Parameter–identification of macroscopic material models based on virtual testing of given material mesostructures

For many heterogeneous materials such as composites and polycrystals, the material modeling for the constituents on a representative mesoscale can be considered as known, including concrete values of their inherent material parameters. Typical examples are isotropic elastic–plastic models for the constituents of composites or anisotropic crystal–plasticity models for the grains of polycrystals. This knowledge can be exploited with regard to the modeling of the homogenized macroscopic response. In particular, parameters in macroscopic models may be identified by virtual experiments provided by a computational deformation–driving of representative mesostructures. This paper outlines the general concept for the parameter–identification of macroscopic materialmodels based on the virtual testing of given material mesostructures. The virtual test data are obtained in the form of multi–dimensional stress–strain paths by applying different deformation gradients to a given mesostructure. After specifying a corresponding macroscopic material model covering the observed effects on the macroscale, the material parameters are identified by a least–square–type optimization procedure that optimizes the macroscopic material parameters. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Inverse Parameter Identification for Orthotropic Elasto-Plastic Sheet-Steel

In this contribution the Finite Element Model Updating (FEMU) approach is utilized to determine the material parameters of sheet-steel. From experimental testing it is observed that the considered cold-rolled steel exhibits orthotropic behaviour. To regard this in the simulation, a user-implemented material model based on a quadratic yield function is used. Via the method of digital image correlation (DIC), the displacement field of a biaxially loaded specimen is measured from images taken at different stages of loading. Comparing the experimentally determined displacements to those obtained by simulation an error measure is defined which can be minimized by optimization algorithms. Starting with initial values for the orthotropic elasto-plastic material parameters, the FEM model is thus updated consecutively until a specified error margin is reached. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Identification of material behavior via a Finite Element Model Updating strategy

In this paper an inverse and iterative method for the identification of material behavior is presented, based on the Finite Element Model Updating (FEMU) strategy. The FE simulations are performed with a commercial FE software code, using a self-implemented elastic material model at finite strain. The iterative identification procedure is based on an experimental test (numerical) whose measured kinematic values are compared to the corresponding simulated ones. Through an optimization algorithm the material parameters are varied in a way that the least-squares sum of the kinematic values is minimized and the optimal material parameters yielding the material behavior are identified. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Numerical simulation of a flexible fiber deformation in a viscous flow by the immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method

In this paper, deformation of a mass-less elastic fiber with a fixed end, immersed in a two-dimensional viscous channel flow, is simulated numerically. The lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM) is used to solve the Newtonian flow field and the immersed-boundary method (IBM) is employed to simulate the deformation of the flexible fiber interacting with the flow. The results of this unsteady simulation including fiber deformation, fluid velocity field, and variations of the fiber length are depicted in different time-steps through the simulation time. Similar trends are observed in plots representing length change of fibers with different values of stretching constant. Also, the numerical solution reaches a steady state equivalent to the fluid channel flow over a flat plate.     

On Love-type waves in a finitely deformed magnetoelastic layered half-space

In this paper, the propagation of Love-type waves in a homogeneously and finitely deformed layered half-space of an incompressible non-conducting magnetoelastic material in the presence of an initial uniform magnetic field is analyzed. The equations and boundary conditions governing linearized incremental motions superimposed on an underlying deformation and magnetic field for a magnetoelastic material are summarized and then specialized to a form appropriate for the study of Love-type waves in a layered half-space. The wave propagation problem is then analyzed for different directions of the initial magnetic field for two different magnetoelastic energy functions, which are generalizations of the standard neo-Hookean and Mooney?CRivlin elasticity models. The resulting wave speed characteristics in general depend significantly on the initial magnetic field as well as on the initial finite deformation, and the results are illustrated graphically for different combinations of these parameters. In the absence of a layer, shear horizontal surface waves do not exist in a purely elastic material, but the presence of a magnetic field normal to the sagittal plane makes such waves possible, these being analogous to Bleustein?CGulyaev waves in piezoelectric materials. Such waves are discussed briefly at the end of the paper.     

