A finite deformation second gradient theory of plasticity

Extending the previous work by Chambon et al. [2] to the finite deformation regime, a local second gradient theory of plasticity for isotropic materials with microstructure is developed based on the multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient, the additive decomposition of the second deformation gradient and the principle of maximum dissipation.     

Interaction between an incompressible flow and elastic cantilevers of circular cross-section

The purpose of this work is to study the deformation of elastic cantilevers due to hydrodynamic forces by coupled fluid–structure interaction simulations. The cantilever is placed in a rectangular duct and the Reynolds number based on bulk velocity and cantilever diameter is 400. Reduced velocities in the range π/4 to 2π are studied, which covers both un-synchronised motion and the initial branch of synchronisation. The cantilever surface is represented by a virtual boundary method which replaces a solid object in flow by additional force distribution to satisfy local boundary condition. The flow field is solved using a Cartesian finite difference code and the deformation of the cylinder a finite element approach using one-dimensional beam elements is used.     

Impact of woven fabric: Experiments and mesostructure-based continuum-level simulations

Woven fabric is an increasingly important component of many defense and commercial systems, including deployable structures, restraint systems, numerous forms of protective armor, and a variety of structural applications where it serves as the reinforcement phase of composite materials. With the prevalence of these systems and the desire to explore new applications, a comprehensive, computationally efficient model for the deformation of woven fabrics is needed. However, modeling woven fabrics is difficult due, in particular, to the need to simulate the response both at the scale of the entire fabric and at the meso-level, the scale of the yarns that compose the weave. Here, we present finite elements for the simulation of the three-dimensional, high-rate deformation of woven fabric. We employ a continuum-level modeling technique that, through the use of an appropriate unit cell, captures the evolution of the mesostructure of the fabric without explicitly modeling every yarn. Displacement degrees of freedom and degrees of freedom representing the change in crimp amplitude of each yarn family fully determine the deformed geometry of the mesostructure of the fabric, which in turn provides, through the constitutive relations, the internal nodal forces. In order to verify the accuracy of the elements, instrumented ballistic impact experiments with projectile velocities of 22-550 m/s were conducted on single layers of Kevlar^® fabric. Simulations of the experiments demonstrate that the finite elements are capable of efficiently simulating large, complex structures.     

Numerical simulation of the deformation and breakup of a two-core compound droplet in an axisymmetric T-junction channel

The rheological behaviors of a compound droplet in a confined geometry are of importance in many industrial and natural processes. However, a detailed numerical simulation of the finite deformation and its transition to the breakup of the multi-core compound droplet in an axisymmetric T-junction channel is still lacking. The present study is to fill this gap through the numerical simulations of a two-core compound droplet that deforms and breaks up in this channel configuration. The numerical results are obtained by the axisymmetric front-tracking method. Our new finding is that the compound droplet in the channel can experience the finite deformation or the breakup depending on the flow condition or the configuration of the channel. In the finite deformation mode (i.e. non-breakup mode), the droplet rapidly reaches the maximum deformation before approaching the perpendicular rigid wall. The most deformation occurs with the outer droplet, and the inner droplet closer to the wall is less deformed than the other inner core droplet. In the breakup mode, three breakup patterns are recognized: (i) breakup type I occurring when breaking up only the outer droplet; (ii) breakup type 2 occurring when breaking up only the inner droplets; (iii) breakup type 3 occurring when breaking up both inner and outer droplets. The transition from the non-breakup mode to the breakup mode is available when increasing the Reynolds number Re (from 0.16 to 40.0), the capillary number Ca (from 0.04 to 4.0), the size R_o of the outer droplet and the middle-to-outer fluid viscosity ratio μ₂₁, or decreasing the size R_i of the inner droplets, the radial size C₂ of the channel (normalized by the channel axial size C₁) and the interfacial tension ratio of the inner to the outer droplets. The transition diagrams based on some of these parameters are also proposed to provide a more complete picture of the two-core compound droplet behaving in the axisymmetric T-junction channel..     

An approach for prediction of the elasto-plastic behavior of particulate reinforced composites

A numerical approach is presented in this paper for the calculation of the elasto-plastic deformation behavior of particulate reinforced composites. The effect of shape and arrangement of particulate on the elastic modulus and tensile deformation behavior were estimated. The approach presented can consider the shape and arrangement effect of reinforcement particulate via a simple parameter called the geometrical factor (Gf). Elastic moduli and tensile deformation estimations for the particulate reinforced composites were studied. The results of proposed approach were in very good agreement with the results of finite element analysis.     

