Interaction of ultrasonic waves with structural damage: A diffraction analogy

This study investigates the interaction of ultrasonic waves and structural damage, i.e., cracking and corrosion. It is shown that cracking and corrosion damage produces a diffraction pattern that resembles that associated with the traditional physics of wave motion. The extension of this hypothesis implies that it may be possible to use a simple ripple tank to investigate how to best detect/sense and size a given damage state, e.g., corrosion. We also find that cracking, and corrosion damage, has a significant effect on both the amplitude and period of the waveform and also on the local (apparent) refractive index of the material and that these effects have the potential to be used as damage indicators.     

Propagation and scattering of ultrasonic waves in polycrystals with arbitrary crystallite and macroscopic texture symmetries

A general ultrasonic attenuation model for a polycrystal with arbitrary macroscopic texture and triclinic ellipsoidal grains is described with proper accounting for the anisotropic Green’s function for the reference medium. The texture and the ellipsoidal grain frames in the model are independent and the wave propagation direction is arbitrary. The attenuation coefficients are obtained in the Born approximation accompanied by the Rayleigh and stochastic asymptotes. The scattering model displays statistical anisotropy due to two independent factors: (1) shape of the oriented grains and (2) preferred crystallographic orientation of the grains leading to macroscopic anisotropy of the homogenized reference medium. The model is applicable to most single phase polycrystalline materials that may occur as a result of thermomechanical manufacturing processes leading to different macrotextures and elongated-shaped grains. It predicts the strength of ultrasonic scattering and its dependence on frequency and propagation direction as a function of grain shape, grain crystallographic symmetry and macroscopic texture parameters and provides the texture-induced dependence of macroscopic ultrasonic velocity on propagation angle. It considers proper wave polarizations due to macroscopic anisotropy and scattering-induced transformations of waves with different polarizations. Competing effects of grain shape and texture on the attenuation are observed. In contrast to the macroscopically isotropic case, where in the stochastic regime the attenuation is highest in the direction of the longest ellipsoidal axis of the grain, the wave attenuation in the elongation direction may be suppressed or amplified by the texture with different effects on the quasilongitudinal and quasitransverse waves. The frequency behavior is also interestingly affected by texture: a hump in the total attenuation coefficient is found for the fast quasitransverse wave which is purely the result of macroscopic anisotropy and the existence of two quasitransverse waves; this hump is not observed in the macroscopically isotropic case. Striking differences of the texture effect on the directional dependences of the attenuation coefficients are found at low versus high frequencies.     

Crystal plasticity analysis of texture development in magnesium alloy during extrusion

The texture development mechanism during the extrusion of magnesium alloy is investigated by experimental observation and numerical analysis. First, we perform a finite element analysis of a full extrusion process using a phenomenological constitutive equation, and it is confirmed that the loading condition of the extrusion process near the central axis of the billet is approximated by an equi-biaxial compression mode. Then, the equi-biaxial compression problem is adopted as a simplified boundary value problem to be solved using a crystal plasticity model to clarify the detailed texture development mechanism during the extrusion process. The crystal plasticity analysis of equi-biaxial compression successfully reproduces the texture development from an initial random texture to the final experimentally observed texture. The effects of the deformation modes (i.e. slip and twinning systems) implemented in the calculation and the reference stress ratio of basal to nonbasal slip systems on texture development are studied in detail. Finally, the mechanism of texture development during the extrusion process is discussed in terms of the lattice rotation caused by the activated slip systems.     

Modeling texture evolution in equal channel angular extrusion using crystal plasticity finite element models

A new approach to modeling crystallographic texture evolution in Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE) is presented in this paper. The proposed approach utilizes an elastic–viscoplastic single crystal constitutive model implemented in a finite element framework. A representative volume element of the polycrystal is subjected to boundary conditions that simulate the approximate deformation history experienced by different regions of the sample (at different through-thickness depths) in both Route A and Route C processing. The proposed approach aims to capture the influence of the complex interactions that ensue among the constituent individual crystals of a polycrystal in controlling the texture evolution in the sample, while capturing the boundary conditions inherent to ECAE deformation. The predictions from the proposed approach are compared against previously reported experimental measurements in ECAE of copper. It is observed that the proposed approach provides significantly better agreement with the measurements when compared against previously reported model predictions.     