Investigation of two-warehouse inventory problems in interval environment under inflation via particle swarm optimization

ABSTRACT

In this paper, a two-warehouse inventory problem has been investigated under inflation with different deterioration effects in two separate warehouses (rented warehouse, RW, and owned warehouse, OW). The objective of this investigation is to determine the lot-size of the cycle of the two-warehouse inventory system by minimizing the average cost of the system. Considering different inventory policies, the corresponding models have been formulated for linear trend in demand and interval valued cost parameters. In OW, shortages, if any, are allowed and partially backlogged with a variable rate dependent on the duration of the waiting time up to the arrival of the next lot. The corresponding optimization problems have been formulated as non-linear constrained optimization problems with interval parameters. These problems have been solved by an efficient soft computing method, viz. practical swarm optimization. To illustrate the model, a numerical example has been solved with different partially backlogging rates. Then to study the effect of changes of different system parameters on the optimal policy, sensitivity analyses have been carried out graphically by changing one parameter at a time and keeping the others at their original values. Finally, a fruitful conclusion has been reached regarding the selection of an appropriate inventory policy of the two-warehouse system.     

About the Microstructural Effects of Polycrystalline Materials and their Macroscopic Representation at Finite Deformation

In the sheet bulk metal forming field, the strict geometrical requirements of the workpieces result in a need of a precise prediction of the material behaviour. The simulation of such forming processes requires a valid material model, performing well for a huge variety of different geometrical characteristics and finite deformation. Because of the crystalline nature of metals, anisotropies have to be taken into account. Macroscopically observable plastic deformation is traced back to dislocations within considered slip systems in the crystals causing plastic anisotropy on the microscopic and the macroscopic level. A finite crystal plasticity model is used to model polycrystalline materials in representative volume elements (RVEs) of the microstructure. A multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient into elastic and plastic parts is performed, as well as a volumetric-deviatoric split of the elastic contribution. In order to circumvent singularities stemming from the linear dependency of the slip system vectors, a viscoplastic power-law is introduced providing the evolution of the plastic slips and slip resistances. The model is validated with experimental microstructural data under deformation. The validation on the macroscopic scale is performed through the reproduction of the experimentally calculated initial yield surface. Additionally, homogenised stress-strain curves from the microstructure build the outcome for a suitable effective material model. Through optimisation techniques, effective material parameters can be determined and compared to results from real forming processes. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

热荷载作用下薄板的优化设计

板壳结构是一大类广泛使用的结构元件.在热荷载作用下,当热膨胀受到约束时,板壳结构产生内力及挠度,严重时影响结构的正常服役.由于热荷载的特殊性,简单地均匀加大板壳结构的厚度并不能有效地减少热变形和热应力,热结构设计因此特别困难.该文研究在给定材料体积的条件下,通过优化板壳结构的厚度分布来减少弹性薄板结构在热载荷下的变形.以结构的变形能为优化目标,在给定材料体积的条件下,建立了设计板壳结构厚度分布的优化问题列式,并采用变分法,推导出优化准则,给出了修改厚度的迭代公式.应用商用有限元软件的热结构分析功能,对程序进行二次开发,从而实现该优化算法.算例结果表明,采用该方法优化弹性薄板的厚度分布,可以大幅度地减小结构热变形,是一种有效的热结构设计方法.     

An evolution equation based approach to topology optimization

The objective of topology optimization is to find a mechanical structure with maximum stiffness and minimal amount of used material for given boundary conditions [2]. There are different approaches. Either the structure mass is held constant and the structure stiffness is increased or the amount of used material is constantly reduced while specific conditions are fulfilled. In contrast, we focus on the growth of a optimal structure from a void model space and solve this problem by introducing a variational problem considering the spatial distribution of structure mass (or density field) as variable [3]. By minimizing the Gibbs free energy according to Hamilton's principle in dynamics for dissipative processes, we are able to find an evolution equation for the internal variable describing the density field. Hence, our approach belongs to the growth strategies used for topology optimization. We introduce a Lagrange multiplier to control the total mass within the model space [1]. Thus, the numerical solution can be provided in a single finite element environment as known from material modeling. A regularization with a discontinuous Galerkin approach for the density field enables us to suppress the well-known checkerboarding phenomena while evaluating the evolution equation within each finite element separately [4]. Therefore, the density field is no additional field unknown but a Gauß-point quantity and the calculation effort is strongly reduced. Finally, we present solutions of optimized structures for different boundary problems. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Topology Optimization of Flexible Multibody Systems Using Equivalent Static Loads and Displacement Fields

