Eulerian Rate Model for Pseudoelastic NiTi Shape Memory Alloys

A phenomenological material model for the pseudoelastic material behavior of polycrystalline NiTi is presented. It is consistently derived within the Eulerian framework using the Kirchhoff stress (weighted Cauchy stress) and the stretching tensor. Deformation–like variables such as elastic or inelastic strains are omitted. The model is based on a non–convex Helmholtz free energy function for the phases austenite and martensite, which is formulated in terms of the Kirchhoff stress, temperature, mass fraction of martensite, and a tensorial internal variable accounting for the average orientation of the martensite variants. Evolution equations for the mass fraction of martensite as well as for the average orientation of the martensite variants are derived, taking into account the restrictions imposed by thermodynamics. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Simulation of Asymmetric Effects in Plasticity

In the framework of plasticity the simulation of materials is addressed, which experimentally exhibit different behavior in different loading scenarios, such as tension, compression and shear. To this end an additive decomposition of the yield function and the plastic potential, is assumed into a sum of weighted stress mode related quantities. The characterization of the stress modes is obtained in the octahedral plane of the deviatoric stress space in terms of the Lode angle, such that stress mode dependent scalar weighting functions can be constructed. Verification of the proposed methodology is succeeded for simulation of the pseudoelastic behavior of shape memory alloys with different hardening characteristics in tension and shear. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Pseudoelasticity of Shape Memory Alloys - a 1D Material Model and Finite Element Implementation

This contribution is concerned with the formulation of a 1D-constitutive model accounting for the pseudoelastic behavior of shape memory alloys. The stress-strain-relationship is idealized by a hysteresis both in the compression as in the tension loading range. It is characterized by an upper loading path, which is to be ascribed to the transformation of the lattice to a martensitic structure. Unloading the material, a lower path is described, because of the reverse transformation into austenitic lattice. The constitutive model is based on a switching criterion which serves as a potential function for the evolution of the internal state variables. The model distinguishes between local and global variables to describe the hysteresis effects for the compression and tension range. A strain driven algorithm which captures the complete nonlinear material behavior is presented. The boundary value problem is solved for a truss element applying the finite element method. A consistent linearization of the nonlinear equations is derived. Simple examples will demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model. For future developments the usage of shape memory alloys within civil engineering structures is aimed. The advantage of the material is the very good damping behavior and the potential to overcome great strains. Both properties are distinguished to be of engineering interest. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A fluid mechanical model for granular flow in silos

Granular materials may display both solid and fluid like behaviour. For low densities and high strain rates as in avalanches or during the discharge of silos the behaviour is mainly governed by interparticle collisions. On the other hand, frictional contacts characterise the solid state which is represented within the framework of plasticity theory. A fluid like constitutive model describes granular materials when subjected to large deformations and high strain rates. It bases upon a modified viscoplastic model that is valid for both yielded and unyielded regions. The central idea is the distinction between fluid and solid regions by means of comparing actual shear stress and Coulomb yield stress. The application to the simultion of the discharge of silos shows the feasibility of the chosen method. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Aeroelastic behavior of a typical section with shape memory alloy springs: Modeling nonhomogeneous distribution of state variables

In this paper, a two-degree-of-freedom (namely, plunge and pitch) aeroelastic typical section with shape memory alloy helical springs in the pitch degree-of-freedom is modeled. A linear aerodynamic model is employed to predict the unsteady loads. The shape memory springs model is based on classical models modified by the von Mises pure shear assumption. Nonhomogeneous distributions of shear strain, shear stress and martensitic fraction in the wire cross-section are represented by axi-symmetric annular regions. The numerical predictions of the effects of pseudoelastic hysteresis of shape memory alloy springs on the aeroelastic behavior of the typical section when both the homogeneous and nonhomogeneous cross-sectional distributions are considered in the simulations are compared with experimental data obtained in wind tunnel tests. The nonhomogeneous assumption results in good agreement between numerical predictions and experiments. Both the numerical and experimental results show that the pseudoelastic hysteresis of SMAs can be employed as a passive alternative to modify the behavior of aeroelastic systems.     

Size Effects at Corners of Anisotropic Material Discontinuities

Reinforcement patches of composite laminates often possess corners due to design and manufacturing necessities. Hence, the patches reconstitute the demanded effective strength or stiffness in the region considered but at their boundaries also constitute a source for stress localizations. The complex potential method is a means for the investigation of such stress localizations. With the help of appropriate complex potentials the mechanical in-plane fields around the reinforcement corner can be expressed as series representations. A first analysis step is to obtain the exponents and corresponding modes which cause singular behavior of the membrane forces. Then, the determination of appropriately defined generalized membrane force intensity factors is used to show whether and how the singularity exponents are in effect. On this basis it is possible to deduce what impact a specific loading condition or the reinforcement corner's material combination and geometry have on the character of the singularity. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the physically motivated choice of internal variables describing martensitic phase transformations

