A discrete-fibers model for bridged cracks and reinforced elliptical voids

A model of crack bridging and reinforced elliptical voids is proposed, in which the fibers joining the surfaces of the void or crack are modelled as discrete, linear elastic bars. We show that a theory recently developed by us to analyze structural interfaces permits analytical attack and solution of multiple important previously unsolved problems of stress concentration and fracture. In particular, an analytical solution is provided for a reinforced elliptical void, which, by superposition, allows treatment of arbitrary fiber distributions, which can be even randomly distributed and oriented. In the special case of small or null ratio between a void's axes, new stress intensity factor expressions are obtained, which account for fibers’ inclination and geometry.     

Cohesive zone laws for fatigue crack growth: Numerical field projection of the micromechanical damage process in an elasto-plastic medium

Cohesive zone failure models are widely used to simulate fatigue crack propagation under cyclic loading, but the model parameters are phenomenological and are not closely tied to the underlying micromechanics of the problem. In this paper, we will inversely extract the cohesive zone laws for fatigue crack growth in an elasto-plastic ductile solid using a field projection method (FPM), which projects the equivalent tractions and separations at the cohesive crack-tip from field information outside the process zone. In our small-scale yielding model, a single row of discrete voids is deployed directly ahead of a crack in an elasto-plastic medium subjected to cyclic mode I K-field loading. Damage accumulation under cyclic loading is captured by the growth of voids within the micro-voiding zone ahead of the crack, while the evolution of the cohesive zone law representing the micro-voiding zone is inversely extracted via the FPM. We show that the field-projected cohesive zone law captures the essential micromechanisms of fatigue crack growth in the ductile medium: from loading and unloading hysteresis caused by void growth and plastic hardening, to the softening damage locus associated with crack propagation via a void by void growth mechanism. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the FPM in obtaining a micromechanics-based cohesive zone law in-place of phenomenological models, which opens the way for a unified treatment of fatigue crack problems.     

Phenomenological and numerical modelling of short fibre reinforced cementitious composites

In this paper, a constitutive model for short fibre reinforced cementitious composites will be presented. This model is based on the St. Venant–Kirchhoff model, which is a special case of a hyperelastic material. This model is refined to include the fibre orientation distribution. Numerical FEM simulations with the developed constitutive model and fracture simulations using the discrete element method are presented. The outcomes of these numerical methods demonstrate how important it is to monitor and further to control the fibre orientation distribution during the manufacturing process. As the manufacturing process might involve casting, as, e.g., in the case of steel fibre reinforced concrete, an outlook on simulations of the manufacturing process in order to predict and to control the fibre orientation distribution is given.     

含液颗粒材料液固耦合分析的离散颗粒模型及特征线SPH法

对含液颗粒材料流固耦合分析建议了一个基于离散颗粒模型与特征线SPH法的显式拉格朗日-欧拉无网格方案。在已有的用以模拟固体颗粒集合体的离散颗粒模型[1]基础上,将颗粒间间隙内的流体模型化为连续介质,对其提出并推导了基于特征线的SPH法。数值例题显示了所建议方案在模拟颗粒材料与间隙流相互作用的能力和性能以及间隙流体对颗粒结构承载能力及变形的影响。     

Approximation and Calibration of Nonlinear Structural Dynamics

In this paper, a methodology for the calibration of nonlinear structural dynamic models is presented. Calibration of nonlinear structural dynamics offers several additional challenges beyond that of linear dynamics. Even with advanced computational power, exact nonlinear finite element simulations often take several hours to complete on engineering workstations. Thus, the proposed model calibration method utilizes an approximate structural model. This approximate analysis is embedded in the outer loop, which utilizes an exact finite element analysis to verify the validity of the approximate model. If the approximate model is shown to be invalid at that point in parameter space, then the new exact analysis is used to develop an improved approximate model and the inner loop is executed again. Specifically, this paper will focus on the two key aspects of the inner loop, namely the development of an approximate model, and the parameter identification using the approximate model.     

