Two accuracy improvements on nonuniform transformation field analysis for plasticity coupled to softening

A reduced order homogenization scheme for the case of plasticity coupled with softening effects is proposed. This is based on a straightforward extension of the so-called nonuniform transformation field analysis (NTFA, [2]). Two related new methods, denoted as uneven NTFA and adaptive NTFA accounting for accuracy improvements, are also presented, which are based on the ideas of parameter identification and adaptive modeling, respectively. A complementary numerical study is given. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Homogenization of the Navier-Stokes equations with a slip boundary condition

This paper deals with the homogenization of the Stokes or Navier-Stokes equations in a domain containing periodically distributed obstacles, with a slip boundary condition (i.e., the normal component of the velocity is equal to zero, while the tangential velocity is proportional to the tangential component of the normal stress). We generalize our previous results (see [1]) established in the case of a Dirichlet boundary condition; in particular, for a so-called critical size of the obstacles (equal to ε³ in the three-dimensional case, ε being the inter-hole distance), we prove the convergence of the homogenization process to a Brinkman-type law.     

An adaptive approach for modeling a fiber-matrix composite with the FE2 method

In materials with a complicated microstructre [1], the macroscopic material behaviour is unknown. In this work a Fiber-Matrix composite is considered with elasto-plastic fibers. A homogenization of the microscale leads to the macroscopic material properties. In the present work, this is realized in the frame of a FE² formulation. It combines two nested finite element simulations. On the macroscale, the boundary value problem is modelled by finite elements, at each integration point a second finite element simulation on the microscale is employed to calculate the stress response and the material tangent modulus. One huge disadvantage of the approach is the high computational effort. Certainly, an accompanying homogenization is not necessary if the material behaves linear elastic. This motivates the present approach to deal with an adaptive scheme. An indicator, which makes use of the different boundary conditions (BC) of the BVP on microscale, is suggested. The homogenization with the Dirichlet BC overestimates the material tangent modulus whereas the Neumann BC underestimates the modulus [2]. The idea for an adaptive modeling is to use both of the BCs during the loading process of the macrostructure. Starting initially with the Neumann BC leads to an overestimation of the displacement response and thus the strain state of the boundary value problem on the macroscale. An accompanying homogenization is performed after the strain reaches a limit strain. Dirichlet BCs are employed for the accompanying homogenization. Some numerical examples demonstrate the capability of the presented method. (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Deformation Driven Homogenization of Fracturing Solids

The paper discusses numerical formulations of the homogenization for solids with discrete crack development. We focus on multi–phase microstructures of heterogeneous materials, where fracture occurs in the form of debonding mechanisms as well as matrix cracking. The definition of overall properties critically depends on the developing discontinuities. To this end, we extend continuous formulations [1] to microstructures with discontinuities [2]. The basic underlying structure is a canonical variational formulation in the fully nonlinear range based on incremental energy minimization. We develop algorithms for numerical homogenization of fracturing solids in a deformation–driven context with non–trivial formulations of boundary conditions for (i) linear deformation and (ii) uniform tractions. The overall response of composite materials with fracturing microstructures are investigated. As a key result, we show the significance of the proposed non–trivial formulation of a traction–type boundary condition in the deformation–driven context. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On Variationally-Consistent Homogenization Approaches in Multi-Phase Magnetic Solids

It is well known that classical homogenization schemes, such as the Taylor/Voigt and Reuss/Sachs assumptions, can also be interpreted as energetic bounds. Furthermore, energy relaxation concepts have been established that determine stable effective material responses based on appropriate (convex, quasi-convex, rank-one) energy hulls for non-convex energy landscapes associated with multi-phase materials, see [1–3] and references therein. Our goal is to propose analogous relaxation based homogenization schemes for magnetizable solids. More specifically, we propose a magnetic potential perturbation scheme which yields relaxed effective free energy densities that simultaneously satisfy magnetic induction and magnetic field strength compatibility requirements—i.e. the magnetostatic Maxwell equations—at the phase boundary. (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Nonlinear homogenization of metal-ceramic composites with lamellar microstructure