Topology optimization techniques are applied in most cases for static applications. However, recently topology optimization procedures for structures under dynamic loads have been the focus of several studies. In this work, a topology optimization scheme for flexible multibody systems using equivalent static loads and displacement fields is investigated. The optimization problem is formulated using a homogenization method, more precisely, the solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) approach. The objective function in the optimization problem is the compliance and the method of moving asymptotes is used as optimizer. The objective function and the sensitivities are computed directly from the displacement field computed in the dynamic simulation. The examples of a 2-arm manipulator and a slider-crank mechanism are presented and the results are discussed to verify the improved dynamical behavior through this optimization method. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Parameteridentification of Hostun-Sand and Shear-Band Simulation of Landsliding

The simulation of deformation process of landsliding needs the knowledge of the very complex behaviour of granular materials, e. g., sand. The triax experiments on sand show a highly non-linear elasto-plastic material behaviour. Therefore, it is necessary to use a yield criteria, e. g., single-surface yield criteria with isotropic hardening and non-associated plastic potential, which satisfies adequately the requirements of the material properties. This kind of material behaviour can be described by an elasto-plastic material law in the frame of Theory of Porous Media, which is implemented in the FE tool PANDAS. By means of the data of Hostun-Sand, the material parameters of the singlesurface yield criteria are determined by use of a optimization algorithm, namely Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) a gradient based optimization method, which is coupled with PANDAS. Using this optimized material parameters, a simulation of a initial boundary-value problem of landsliding is presented. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Dynamic inversion method for the material parameters of a high arch dam and its foundation

The overall mechanical behavior of the structure of an arch dam is comprehensively reflected by the vibration modal information included in measured vibration response. Hence, the results obtained from inverting material parameters based on measured vibration data are often superior to those based on static monitoring data. In this study, a dynamic inversion method for the material parameters of a high arch dam and its foundation is proposed on the basis of the measured vibration response. First, an arch dam prototype test is conducted to obtain the measured dynamic displacement response as input. Then, a stochastic subspace identification method based on singular entropy is formulated to determine the modal parameters. Second, a dynamic elastic modulus (DEM) with a great influence on the modal parameters is selected as the material parameter to be inverted. Then, a response surface model (RSM), which reflects the nonlinear relationship between the material and modal parameters of each zone, is constructed. Latin hypercube sampling is used to generate the sample library of the DEM. The RSM is fitted by modal parameters calculated on the basis of the arch dam finite element model (FEM) and is applied to replace the FEM. Finally, the optimization mathematical model of the inversion of the DEM is established. Then, the objective function is optimized through a genetic algorithm, and the optimal combination of the DEM in each zone is inverted. The modal parameters of the arch dam calculated by inversion results are consistent with those measured by variation law and values. Therefore, the inversion results are reasonable and reliable. This method provides a new idea for determining the material parameters of a high arch dam and its foundation during the operation period.     

A computer‐aided methodology for the optimization of electrostatic separation processes in recycling

The rapid growth of technological products has led to an increasing volume of waste electrical and electronic equipments (WEEE), which could represent a valuable source of critical raw materials. However, current mechanical separation processes for recycling are typically poorly operated, making it impossible to modify the process parameters as a function of the materials under treatment, thus resulting in untapped separation potentials. Corona electrostatic separation (CES) is one of the most popular processes for separating fine metal and nonmetal particles derived from WEEE. In order to optimize the process operating conditions (i.e., variables) for a given multi‐material mixture under treatment, several technological and economical criteria should be jointly considered. This translates into a complex optimization problem that can be hardly solved by a purely experimental approach. As a result, practitioners tend to assign process parameters by few experiments based on a small material sample and to keep these parameters fixed during the process life‐cycle. The use of computer experiments for parameter optimization is a mostly unexplored area in this field. In this work, a computer‐aided approach is proposed to the problem of optimizing the operational parameters in CES processes. Three metamodels, developed starting from a multi‐body simulation model of the process physics, are presented and compared by means of a numerical and simulation study. Our approach proves to be an effective framework to optimize the CES process performance. Furthermore, by comparing the predicted response surfaces of the metamodels, additional insight into the process behavior over the operating region is obtained. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Computation of material forces for the thermo-mechanical response of dynamically loaded elastomers