On internal dissipation inequalities and finite strain inelastic constitutive laws: Theoretical and numerical comparisons

Internal dissipation always occurs in irreversible inelastic deformation processes of materials. The internal dissipation inequalities (specific mathematical forms of the second law of thermodynamics) determine the evolution direction of inelastic processes. Based on different internal dissipation inequalities several finite strain inelastic constitutive laws have been formulated for instance by Simo [Simo, J.C., 1992. Algorithms for static and dynamic multiplicative plasticity that preserve the classical return mapping schemes of the infinitesimal theory. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 99, 61–112]; Simo and Miehe [Simo, J.C., Miehe, C., 1992. Associative coupled thermoplasticity at finite strains: formulation, numerical analysis and implementation. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 98, 41–104]; Lion [Lion, A., 1997. A physically based method to represent the thermo-mechanical behavior of elastomers. Acta Mechanica 123, 1–25]; Reese and Govindjee [Reese, S., Govindjee, S., 1998. A theory of finite viscoelasticity and numerical aspects. International Journal of Solids and Structures 35, 3455–3482]; Lin and Schomburg [Lin, R.C., Schomburg, U., 2003. A finite elastic–viscoelastic–elastoplastic material law with damage: theoretical and numerical aspects. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 192, 1591–1627]; Lin and Brocks [Lin, R.C., Brocks, W., 2004. On a finite strain viscoplastic theory based on a new internal dissipation inequality. International Journal of Plasticity 20, 1281–1311]; and Lin and Brocks [Lin, R.C., Brocks, W., 2005. An extended Chaboche’s viscoplastic law at finite strains: theoretical and numerical aspects. Journal of Materials Science and Technology 21, 145–147]. These constitutive laws are consistent with the second law of thermodynamics. As the internal dissipation inequalities are described in different configurations or coordinate systems, the related constitutive laws are also formulated in the corresponding configurations or coordinate systems. Mathematically, these constitutive laws have very different formulations. Now, a question is whether the constitutive laws provide identical constitutive responses for the same inelastic constitutive problems. In the present work, four types of finite strain viscoelastic and endochronically plastic laws as well as three types of J₂-plasticity laws are formulated based on four types of dissipation inequalities. Then, they are numerically compared for several problems of homogeneous or complex finite deformations. It is demonstrated that for the same inelastic constitutive problem the stress responses are identical for deformation processes without rotations. In the simple shear deformation process with large rotation, the presented viscoelastic and endochronically plastic laws also show almost identical stress responses up to a shear strain of about 100%. The three laws of J₂-plasticity also produce the same shear stresses up to a shear strain of 100%, while different normal stresses are generated even at infinitesimal shear strains. The three J₂-plasticity laws are also compared at three complex finite deformation processes: billet upsetting, cylinder necking and channel forming. For the first two deformation processes similar constitutive responses are obtained, whereas for the third deformation process (with large global rotations) significant differences of constitutive responses can be observed.     

Finite amplitude,periodic motion of a body supported by arbitrary isotropic,elastic shear mountings

The undamped, finite amplitude, periodic motion of a load supported symmetrically by arbitrary isotropic, elastic shear mountings is investigated. Conditions on the shear response function sufficient to guarantee periodic motions for finite shearing with arbitrary initial data are provided. Some general results applicable for all simple shearing oscillators in the class are derived and illustrated graphically. The mechanical response of the general nonlinear shearing oscillator is compared with the response of a certain linear oscillator of comparable design. As consequence, certain static and dynamic aspects of the motion of an arbitrary nonlinear oscillator supported by shear springs are compared with those of a simple, linear oscillator for which the response is well-known and readily determined for the same initial data. The effect of a finite static shear deformation on the frequency equation for superimposed, small amplitude vibrations of the load is examined. The general analysis is applied to a class of hyperelastic biological tissues; and the frequency relation for finite amplitude oscillations of a load supported by soft tissue is derived. The finite amplitude oscillatory shearing of a general isotropic elastic continuum is described; and three universal relations connecting the stress and the oscillatory shearing deformation for every isotropic elastic material are presented.     