Using nonlinear homogenization methods for the computation of the material response of metal-ceramic composites with lamellar microstructure is a power approach to do computation less costly in comparison to finite elements modeling. A modified secant homogenization method is utilized in this study for simulation of inelastic behaviors of the composite micro-constituents. A nonlinear homogenization method is based on a linear homogenization scheme for multilayer composites. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Simulation of polycrystalline ferroelectrics based on discrete orientation distribution functions

Ferroelectric materials exhibit a spontaneous polarization, which can be reversed by an applied electric field of sufficient magnitude. The resulting nonlinearities are expressed by characteristic dielectric and butterfly hysteresis loops. These effects are correlated to the structure of the crystal and especially to the axis of spontaneous polarization in case of single crystals. We start with a representative meso scale, where the domains consist of unit cells with equal spontaneous polarization. Each domain is modeled within a coordinate invariant formulation for an assumed transversely isotropic material as presented in [10], in this context see also [8]. In this investigation we obtain the macroscopic polycrystalline quantities via a simple homogenization procedure, where discrete orientation distribution functions are used to approximate the different domains. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Study of wave dispersion in periodic composites by higher-order asymptotic homogenization method

We present [1] an application of the higher-order asymptotic homogenization method (AHM) to the study of wave dispersion in periodic composite materials. When the wavelength of a travelling signal becomes comparable to the size of heterogeneities, successive reflections and refractions of the waves at the components interfaces lead to the formation of a complicated sequence of pass and stop frequency bands. The AHM provides a long-wave approximation valid in the low frequency range. Solution for the high frequencies is obtained on the basis of the Floquet–Bloch theorem by the plane-wave (PW) expansions method. Anti-plane shear waves in a fibre-reinforced composite with a square lattice of cylindrical fibres are considered. The dispersion curves are obtained, the pass and stop bands are identified. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Computational Multi-Scale Stability Analysis of Periodic Electroactive Polymer Composites at Finite Strains

This work is dedicated to multi-scale stability analysis, especially macroscopic and microscopic stability analysis of periodic electroactive polymer (EAP) composites with embedded fibers. Computational homogenization is considered to determine the response of materials at macro-scale depending on the selected representative volume element (RVE) at micro-scale [4, 5]. The quasi-incompressibility condition is considered by implementing a four-field variational formulation on the RVE, see [7]. Based on the works [1–3, 6, 8] the macroscopic instabilities are determined by the loss of strong ellipticity of homogenized moduli. On the other hand, the bifurcation type microscopic instabilities are treated exploiting the Bloch-Floquet wave analysis in context of finite element discretization, which allows to detect the changed critical size of periodicity of the microstructure and critical macroscopic loading points. Finally, representative numerical examples are given which demonstrate the onset of instability surfaces, the stable macroscopic loading ranges, and further a periodic buckling mode at a microscopic instability point is presented. (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Determination of effective properties for CFRP curing coupled to viscoleasticity based on a three-scale framework

Our work presents a three-scale model for temperature-dependent visco-elastic effects accompanied by curing, which are important phenomena in a resin transfer molding (RTM) process. The effective bulk quantities in dependence on the degree of cure are obtained by homogenization for a representative unit cell (micro-RVE) on the heterogeneous microscale. To this end, an analytic solution is derived by extension of the composite spheres model [1]. Voigt and Reuss bounds resulting from the assumption of a homogeneous matrix proposed in [2] are compared to the effective quantities. During curing, the periodic mesostructure defined by a visco-elastic polymeric matrix and linear-thermo-elastic fibres is taken into account as a representative unit cell (meso-RVE) subjected to thermo-mechanical loading on the mesoscale. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The effective thermal conductivity of carbon nanotube composites

The effective thermal conductivity of Carbon Nanotube (CNT)-polymer composites has been estimated using analytical and computational models. The analytical approach is based on the Cascade Continuum Micromechanics (CCM) model formulated within the framework of mean-field homogenization and the computational approach is based on numerical homogenization of the composite microstructure using image based Voxel-FEM (Finite Element Method). Comparison of the analytical and computational model predictions with experimental data show that the interfacial thermal resistance is overestimated by the analytical model as a consequence of not taking into account the CNT fiber tortuosity (curviness). (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On homogenization of solutions of the poisson equation in a perforated domain with different types of boundary conditions on different cavities