A self-optimizing inverse analysis method for estimation of cyclic elasto-plasticity model parameters

In this paper, a novel inverse analysis methodology call a Self-Optimizing Inverse Method (Self-OPTIM) has been presented, which inversely estimates cyclic elasto-plastic constitutive model parameters using global forces and displacement on the same partial boundaries and full-(or partial-) field displacement data. A novelty of the methodology is that it automatically self-estimates material parameters by updating “full-field” reference stresses and strains through two parallel nonlinear finite element simulations. Although a well-known classical cyclic plasticity model is chosen in this paper, it must be emphasized that the proposed Self-OPTIM method is a model-independent method, which means that any advanced model can be naturally integrated with the proposed methodology. Thus, using numerically generated test data of low-carbon steel specimens (AISI 1010), the proposed Self-OPTIM method has been verified showing its successful performance to estimate nonlinear isotropic and kinematic hardening parameters, yield stress, Young’s modulus and Poisson ratio. The effects of experimental noises from CCD camera and measurement errors of the boundary forces are also investigated for the Self-OPTIM method.     

Strong discontinuities and continuum plasticity models: the strong discontinuity approach

The paper presents the Strong Discontinuity Approach for the analysis and simulation of strong discontinuities in solids using continuum plasticity models. Kinematics of weak and strong discontinuities are discussed, and a regularized kinematic state of discontinuity is proposed as a mean to model the formation of a strong discontinuity as the collapsed state of a weak discontinuity (with a characteristic bandwidth) induced by a bifurcation of the stress–strain field, which propagates in the solid domain. The analysis of the conditions to induce the bifurcation provides a critical value for the bandwidth at the onset of the weak discontinuity and the direction of propagation. Then a variable bandwidth model is proposed to characterize the transition between the weak and strong discontinuity regimes. Several aspects related to the continuum and, their associated, discrete constitutive equations, the expended power in the formation of the discontinuity and relevant computational details related to the finite element simulations are also discussed. Finally, some representative numerical simulations are shown to illustrate the proposed approach.     

Numerical and experimental structural analysis of trabecular architectures

This paper presents the application of the Cell Method (CM) to the static analysis of 3D structures obtained from micro-computed tomography reconstructions of trabecular bone. The CM is a recently introduced numerical method, based on a direct discrete formulation of equilibrium equations, which is particularly promising for the analysis of complex structures. In fact, due to the direct discrete approach employed, no restriction is imposed by differentiability conditions and the characteristic length of the elementary cell of the discretization can be of the same order of magnitude as the heterogeneities of the structure. The same 3D microstructures used for the numerical simulations were reproduced by means of a rapid prototyping process, by selective laser sintering of polyamide powder. The compression elastic modulus of the replicas was experimentally determined and used as parameter for comparison with the simulations results. The experimental values are in good agreement with the numerical ones, thus validating the methodology employed.     

Boundary integral equations for 2D elasticity and its application in discrete dislocation simulation in finite body: 2. Numerical implementation

In the previous paper by Yu and Diab (2013), several sets of boundary integral equations are derived for general anisotropic materials and corresponding equations for materials with different classes of symmetry are deduced. The work presented herein implements two sets of boundary element schemes to numerically solve the stress field. The integration on the element that has the singular point of the kernel is bounded and can be evaluated analytically. Four benchmark elastic problems are solved numerically to show the advantage of the two schemes over the conventional boundary element formulation in eliminating the boundary layer effect. The one with the weaker singularity has better convergence and gives more accurate results. The presented formulation also provides a direct approach to solve for stress field in a finite solid body in the presence of dislocations. Combined with discrete dislocations dynamics, boundary value problems with dislocations in finite bodies can be solved. Two examples, bending of a single crystal beam and pure shearing of a polycrystalline solid, are simulated by discrete dislocation dynamics using the scheme that has the weaker singularity. The comparisons with the published results using the well-established superposition technique validate the proposed formulation and show its quick convergence.     