Elastomers are widely used in today's life. The material is characterized by large deformability upon failure, elastic and time dependent as well as non-time dependent effects which can be also a function of temperature. In addition, cyclically loaded components show heat build-up which is due to dissipation. As a result, the temperature evolution of an elastomeric component can strongly influence the material properties and durability characteristics. Representing best the real thermo-mechanical behaviour of an elastomeric component in its design process is one motivation for the use of sophisticated, coupled material approaches within numerical simulations. In order to assess the durability characteristics, for example regarding crack propagation, material forces (configurational forces) are one possible approach to be applied. In the present contribution, the implementation of material forces for a thermo-mechanically coupled material model including a continuum mechanical damage (CMD) approach is demonstrated in the context of the Finite Element Method (FEM). Special emphasis is given to material forces resulting from internal variables (viscosity and damage variables), temperature field evolution and dynamic loading. Using the example of an elastomeric component, for which the material model parameters have been previously identified by a uniaxial extension test, material forces are evaluated quantitatively. The influence of each contribution (internal variables, temperature field and dynamics) is illustrated and compared to the overall material force response. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Optimization of functions whose values are subject to small errors

In this paper we consider the minimization of a function whose values can only be obtained with an error. For the case when the error has certain statistical properties this problem has been investigated by Kiefer and Wolfowitz (1) and Kushner (2, 3). Kushner has shown that a certain class of algorithms converge to a stationary point with probability one. Here a different approach is used. The error is assumed to have an upper bound and it is shown that a stationary point can be obtained to within a certain accuracy, dependent on the magnitude of the error. Our results are related to works concerning roundoff errors for one dimensional optimization (4) and solution of nonlinear equations (5). The algorithm we use can be regarded as an extension of the methods used in (6), (8) and (9).Supported by: Institutet för tillämpad matematik (Sweden) and the National Science Foundation (USA) under grant MPS 72-04787-a02.     

Sensitivity Analysis of Plaque Components within Arterial Wall Simulations

In this contribution we focus on a sensitivity analysis of arterial wall simulations with respect to atherosclerotic plaque components. For the simulations we use patient specific arterial wall geometries gained from medical imaging techniques. The technique used here is the Intravascular Ultra Sound Virtual Histology (IVUS-VH). The resulting discretization is used for the simulation of a diseased artery with plaque components. The material parameters for the arterial layers are based on uniaxial tension tests, whereas the plaque parameters are chosen in a physiologically suitable range. One final goal is to study the sensitivity of the resulting deformation and stress distribution in the arterial wall with respect to the variation of the material parameters of the plaque. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Computer simulation of underthrusting and subduction due to collision of slabs

We come up with a mathematical simulation of a collision between lithospheric slabs (plates) where one slab is forced into the mantle beneath another. Problems of the Earth’s crust and mantle deformation are solved numerically: for spatial discretization of equations of deformable solid mechanics, a finite-element method is used, and for evolution of the collision process, a stepwise integration of quasistatic deformation equations is applied. Problems of plate motion are solved within a geometrically nonlinear setting in a two-dimensional approximation (plane deformation) with due regard for large deformations of bodies and contact interactions of slabs with the mantle. A numerical solution is obtained via a MSC.Marc 2005 code, encompassing formulations of equations with required types of nonlinearities. A part of the Earth’s crust that has no tendency to delving into the mantle is simulated by a prescribed motion of a rigid body. A part of the Earth’s crust that should sink by virtue of properties of initial geometry is simulated as a deformable solid made up of elastoplastic strain-hardening material. The mantle is simulated by an ideal elastoplastic material with a low yield stress value. We are concerned with parts of the Earth’s crust that have different geometric parameters. Computer simulation of plate collision shows that under standard conditions, underthrusting of one slab beneath another occurs; at sites of initial thickening of a slab in a contact zone, subduction (deep sinking) of the slab into the mantle is expected. In the latter case account should be taken of a well-known experimental fact, that of material compaction of the sunken piece of a slab.