Analysis of material instabilities in inelastic solids by incremental energy minimization and relaxation methods: evolving deformation microstructures in finite plasticity

We propose an approach to the definition and analysis of material instabilities in rate-independent standard dissipative solids at finite strains based on finite-step-sized incremental energy minimization principles. The point of departure is a recently developed constitutive minimization principle for standard dissipative materials that optimizes a generalized incremental work function with respect to the internal variables. In an incremental setting at finite time steps this variational problem defines a quasi-hyperelastic stress potential. The existence of this potential allows to be recast a typical incremental boundary-value problem of quasi-static inelasticity into a principle of minimum incremental energy for standard dissipative solids. Mathematical existence theorems for sufficiently regular minimizers then induce a definition of the material stability of the inelastic material response in terms of the sequentially weakly lower semicontinuity of the incremental variational functional. As a consequence, the incremental material stability of standard dissipative solids may be defined in terms of the quasi-convexity or the rank-one convexity of the incremental stress potential. This global definition includes the classical local Hadamard condition but is more general. Furthermore, the variational setting opens up the possibility to analyze the post-critical development of deformation microstructures in non-stable inelastic materials based on energy relaxation methods. We outline minimization principles of quasi- and rank-one convexifications of incremental non-convex stress potentials for standard dissipative solids. The general concepts are applied to the analysis of evolving deformation microstructures in single-slip plasticity. For this canonical model problem, we outline details of the constitutive variational formulation and develop numerical and semi-analytical solution methods for a first-level rank-one convexification. A set of representative numerical investigations analyze the development of deformation microstructures in the form of rank-one laminates in single slip plasticity for homogeneous macro-deformation modes as well as inhomogeneous macroscopic boundary-value problems. The well-posedness of the relaxed variational formulation is indicated by an independence of typical finite element solutions on the mesh-size.     

Dynamic stability of spinning viscoelastic cylinders at finite deformation

The study of spinning axisymmetric cylinders undergoing finite deformation is a classic problem in several industrial settings – the tire industry in particular. We present a stability analysis of spinning elastic and viscoelastic cylinders using ARPACK to compute eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of finite element discretizations of the linearized evolution operator. We show that the eigenmodes correspond to N-peak standing or traveling waves for the linearized problem with an additional index describing the number of oscillations in the radial direction. We find a second hierarchy of bifurcations to standing waves where these eigenvalues cross zero, and confirm numerically the existence of finite-amplitude standing waves for the nonlinear problem on one of the new branches. In the viscoelastic case, this analysis permits us to study the validity of two popular models of finite viscoelasticity. We show that a commonly used finite deformation linear convolution model results in non-physical energy growth and finite-time blow-up when the system is perturbed in a linearly unstable direction and followed nonlinearly in time. On the other hand, Sidoroff-style viscoelastic models are seen to be linearly and nonlinearly stable, as is physically required.     

Cylindrical void in a rigid-ideally plastic single crystal II: Experiments and simulations

Experimental results and finite element simulations of plastic deformation around a cylindrical void in single crystals are presented to compare with the analytical solutions in a companion paper: Cylindrical void in a rigid-ideally plastic single crystal I: Anisotropic slip line theory solution for face-centered cubic crystals [Kysar, J.W., Gan, Y.X., Mendez-Arzuza, G., 2005. Cylindrical void in a rigid-ideally plastic single crystal I: Anisotropic slip line theory solution for face-centered cubic crystals, International Journal of Plasticity, 21, 1481–1520]. In the first part of the present paper, the theoretical predictions of the stress and deformation field around a cylindrical void in face-centered cubic (FCC) single crystals are briefly reviewed. Secondly, electron backscatter diffraction results are presented to show the lattice rotation discontinuities at boundaries between regions of single slip around the void as predicted in the companion paper. In the third part of the paper, the finite element method has been employed to simulate the anisotropic plastic deformation behavior of FCC single crystals which contain cylindrical voids under plane strain condition. The results of the simulation are in good agreement with the prediction by the anisotropic slip line theory.     