Phenomenological models which describe phase transformation in solids often employ a single scalar variable, the mass (or volume) fraction of one of the phases involved. However, the orientation of the applied stress has a major influence on the microstructure developing during the phase transition and thus the overall mechanical behavior. Therefore, additional internal variables of higher order have to be introduced in order to capture this aspect. The choice of these internal variables is often based on purely phenomenological considerations. In contrast to this, based on local observations at the phase boundary, a thermodynamically dual pair of second order tensors is introduced here. Constitutive relations for shape menory alloys in the pseudoelastic and pseudoplastic range are proposed. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A solid-shell finite element for fibre reinforced composites

Fibre reinforced composites consisting of several layers, each of which is composed of a woven fabric embedded in a matrix material, are investigated in this paper. Such materials are characterized by a complex anisotropic behavior, which necessitates a fully three-dimensional formulation of the constitutive equations. On the other hand, they are frequently used in thin shell-like applications. In order to account for the three-dimensional material law while still providing the suitable shape for thin structures, a solid-shell finite element for fibre composite materials is presented herein. Locking phenomena are treated by both the enhanced assumed strain (EAS) concept and the assumed natural strain concept (ANS). Using reduced integration together with hourglass stabilization leads to high computational efficiency. The anisotropic constitutive behavior of the composites is reflected by a micromechanically motivated continuum model, which –together with the solid-shell formulation– allows for an accurate representation of the through-the-thickness stress distribution even for thin structures. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A Two Phase Mixture Model based on Bone Observation

An optimization method is developed to describe the mechanical behaviour of the human cancellous bone. The method is based on a mixture theory. A careful observation of the behaviour of the bone material leads to the hypothesis that the bone density is controlled by the principal stress trajectories (Wolff's law). The basic idea of the developed method is the coupling of a scalar value via an eigenvalue problem to the principal stress trajectories. On the one hand this theory will permit a prediction of the reaction of the biological bone structure after the implantation of a prosthesis, on the other hand it may be useful in engineering optimization problems. An analytical example shows its efficiency. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Simulation of asymmetric effects for shape memory alloys

Experimental results of shape memory alloys show a pronounced asymmetric behaviour between tension, compression and shear. For simulation of these effects in the constitutive equations different transformation strain tensors are introduced. These are related to the different variants for the multi-variant- and detwinned-martensite as a consequence of different stress states. In the framework of plasticity the concept of stress mode dependent weighting functions is applied in order to characterize the different stress states. Verification of the proposed methodology is succeeded for simulation of the pseudoelastic behaviour of shape memory alloys with different hardening characteristics in tension, compression and shear. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The ice‐fishing problem: the fundamental sloshing frequency versus geometry of holes

We study an eignevalue problem with a spectral parameter in a boundary condition. This problem for the Laplace equation is relevant to sloshing frequencies that describe free oscillations of an inviscid, incompressible, heavy fluid in a half‐space covered by a rigid dock with some apertures (an ice sheet with fishing holes). The dependence of the fundamental eigenvalue on holes' geometry is investigated. We give conditions on a plane region guaranteeing that the fundamental eigenvalue corresponding to this region is larger than the fundamental eigenvalue corresponding to a single circular hole. Examples of regions satisfying these conditions and having the same area as the unit disk are given. New results are also obtained for the problem with a single circular hole. On the other hand, we construct regions for which the fundamental eigenfrequency is larger than the similar frequency for the circular hole of the same area and even as large as one wishes. In the latter examples, the hole regions are either not connected or bounded by a rather complicated curves. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three-Dimensional Computational Analysis of Stress State Transition in Through-Cracked Plates

Stress state is a main parameter within fracture mechanics. It has a major influence on different phenomena, namely those involving diffusion, plastic deformation, and brittle fracture. As is well-known, in the near-surface regions of a crack front, the plane stress state dominates, while at interior positions the plane strain state prevails. The main objective here is to examine the extent of surface regions in through-cracked planar geometries subjected to cyclic loading. Two constitutive material models were developed to characterise the stress state along the crack front. A new criterion based on the h stress triaxiality parameter was proposed to define the transition between surface and near-surface regions. Finally, a linear relation between the stable value of the extent of surface region and the maximum stress intensity factor was established.     