Structural interfaces in linear elasticity. Part II: Effective properties and neutrality

The model of structural interfaces developed in Part I of this paper allows us to analytically attack and solve different problems of stress concentration and composites. In particular, (i) new formulae are given for effective properties of composite materials containing dilute suspensions of (randomly oriented) reinforced elliptical voids or inclusions; (ii) a new definition is proposed for inclusion neutrality (to account for the fact that the matrix is always ‘overstressed’, and thus non-neutral in a classical sense, at the contacts with the interfacial structure), which is shown to provide interesting stress optimality conditions. More generally, it is shown that the incorporation of an interfacial structure at the contact between two elastic solids exhibits properties that cannot be obtained using the more conventional approach of the zero-thickness, linear interface. For instance: contrary to the zero-thickness interface, both bulk and shear effective moduli can be optimized for a structural interface; effective properties higher that those possible with a perfect interface can be attained with a structural interface; and neutrality holds with a structural interface for a substantially broader range of parameters than for a zero-thickness interface.     

Size effects due to secondary voids during ductile crack propagation

In the present study the size-effect due to a secondary void population during ductile fracture is investigated. Discrete primary voids are resolved in the process zone at the crack tip. A non-local GTN model is employed to describe the evolution of the secondary voids in the intervoid ligaments. The non-local GTN model contains an intrinsic length scale related to the size of the secondary voids. Hence, the ratio of the size of the primary and that of the secondary voids can be varied. The results show that small secondary voids can toughen the material. Such a behavior is in contrast to the prediction of cell model simulations. A theoretical reasoning of this effect and conclusions are given.     

Direct Numerical Simulation of particulate flow with heat transfer

Numerical simulations of heat transfer in non-isothermal particulate flows are important to better understand the flow pattern. The complexity of numerical algorithms coupling the heat and mass transfer and the considerable computational resources required limit the number of such direct simulations that can be reasonably performed. We suggest a Distributed Lagrange Multiplier/Fictitious Domain (DLM/FD) method to compute the temperature distribution and the heat exchange between the fluid and solid phases. The Boussinesq approximation is considered for the flow/temperature fields coupling. We employ a Finite Element Method (FEM) to solve the fluid flow conservation equations for mass, momentum and energy. The motion of particles is computed by a Discrete Element Method (DEM). On each particle, heat transfer is solved using a FEM. For each class of particles, we generate a single FEM grid and translate/rotate it at each time step to match the physical configuration of each particle. Distributed Lagrange multipliers for both the velocity and temperature fields are introduced to treat the fluid/solid interaction. This work is an extension of the method we proposed in Yu et al. (2006). Two two-dimensional (2D) test cases are proposed to validate the implementation by comparing our computational results with those reported in the literature. Finally, the sedimentation of a single sphere in a semi-infinite channel is presented and the results are discussed.     

Nonlinear and parametric coupled vibrations of the rotor-shaft system as fault identification symptom using stochastic methods

In the paper several stochastic methods for detection and identification of cracks in the shafts of rotating machines are proposed. All these methods are based on the Monte Carlo simulations of the rotor-shaft lateral-torsional-longitudinal vibrations mutually coupled by transverse cracks of randomly selected depths and locations on the shaft. For this purpose there is applied a structural hybrid model of a real cracked rotor-shaft. This model is characterized by a high practical reliability and great computational efficiency, so important for hundreds of thousands numerical simulations necessary to build databases used in solving the inverse problem, i.e. crack parameter identifications. In order to ensure a good identification accuracy, for creating the Monte Carlo samples of data points there are proposed special probability density functions for locations and depths of the crack. Such an approach helps in enhancing databases corresponding to the most probable faults of the rotor-shaft system of the considered rotor machine. In the presented study six different database sizes are considered to compare identification efficiency and accuracy of considered methods. A sufficiently large database enables us to estimate almost immediately (usually in less than one second) the crack parameters with precision that is in most of the cases acceptable in practice. Then, as a next stage, one of the proposed fast improvement algorithms can be applied to refine identification results in a reasonable time. The proposed methods seem to provide very convenient diagnostic tools for industrial applications.     