Impact of material processing and deformation on cell morphology and mechanical behavior of polyurethane and nickel foams

The cell morphology and mechanical behavior of open-cell polyurethane and nickel foams are investigated by means of combined 3D X-ray micro-tomography and large scale finite element simulations. Our quantitative 3D image analysis and finite element simulations demonstrate that the strongly anisotropic tensile behavior of nickel foams is due to the cell anisotropy induced by the deformation of PU precursor during the electroplating and heat treatment stages of nickel foam processing. In situ tensile tests on PU foams reveal that the initial main elongation axis of the cells evolves from the foam sheet normal direction to the rolling direction of the coils. Finite element simulations of the hyperelastic behavior of PU foams based on real cell morphology confirm the observation that cell struts do not experience significant elongation after 0.15 tensile straining, thus pointing out alternative deformation mechanisms like complex strut junctions deformation. The plastic behavior and the anisotropy of nickel foams are then satisfactorily retrieved from finite element simulations on a volume element containing eight cells with a detailed mesh of all the hollow struts and junctions. The experimental and computational strategy is considered as a first step toward optimization of process parameters to tailor anisotropy of cell shape and mechanical behavior for applications in batteries or Diesel particulate filtering.     

Accurate transverse stress evaluation in composite/sandwich thick laminates using a C0 HSDT and a novel post-processing technique

An efficient method for accurate evaluation of through-the-thickness distribution of transverse stresses in thick composite and sandwich laminates, using a displacement-based C⁰ higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT), is presented. The technique involves a least square of error (LSE) method applied to the 3D equilibrium equations at the post-processing phase, after a primary finite element analysis is performed using the HSDT. This is distinctly different from the conventional method of integrating the 3D equilibrium equations, for transverse stress recovery in composite laminates during post-processing. Competence of the technique is demonstrated in the numerical examples through comparison with results from first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT), another HSDT and those from analytical and 3D elasticity solutions available in literature.     

Assessment of crystal plasticity based calculation of the lattice spin of polycrystalline metals for FE implementation

When texture is incorporated in the finite element simulation of a metal forming process, much computer time can be saved by replacing continuous texture and corresponding yield locus updates by intermittent updates after strain intervals of e.g. 20%. The hypothesis that the evolution of the anisotropic properties of a polycrystalline material during such finite interval of plastic deformation can be modelled by just rotating the initial texture instead of continuously updating it by means of a polycrystal deformation model is tested in this work. Two spins for rotating the frame have been assessed: the classical rigid body spin and a crystal plasticity based “Mandel spin” (calculated from the rotated initial texture) which is the average of the spins of all the crystal lattices of the polycrystal. Each of these methods was used to study the evolution of the yield locus and the r-value distribution during the 20% strain interval. The results were compared to those obtained by simulating the texture evolution continuously using a polycrystal deformation model. When the texture was not updated during deformation, it was found that for most initial textures the Mandel spin does not perform better than the rigid body spin, except for some special initial textures for which the Mandel spin is much better. The latter ones are textures which are almost stable for the corresponding strain mode. When the texture was updated after each strain interval of e.g. 20% the Mandel spin performed much better than the rigid body spin.     

Continuing crack-tip deformation and fracture for plane-strain crack growth in elastic-plastic solids

Analysis of the deformation field consistent with a Prandtl stress distribution travelling with an advancing plane-strain crack reveals the functional form of the near tip crack profile in an elastic-plastic solid. The crack opening δ is shown to have the form δ ～ r In (const./r) at a distance r from the tip. This observation coupled with data generated from finite element investigations of growing cracks in small-scale yielding permits the construction of a relation characterizing the deformation at an extending crack tip. A ductile crack-growth criterion consisting of the attainment of a critical opening at a small characteristic material distance from the tip is adopted. Predictions of the stability of a growing crack for both small-scale yielding specimens and those subject to general yielding are discussed.     

Finite element analysis of grain-by-grain deformation by crystal plasticity with couple stress