Experimental Validation of RVE Based Failure Simulations of Macro-Porous Materials

Connections between inhomogeneities and the failure behavior of brittle material may be investigated by finite element simulations of representative volume elements. Representative volume elements are typically subjected to periodic boundary conditions. Moreover, representative volume elements are often chosen as planar, i. e., two dimensional in order to reach reasonable statistics with regard to random distributions of inhomogeneities. The significance of such strongly simplified simulations needs to be validated, especially if the matrix failure is potentially dominated by defects, as is the case, e. g., in macro-porous ceramics. We propose a quasi-periodic concept to design specimens with cylindrical pores, which reproduce the stress state in a two dimensional representative volume element. This is achieved by a partial periodic replication of the region of interest. We suggest that material models used in simulations can be assessed by comparison between simulated and experimentally observed failure. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Material stability analysis of particle methods

Material instabilities are precursors to phenomena such as shear bands and fracture. Therefore, numerical methods that are intended for failure simulation need to reproduce the onset of material instabilities with reasonable fidelity. Here the effectiveness of particle discretizations in reproducing of the onset of material instabilities is analyzed in two dimensions. For this purpose, a simplified hyperelastic law and a Blatz–Ko material are used. It is shown that the Eulerian kernels used in smooth particle hydrodynamics severely distort the domain of material stability, so that material instabilities can occur in stress states that should be stable. In particular, for the uniaxial case, material instabilities occur at much lower stresses, which is often called the tensile instability. On the other hand, for Lagrangian kernels, the domain of material stability is reproduced very well. We also show that particle methods without stress points exhibit instabilities due to rank deficiency of the discrete equations. AMS subject classification 74S30     

Bearing of geometric and material properties to bone strength in bending

Osteoporosis is characterized by decreasing of bone mass and bone strength with advanced age. For characterization of material properties of bone the volumetric bone mineral density is one of the most important contributing factors to bone strength. Often bending tests of whole bone are used to get information about the state of osteoporosis. From an uniaxial test of a bone specimen it is assumed that an elastic region exists up to initial yield stress and a following hardening region. In bending tests beside material properties geometric properties like shape and cortical thickness appropriate the non-linear moment-curvature curve. The aim of this contribution is to show how an elastic-plastic material law including tensile damage influences the global bending behavior. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Small deformations of oriented polymers

On the basis of a phenomenological analysis of the temperature dependence of the modulus of instantaneous elasticity and the stress relaxation process, it is suggested that in the region of small deformations there are no breakages of the macromolecules that might affect the elasto-relaxational behavior of highly oriented polymers (fibers) as in the region of large deformations. To judge from the values obtained for the energy constants, these properties are determined by the number of intermolecular bonds in the amorphous regions (modulus of instantaneous elasticity) and the physical events associated with the reorganization of these bonds and hindered rotation of the chain units (relaxation process).S. M. Kirov Leningrad Institute of Textiles and Light Industry. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, pp. 976–980, November–December, 1971.     

A numerical homogenisation strategy for micromorphic continua

In this contribution, we apply a numerical homogenisation scheme for micromorphic continua replacing constitutive equations on the macroscale by a microscopic boundary value problem. The aim of this procedure is to describe the influence of the microtopology on the effective behaviour of microstructured materials such as biological tissues as well as polymer or metal foams. On the one hand, that allows for avoiding the numerically expensive calculation of a fully resolved microstructure. On the other hand there is no need to identify additional material parameters which are in general hard to interpret from the physical point of view. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the computation of material forces in continuum‐atomistic modelling

Material forces govern the behavior and evolution of defects in solids. In elastic materials these forces which are associated with the Eshelby stress tensor are used to describe fracture sensitivities and can be employed to compute the J‐integral [2]. Since crack propagation begins with a variety of fundamental processes which occur within highly localized ultra–fine volume of material that constitute the fracture process zone surrounding a crack tip [3], the question of appropriate growth criteria, i.e. how far and in which direction a crack will glide under a certain loading condition is implied by the material force. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Experimental and Numerical Study of Polypropylene/Polyethylene Thin Foil in Biaxial Tension

The material under consideration is a thermoplastic copolymer blend of polypropylene and polyethylene (PP/PE), constituting the core layer of a steel/polymer/steel composite material. A biaxial loading machine was developed for studying the behavior of the copolymer subjected to in-plane complex stress states. A study on the shape of the specimen by means of numerical finite element simulations and preliminary experimental tests are carried out, in order to obtain a maximization of the strain distribution in the middle region of the cruciform specimen. Afterwards, the sensitivity of the mechanical response under both equibiaxial and non-equibiaxial conditions is addressed. All the experiments are monitored by means of a digital image correlation (DIC) system, providing full-field measurements of the displacements, and, consequently, of the strain distribution. The presented experimental results will be used for validating the material model developed for the PP/PE layer material. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Nonlinear Behavior of Piezoceramic Actuators

Nonlinear behavior of piezoceramics is a well-known phenomenon. For large stresses and/or strong electric fields it is described by various hysteresis curves. Quasi-static experiments exhibited hysteresis relations between excitation voltage and strain as well as between excitation voltage and electric displacement. This behavior can be modeled by using the classical Preisach model. On the other hand, typical nonlinearities of Duffing type such as jump phenomena, multiple stable amplitude responses at the same excitation voltage and frequency, and the presence of superharmonics in response spectra can be observed when piezoceramic actuators are excited near resonance, even at weak electric fields. In this paper, different experimental results for both quasi-static and dynamic nonlinear behavior and corresponding models are presented and compared. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)