroscopic level is obtained by means of the homogenisation technique. The analytical approach is based on the micro mechanical solution for a single inclusion according to Eshelby . In extension of this solution for multidirectional reinforced concrete an effective field approximation is used. This approach considers the interactions between the different orientated rovings and the micro cracks in an average sense. For the mechanical modelling of the bond behaviour between roving and matrix after initiating of the macro cracking a slip based bond model with a multiple linear shear stress-slip relation is used. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Comparison of dilatant plasticity models in application to rubber-toughened polymers

The overall deformation behavior of rubber-toughened polymers (e.g. PC/ABS blends) exhibits a pronounced plastic dilatancy. As this volume increase results from diverse micromechanisms the appropriate structure of a macroscopic model is not obvious. In this contribution, different material models featuring plastic dilatancy are compared with regard to their ability to capture the deformation behavior of PC/ABS in different loading situations. All models are calibrated to match experimental data under uniaxial tension in terms of true stress-strain curves and the evolution of volume strain. Afterwards they are employed in finite element (FE) simulations of single-edge-notch-tensile (SENT) tests. Patterns of plastic deformation computed from the different material models are compared to experimental findings. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Linking macroscopic deformation processes to microstructure evolution using an FE-FFT-based micro-macro transition and non-conserved phase-fields

The purpose of this work is the multiscale FE-FFT-based prediction of macroscopic material behavior, micromechanical fields and bulk microstructure evolution in polycrystalline materials subjected to macroscopic mechanical loading. The macroscopic boundary value problem (BVP) is solved using implicit finite element (FE) methods. In each macroscopic integration point, the microscopic BVP is embedded, the solution of which is found employing fast Fourier transform (FFT), fixed-point and Green's function methods. The mean material response is determined by the stress-strain relation at the micro scale or rather the volume average of the micromechanical fields. The evolution of the microstructure is modeled by means of non-conserved phase-fields. As an example, the proposed methodology is applied to the modeling of stress-induced martensitic phase transformations in metal alloys. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Modeling dendritic solidification of Al–3%Cu using cellular automaton and phase-field methods

We compared a cellular automaton (CA)–finite element (FE) model and a phase-field (PF)–FE model to simulate equiaxed dendritic growth during the solidification of cubic crystals. The equations of mass and heat transports were solved in the CA–FE model to calculate the temperature field, solute concentration, and the dendritic growth morphology. In the PF–FE model, a PF variable was used to identify solid and liquid phases and another PF variable was considered to determine the evolution of solute concentration. Application to Al–3.0 wt.% Cu alloy illustrates the capability of both CA–FE and PF–FE models in modeling multiple arbitrarily-oriented dendrites in growth of cubic crystals. Simulation results from both models showed quantitatively good agreement with the analytical model developed by Lipton–Glicksman–Kurz (LGK) in the tip growth velocity and the tip equilibrium liquid concentration at a given melt undercooling. The dendrite morphology and computational time obtained from the CA–FE model are compared to those of the PF–FE model and the distinct advantages of both methods are discussed.