Rigid–plastic crystal plasticity with the rate-sensitive constitutive behavior of a slip system has been formulated within the framework of a two-dimensional finite element method to predict the grain-by-grain deformation of single- and polycrystalline FCC metals. For that purpose, individual grains are represented by several numbers of finite elements to describe the sub-grain deformation behavior, and couple stress has been introduced into the equilibrium equation to be able to describe the size effect as well as to prevent mesh-dependent predictions. A modified virtual work-rate principle with an approximate interface constraint has been suggested to use a C ⁰-continuous element in the finite element implementation, and the couple stress work-rate has been formulated on the basis of an assumed constitutive behavior. Simulated plane-strain compressions of a single crystal cube show that the shearing and the deformation load are closely related to the imbedded lattice orientation of the crystal grain, and that the sub-grain deformation and the load magnitude can be controlled by the couple stress hardening. It is also confirmed that almost the same predictions are obtained for different mesh systems by considering the couple stress hardening. Simulated plane-strain compressions of a bi-crystal show considerably curved grain-by-grain surface profiles after large reduction for several combinations of the imbedded lattice orientation. The high couple stress hardening predicted around grain boundaries is supposed to be related to the grain size effect. It is also supposed that consideration of couple stress is necessary to predict the sub-grain or the grain-by-grain deformation, and the couple stress hardening may be used to describe the state of microstructures in grain.     

Analysis of deformation-induced crack tip toughening in ductile single crystals by nano-indentation

This paper reports on the experimental examination of the deformation characteristics near a crack tip in a cyclically work-hardened copper single crystal using a 2D surface scans with nano-indentation. The experimental methodology enables the characterization of the primary deformation field near a crack tip via the modulation of the imposed secondary deformation field by a nano-indentation. In a heavily deformed 4-point bend specimen, the measurements showed an existence of an asymptotic field around the crack tip at a distance of R ⩾ 2.5J/σ₀. The measurements also showed the qualitative details of toughness evolution within the high-gradient deformation field around the crack tip. The nature of dislocation distribution (i.e. statistically distributed vs. distributions necessitated by geometry) around the crack tip is quantified. The measurements indicate the dominance of the geometrically necessary dislocation within the finite deformation zone ahead of the tip up to a distance of R ≈ 3J/σ₀. Thereafter, it is confined in radial rays coinciding with the sector boundaries around the crack tip. These measurements elucidate the origin of the inhomogeneous hardening and the size dependent macroscopic response close to crack tip.     

Finite deformation thermo-mechanical behavior of thermally induced shape memory polymers

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are polymers that can demonstrate programmable shape memory effects. Typically, an SMP is pre-deformed from an initial shape to a deformed shape by applying a mechanical load at the temperature T_H>T_g. It will maintain this deformed shape after subsequently lowering the temperature to T_L<T_g and removing the externally mechanical load. The shape memory effect is activated by increasing the temperature to T_D>T_g, where the initial shape is recovered. In this paper, the finite deformation thermo-mechanical behaviors of amorphous SMPs are experimentally investigated. Based on the experimental observations and an understanding of the underlying physical mechanism of the shape memory behavior, a three-dimensional (3D) constitutive model is developed to describe the finite deformation thermo-mechanical response of SMPs. The model in this paper has been implemented into an ABAQUS user material subroutine (UMAT) for finite element analysis, and numerical simulations of the thermo-mechanical experiments verify the efficiency of the model. This model will serve as a modeling tool for the design of more complicated SMP-based structures and devices.     

Rate-dependent quasi-flow corner theory for elastic/visco-plastic materials

A rate-dependent quasi-flow plastic constitutive model with punch-speed sensitivity is proposed for the large-deformation sheet metal forming process, which is based on the quasi-flow corner theory and U–L formulation for the virtual work-rate equation. Three kinds of constitutive theories with strain rate dependence, classical flow theory, deformation theory with rate form obeying non-orthogonality rule, and the present quasi-flow corner theory, are introduced into the U–L finite element formulation to simulate the deformation localization processes of plane strain tension in order to investigate effects of strain rate sensitivity on the localizing deformation characters. Furthermore, three kinds of typical forming processes sheet metals, one being an uniaxial stretching and another being a square cup drawing with circular blank, and third being a deep drawing of an oil pan, actual industrial forming part, are also numerically simulated by the present model and compared with experimental results. Good agreement between numerical simulation and experimental ones exhibits the validity of the quasi-flow corner theory.     

Minimization of the k-th eigenvalue of the Dirichlet Laplacian

For every ${k \in \mathbb{N}}$ , we prove the existence of a quasi-open set minimizing the k-th eigenvalue of the Dirichlet Laplacian among all sets of prescribed Lebesgue measure. Moreover, we prove that every minimizer is bounded and has a finite perimeter. The key point is the observation that such quasi-open sets are shape subsolutions for an energy minimizing free boundary problem.