Finite element modeling of tube hydroforming of polycrystalline aluminum alloy extrusions

Finite element modeling of tube hydroforming requires information about the anisotropy of the extruded aluminum tube. Unlike sheet metals, the complex geometry of extruded tubes makes it difficult, except in extrusion direction, to directly measure material properties. Therefore, polycrystalline models provide a good alternative for calculating the anisotropy of the tube in all directions and under various loading conditions. Using a rate-independent single crystal yield surface and rigid plasticity, a Taylor-type polycrystalline model was developed and implemented into ABAQUS/Explicit finite element (FE) code using VUMAT. The constitutive model was then used to calculate the crystallographic texture evolution during the hydroforming of an extruded aluminum tube. Initial crystallographic texture measured using orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) and uniaxial tensile test data obtained along the extrusion direction were input to this FEA model. In order to efficiently and practically simulate the tube hydroforming process using the polycrystalline model, sensitivity to the number of grain orientation, total simulation time, and number of finite elements were studied. Predicted results agreed very well with experimentally measured strain obtained from tube hydroforming process.     

Shock wave amplification by fabric materials

It has been shown that, when exposed to air shock waves, soft materials such as fabrics can lead to amplification of the peak pressure measured on a reflecting surface behind the fabric. This occurs for a wide range of fabric configurations, including those used in soft-ballistic protection. The goal of this study was to validate a numerical model to develop an improved understanding of this phenomenon and investigate different fabric parameters, including density, permeability and standoff, and their influence on blast amplification. The investigation of fabric parameters was carried out using numerical simulations in an explicit finite element code with coupled fluid–structure interaction. The benefit of this method was the ability to isolate individual parameters. The model predicted similar trends to existing experimental data, though the numerically predicted peak pressures were consistently higher than the experimental values. The parametric study showed that low permeability fabrics result in the highest pressure amplifications. At areal densities on the order 100 g/m², typical of single layer fabrics, amplification also increased with areal density for low permeability materials.      

Computation of waves generated by submarine landslides

Waves generated by submarine landslides are treated as three-dimensional flows of a perfect incompressible fluid. For the solution of the Cauchy-Poisson problem a time-discretization is applied which leads at each time step to a non-homogeneous free surface condition; the solution is then divided into two parts. The first part, subject to the true free surface condition, is computed in a simplified domain with constant depth. The second part involves a homogeneous free surface condition, a corrected bottom condition and the true bathymetry. In the case of constant depth, unconditional stability of the time discretization is derived. In the case of variable depth, mass and energy conservation is derived. Numerical results are presented. Comparison is made with other methods for the generation of axisymmetric waves. The transient propagation along a rectilinear coast is studied, including a comparison between two different bathymetries; trapping of energy is observed.     

Homogenization of inelastic solid materials at finite strains based on incremental minimization principles. Application to the texture analysis of polycrystals

The paper presents new continuous and discrete variational formulations for the homogenization analysis of inelastic solid materials undergoing finite strains. The point of departure is a general internal variable formulation that determines the inelastic response of the constituents of a typical micro-structure as a generalized standard medium in terms of an energy storage and a dissipation function. Consistent with this type of finite inelasticity we develop a new incremental variational formulation of the local constitutive response, where a quasi-hyperelastic micro-stress potential is obtained from a local minimization problem with respect to the internal variables. It is shown that this local minimization problem determines the internal state of the material for finite increments of time. We specify the local variational formulation for a distinct setting of multi-surface inelasticity and develop a numerical solution technique based on a time discretization of the internal variables. The existence of the quasi-hyperelastic stress potential allows the extension of homogenization approaches of finite elasticity to the incremental setting of finite inelasticity. Focussing on macro-deformation-driven micro-structures, we develop a new incremental variational formulation of the global homogenization problem for generalized standard materials at finite strains, where a quasi-hyperelastic macro-stress potential is obtained from a global minimization problem with respect to the fine-scale displacement fluctuation field. It is shown that this global minimization problem determines the state of the micro-structure for finite increments of time. We consider three different settings of the global variational problem for prescribed displacements, non-trivial periodic displacements and prescribed stresses on the boundary of the micro-structure and develop numerical solution methods based on a spatial discretization of the fine-scale displacement fluctuation field. Representative applications of the proposed minimization principles are demonstrated for a constitutive model of crystal plasticity and the homogenization problem of texture analysis in polycrystalline aggregates.     

Superposition of finite-amplitude transverse waves in deformed Mooney-Rivlin and neo-Hookean materials

In this paper, waves propagating in Mooney-Rivlin and neo-Hookean non-linear elastic materials subjected to a homogeneous pre-strain are considered. In a previous paper, Boulanger and Hayes [Finite-amplitude waves in deformed Mooney-Rivlin materials, Q. J. Mech. Appl. Math. 45 (1992) 575-593] showed, for deformed Mooney-Rivlin materials, that the superposition of two finite-amplitude shear waves polarized in different directions (orthogonal to each other) and propagating along the same direction is an exact solution of the equations of motion. The two waves do not interact. Here, we are interested in superpositions of waves propagating in different directions. Two types of superpositions are considered: superpositions of waves polarized in the same direction, and also superposition of waves polarized in different directions. It is shown that such superpositions are exact solutions of the equations of motion with appropriate choices of the propagation and polarization directions.     