Comparison of the standard Euler-Euler and hybrid Euler-Lagrange approaches for modeling particle transport in a pilot-scale circulating fluidized bed

Particle transport phenomena in small-scale circulating fiuidized beds （CFB） can be simulated using the Euler-Euler, discrete element method, and Euler-Lagrange approaches. In this work, a hybrid Euler-Lagrange model known as the dense discrete phase model （DDPM）, which has common roots with the multiphase particle-in-cell model, was applied in simulating particle transport within a mid-sized experimental CFB facility. Implementation of the DDPM into the commercial ANSYS Fluent CFD package is relatively young in comparison with the granular Eulerian model. For that reason, validation of the DDPM approach against experimental data is still required and is addressed in this paper. Additional difficulties encountered in modeling fluidization processes are connected with long calculation times. To reduce times, the complete boiler models are simplified to include just the combustion chamber. Such simplifications introduce errors in the predicted solid distribution in the boiler. To investigate the conse- quences of model reduction, simulations were made using the simplified and complete pilot geometries and compared with experimental data. All simulations were performed using the ANSYSFLUENT 14.0 package. A set of user defined functions were used in the hybrid DDPM and Euler-Euler approaches to recirculate solid particles.     

EVOLUTION OF VOIDS IN DUCTILE POROUS MATERIALS AT HIGH STRAIN RATE

In the present work,a dynamic damage model in ductile materials underthe application of dynamic general stresses loading is presented.The evolution equationof ductile voids has the closed form,in which work-hardening,the change of surfaceenergy of voids,rate-dependent,inertial effects are taken into account.Theexpressions of critical stresses for the growth and compaction of voids are directlyobtained from the evolution equations of voids.From the expressions,the resultobtained by Carroll and Holt,as a special example,is given.Numerical analysis ofthe model indicates that the growth of voids is sensitive to the strain rates.The voidsgrow quickly as the increase of strain rates.It is also shown that the influence of theinertial effects on the void growth is great at high loading rates.It appears to resist thegrowth of voids.In addition,a dynamic collapse model of ductile voids is alsoproposed,which can be applied to study the problems of compaction in powder andother materials.     

Elastic–plastic ductile damage model based on strain-rate plastic potential

Modeling of ductile damage is generally done using analytical potentials, which are expressed in the stress space. In this paper, for the first time it is shown that strain-rate potentials which are exact conjugate of the stress-based potentials can be instead used to model the dilatational response of porous polycrystals. A new integration algorithm is also developed. It is to be noted that a strain-rate based formulation is most appropriate when the plastic flow of the matrix is described by a criterion that involves dependence on all stress invariants. In such cases, although a strain-rate potential is known, the stress-based potential cannot be obtained explicitly. While the proposed framework based on strain-rate potentials is general, for comparison purposes in this work we present an illustration of the approach for the case of a porous solid with von Mises matrix containing randomly distributed spherical cavities. Comparison between simulations using the strain-rate based approach and the classical stress-based Gurson's criterion in uniaxial tension is presented. These results show that the model based on a strain-rate potential predicts the dilatational response with the same level of accuracy.     

Dynamic coupling of fluid and structural mechanics for simulating particle motion and interaction in high speed compressible gas particle laden flow