In this paper we consider boundary value problems in perforated domains with periodic structures and cavities of different scales, with the Neumann condition on some of them and mixed boundary conditions on others. We take a case when cavities with mixed boundary conditions have so called critical size (see [1]) and cavities with the Neumann conditions have the scale of the cell. In the same way other cases can be studied, when we have the Neumann and the Dirichlet boundary conditions or the Dirichlet condition and the mixed boundary condition on the boundary of cavities.There is a large literature where homogenization problems in perforated domains were studied [2];-[7];     

Inverse homogenization with diagonal Padé approximants

The paper formulates inverse homogenization problem as a problem of recovery of Markov function using diagonal Padé approximants. Inverse homogenization or de-homogenization problem is a problem of deriving information about the micro-geometry of composite material from its effective properties. The approach is based on reconstruction of the spectral measure in the analytic Stieltjes representation of the effective tensor of two-component composite. This representation relates the n-point correlation functions of the microstructure to the moments of the spectral measure, which contains all information about the microgeometry. The problem of identification of the spectral function from effective measurements in an interval of frequency has a unique solution. The problem is formulated as an optimization problem which results in diagonal Padé approximation and exact formulas for the moments of the measure. The reconstructed spectral function can be used to evaluate geometric parameters of the structure and to compute other effective parameters of the same composite; this gives solution to the problem of coupling of different effective properties of a two-component composite material with random microstructure. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Experimental investigation and approximation of the temperature-dependent stiffness of short-fiber reinforced polymers

In order to predict the effective material properties of a short-fiber reinforced polymer (SFRP), homogenization of elastic properties with the self-consistent (SC) scheme and the interaction direct derivative (IDD) method is performed by means of µCT data describing the microstructure of the composite material. Using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), the material properties of both, polypropylene and fiber reinforced polypropylene are investigated by tensile tests under thermal load. The measured storage modulus of the matrix material is used as input parameter for the homogenization scheme. The effective properties of SFRP are compared to experimental results from DMA. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Shakedown and limit analysis of periodic composites

The optimization of fiber distribution is analyzed in order to improve the strength performance of metal-matrix composite material, which is submitted to two variable independent loads by coupling homogenization and shakedown theories. Numerical Direct Methods are applied to acquire the shakedown domain of three-dimensional heterogeneous elastic-perfectly plastic fiber-reinforced composite for optimal design. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Some Remarks on Korn Inequalities

A recent joint paper with Doina Cioranescu and Julia Orlik was concerned with the homogenization of a linearized elasticity problem with inclusions and cracks(see[Cioranescu, D., Damlamian, A. and Orlik, J., Homogenization via unfolding in periodic elasticity with contact on closed and open cracks, Asymptotic Analysis, 82, 2013, 201–232]). It required uniform estimates with respect to the homogenization parameter. A Korn inequality was used which involves unilateral terms on the boundaries where a nopenetration condition is imposed. In this paper, the author presents a general method to obtain many diverse Korn inequalities including the unilateral inequalities used in [Cioranescu, D., Damlamian, A. and Orlik, J., Homogenization via unfolding in periodic elasticity with contact on closed and open cracks, Asymptotic Analysis, 82, 2013, 201–232]. A preliminary version was presented in [Damlamian, A., Some unilateral Korn inequalities with application to a contact problem with inclusions, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I,350, 2012, 861–865].     

The homogenization of the three dimensional skew polynomial algebras of type I

This paper studies a special case of graded central extensions of three dimen-sional Artin-Schelter regular algebras, see [9, §3]. The algebras are homoge-nizations of two classes of three dimensional skew polynomial algebras. We refer to these algebras as Type I and Type II algebras. We describe the non-commutative projective geometry and compute the finite dimensional simple modules for the homogenization of Type I algebras in the case that α is not a primitive root of unity. In this case, all finite dimensional simple modules are quotients of line modules that are homogenizations of Verma modules.