Computational aspects in finite strain plasticity analysis of geotechnical materials

This paper presents a framework to describe the constitutive behaviour of geotechnical materials in the context of multiplicative finite strain. A suitable energy function is chosen allowing the hyperelastic response to be energy conserving. The corresponding tangent modulus is derived to ensure quadratic rates of convergence of the Newton–Raphson procedure in the finite element solution. Standard element tests are given to demonstrate the performance of the algorithms developed.     

Multiscale modelling of the induced plastic anisotropy in bcc metals

This paper presents a new framework to predict the qualitative and quantitative variation in local plastic anisotropy due to crystallographic texture in body-centered cubic polycrystals. A multiscale model was developed to examine the contribution of mesoscopic and local microscopic behaviour to the macroscopic constitutive response of bcc metals during deformation. The model integrated a dislocation-based hardening scheme and a Taylor-based crystal plasticity formulation into the subroutine of an explicit dynamic FEM code (LS-DYNA). Numerical analyses using this model were able to predict not only correct grain rotation during deformation, but variations in plastic anisotropy due to initial crystallographic orientation. Optimal results were obtained when {1 1 0}〈1 1 1〉, {1 1 2}〈1 1 1〉, and {1 2 3}〈1 1 1〉 slip systems were considered to be potentially active. The predicted material heterogeneity can be utilised for research involving any texture-dependent work hardening behaviour, such as surface roughening.     

Surface waves propagation in shallow water: A finite element model

A two-dimensional (in-plane) numerical model for surface waves propagation based on the non-linear dispersive wave approach described by Boussinesq-type equations, which provide an attractive theory for predicting the depth-averaged velocity field resulting from that wave-type propagation in shallow water, is presented. The numerical solution of the corresponding partial differential equations by finite-difference methods has been the subject of several scientific works. In the present work we propose a new approach to the problem: the spatial discretization of the system composed by the Boussinesq equations is made by a finite element method, making use of the weighted residual technique for the solution approach within each element. The model is validated by comparing numerical results with theoretical solutions and with results obtained experimentally.     

The evolution of Hooke's law due to texture development in FCC polycrystals

Initially isotropic aggregates of crystalline grains show a texture-induced anisotropy of both their inelastic and elastic behavior when submitted to large inelastic deformations. The latter, however, is normally neglected, although experiments as well as numerical simulations clearly show a strong alteration of the elastic properties for certain materials. The main purpose of the work is to formulate a phenomenological model for the evolution of the elastic properties of cubic crystal aggregates. The effective elastic properties are determined by orientation averages of the local elasticity tensors. Arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic averages are compared. It can be shown that for cubic crystal aggregates all of these averages depend on the same irreducible fourth-order tensor, which represents the purely anisotropic portion of the effective elasticity tensor. Coupled equations for the flow rule and the evolution of the anisotropic part of the elasticity tensor are formulated. The flow rule is based on an anisotropic norm of the stress deviator defined by means of the elastic anisotropy. In the evolution equation for the anisotropic part of the elasticity tensor the direction of the rate of change depends only on the inelastic rate of deformation. The evolution equation is derived according to the theory of isotropic tensor functions. The transition from an elastically isotropic initial state to a (path-dependent) final anisotropic state is discussed for polycrystalline copper. The predictions of the model are compared with micro–macro simulations based on the Taylor–Lin model and experimental data.     

Effects of texture on shear band formation in plane strain tension/compression and bending

In this study, effects of typical texture components observed in rolled aluminum alloy sheets on shear band formation in plane strain tension/compression and bending are systematically studied. The material response is described by a generalized Taylor-type polycrystal model, in which each grain is characterized in terms of an elastic–viscoplastic continuum slip constitutive relation. First, a simple model analysis in which the shear band is assumed to occur in a weaker thin slice of material is performed. From this simple model analysis, two important quantities regarding shear band formation are obtained: i.e. the critical strain at the onset of shear banding and the corresponding orientation of shear band. Second, the shear band development in plane strain tension/compression is analyzed by the finite element method. Predictability of the finite element analysis is compared to that of the simple model analysis. Third, shear band developments in plane strain pure bending of a sheet specimen with the typical textures are studied. Regions near the surfaces in a bent sheet specimen are approximately subjected to plane strain tension or compression. From this viewpoint, the bendability of a sheet specimen may be evaluated, using the knowledge regarding shear band formation in plane strain tension/compression. To confirm this and to encompass overall deformation of a bent sheet specimen, including shear bands, finite element analyses of plane strain pure bending are carried out, and the predicted shear band formation in bent specimens is compared to that in the tension/compression problem. Finally, the present results are compared to previous related studies, and the efficiency of the present method for materials design in future is discussed.     