In this work, structural finite element analyses of particles moving and interacting within high speed compressible flow are directly coupled to computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer analyses to provide more detailed and improved simulations of particle laden flow under these operating conditions. For a given solid material model, stresses and displacements throughout the solid body are determined with the particle–particle contact following an element to element local spring force model and local fluid induced forces directly calculated from the finite volume flow solution. Plasticity and particle deformation common in such a flow regime can be incorporated in a more rigorous manner than typical discrete element models where structural conditions are not directly modeled. Using the developed techniques, simulations of normal collisions between two 1 mm radius particles with initial particle velocities of 50–150 m/s are conducted with different levels of pressure driven gas flow moving normal to the initial particle motion for elastic and elastic–plastic with strain hardening based solid material models. In this manner, the relationships between the collision velocity, the material behavior models, and the fluid flow and the particle motion and deformation can be investigated. The elastic–plastic material behavior results in post collision velocities 16–50% of their pre-collision values while the elastic-based particle collisions nearly regained their initial velocity upon rebound. The elastic–plastic material models produce contact forces less than half of those for elastic collisions, longer contact times, and greater particle deformation. Fluid flow forces affect the particle motion even at high collision speeds regardless of the solid material behavior model. With the elastic models, the collision force varied little with the strength of the gas flow driver. For the elastic–plastic models, the larger particle deformation and the resulting increasingly asymmetric loading lead to growing differences in the collision force magnitudes and directions as the gas flow strength increased. The coupled finite volume flow and finite element structural analyses provide a capability to capture the interdependencies between the interaction of the particles, the particle deformation, the fluid flow and the particle motion.     

Continuum modeling of a porous solid with pressure-sensitive dilatant matrix

The pressure-sensitive plastic response of a material has been studied in terms of the intrinsic sensitivity of its yield stress to pressure and the presence and growth of cavities. This work focuses on the interplay between these two distinctly different mechanisms and the attendant material behavior. To this end, a constitutive model is proposed taking both mechanisms into account. Using Gurson's homogenization, an upper bound model is developed for a voided solid with a plastically dilatant matrix material. This model is built around a three-parameter axisymmetric velocity field for a unit sphere containing a spherical void. The void is also subjected to internal pressure; this can be relevant for polymeric adhesives permeated by moisture that vaporizes at elevated temperatures. The plastic response of the matrix material is described by Drucker–Prager's yield criterion and an associated flow rule. The resulting yield surface and porosity evolution law of the homogenized constitutive model are presented in parametric form. Using the solutions to special cases as building blocks, approximate models with explicit forms are proposed. The parametric form and an approximate explicit form are compared against full-field solutions obtained from finite element analysis. They are also studied for loading under generalized tension conditions. These computational simulations shed light on the interplay between the two mechanisms and its enhanced effect on yield strength and plastic flow. Among other things, the tensile yield strength of the porous solid is greatly reduced by the internal void pressure, particularly when a liquid/vapor phase is the source of the internal pressure.     

高应变率下延性多孔介质中孔洞的动态演化

本文提出了一个新的材料延性动态损伤模型，模型中不但包括了率效应，同时还考虑了惯性效应，孔洞表面能变化和材料硬化对孔洞演化的影响。此外，在模型中同时考虑了体应力和偏应力对孔洞演化的作用，从孔洞演化方程地接到了孔洞增长和压缩应力临界表达式，Ｃａｒｒｏｌｌ和Ｈｏｌｔ结果作为该表达式的一个特例而得出，模型的数值分析得出以下结论：①延性孔洞的动太增长对率效应十分敏感，应变率越高，孔洞增长越快；②惯性效应在主     

A New Application of the Differential Quadrature Element-Incremental Method in Moving-Boundary Problems

Upper bounds on the permeability of random porous media are presented, which improve significantly on existing bounds. The derived bounds rely on a variational formulation of the upscaling problem from a viscous flow at the pore scale, described by Stokes equation, to a Darcy formulation at the macroscopic scale. A systematic strategy to derive upper bounds based on trial force fields is proposed. Earlier results based on uniform void or interface force fields are presented within this unified framework, together with a new proposal of surface force field and a combination of them. The obtained bounds feature detailed statistical information on the pore morphology, including two- and three-point correlation functions of the pore phase, the solid–fluid interface and its local orientation. The required spatial correlation functions are explicitly derived for the Boolean model of spheres, in which the solid phase is modelled as the union of penetrable spheres. Existing and new bounds are evaluated for this model and compared to full-field simulations on representative volume elements. For the first time, bounds allow to retrieve the correct order of magnitude of permeability for a wide range of porosity and even improve on some estimates. However, none of the bounds reproduces the non-analytic behaviour of the permeability–porosity curve at low solid concentration.