Finite element computation of trapped and leaky elastic waves in open stratified waveguides

Elastic guided waves are of interest for inspecting structures due to their ability to propagate over long distances. In numerous applications, the guiding structure is surrounded by a solid matrix that can be considered as unbounded in the transverse directions. The physics of waves in such an open waveguide significantly differs from a closed waveguide, i.e. for a bounded cross-section. Except for trapped modes, part of the energy is radiated in the surrounding medium, yielding attenuated modes along the axis called leaky modes. These leaky modes have often been considered in non destructive testing applications, which require waves of low attenuation in order to maximize the inspection distance. The main difficulty with numerical modeling of open waveguides lies in the unbounded nature of the geometry in the transverse direction. This difficulty is particularly severe due to the unusual behavior of leaky modes: while attenuating along the axis, such modes exponentially grow along the transverse direction. A simple numerical procedure consists in using absorbing layers of artificially growing viscoelasticity, but large layers may be required. The goal of this paper is to explore another approach for the computation of trapped and leaky modes in open waveguides. The approach combines the so-called semi-analytical finite element method and a perfectly matched layer technique. Such an approach has already been successfully applied in scalar acoustics and electromagnetism. It is extended here to open elastic waveguides, which raises specific difficulties. In this paper, two-dimensional stratified waveguides are considered. As it reveals a rich structure, the numerical eigenvalue spectrum is analyzed in a first step. This allows to clarify the spectral objects calculated with the method, including radiation modes, and their dependency on the perfectly matched layer parameters. In a second step, numerical dispersion curves of trapped and leaky modes are compared to analytical results.     

Analytical extension of Finite Element solution for computing the nonlinear far field of ultrasonic waves scattered by a closed crack

Nonlinear scattering of ultrasonic waves by closed cracks subject to contact acoustic nonlinearity (CAN) is determined using a 2D Finite Element (FE) coupled with an analytical approach. The FE model, which includes unilateral contact with Coulomb friction to account for contact between crack faces, provides the near-field solution for the interaction between in-plane elastic waves and a crack of different orientations. The numerical solution is then analytically extended in the far-field based on a frequency domain near-to-far field transformation technique, yielding directivity patterns for all linear and nonlinear components of the scattered waves. The proposed method is demonstrated by application to two nonlinear acoustic problems in the case of tone-burst excitations: first, the scattering of higher harmonics resulting from the interaction with a closed crack of various orientations, and second, the scattering of the longitudinal wave resulting from the nonlinear interaction between two shear waves and a closed crack. The analysis of the directivity patterns enables us to identify the characteristics of the nonlinear scattering from a closed crack, which provides essential understanding in order to optimize and apply nonlinear acoustic NDT methods.     

Computational modeling of rate-dependent domain switching in piezoelectric materials

In this contribution a micromechanically motivated model for rate-dependent switching effects in piezoelectric materials is developed. The proposed framework is embedded into a three-dimensional finite element setting whereby each element is assumed to represent an individual grain. Related dipole (polarization) directions are thereby initially randomly oriented at the element level to realistically capture the originally un-poled state of grains in the bulk ceramics. The onset of domain switching processes is based on a representative energy criterion and combined with a linear kinetics theory accounting for time-dependent propagation of domain walls during switching processes. In addition, grain boundary effects are incorporated by making use of a macromechanically motivated probabilistic approach. Standard volume-averaging techniques with respect to the response on individual grains in the bulk ceramics are later on applied to obtain representative hysteresis and butterfly curves under macroscopically uniaxial loading conditions at different loading frequencies. It turns out that the simulations based on the developed finite element formulation nicely match experimental data reported in the literature.     

Localized plastic strain in polycrystalline materials with hole and notches

Analyzed numerically are the localized strain of polycrystalline materials subjected to quasi-static loading. The objective is to study the peculiarities associated with the deformation process close to the stress concentrators such as holes, notches and interfaces of internal structure. Analytical results show that geometry and/or heterogeneous internal structure of material together with the action of maximum shear result in the development of a system of plastically deformed shear bands. Shears and rotations in the regions of strain localization are found to be higher than in other parts of the specimen while rotations are more sensitive to localization.     

Incorporation of twinning into a crystal plasticity finite element model: Evolution of lattice strains and texture in Zircaloy-2

A crystal plasticity finite element code is developed to model lattice strains and texture evolution of HCP crystals. The code is implemented to model elastic and plastic deformation considering slip and twinning based plastic deformation. The model accounts for twinning reorientation and growth. Twinning, as well as slip, is considered to follow a rate dependent formulation. The results of the simulations are compared to previously published in situ neutron diffraction data. Experimental results of the evolution of the texture and lattice strains under uniaxial tension/compression loading along the rolling, transverse, and normal direction of a piece of rolled Zircaloy-2 are compared with model predictions. The rate dependent formulation introduced is capable of correctly capturing the influence of slip and twinning deformation on lattice strains as well as texture evolution.