Microstructural effects in non linear stratified composites

In this paper, we analyze the microstructural effects on non linear elastic and periodic composites within the framework of asymptotic homogenization. We assume that the constitutive laws of the individual constituents derive from strain potentials. The microstructural effects are incorporated by considering the higher order terms, which come from the asymptotic series expansion. The complete solution at any order requires the resolution of a chain of cell problems in which the source terms depend on the solution at the lower order. The influence of these terms on the macroscopic response of the non linear composite is evaluated in the particular case of a stratified microstructure. The analytic solutions of the cell problems at the first and second order are provided for arbitrary local strain–stress laws which derive from potentials. As classically, the non-linear dependence on the applied macroscopic strain is retrieved for the solution at the first order. It is proved that the second order term in the expansion series also exhibits a non linear dependence with the macroscopic strain but linearly depends on the gradient of macroscopic strain. As a consequence, the macroscopic potential obtained by homogenization is a quadratic function of the macroscopic strain gradient when the expansion series is truncated at the second order. This model generalizes the well known first strain gradient elasticity theory to the case of non linear elastic material. The influence of the non local correctors on the macroscopic potential is investigated in the case of power law elasticity under macroscopic plane strain or antiplane conditions.     

Derivation of a Darcy’s Law for a Porous Medium Composed of Two Solid Phases Saturated by a Single- Phase Fluid: A Homogenization Approach

The objective of this article is to derive a macroscopic Darcy’s law for a fluid-saturated moving porous medium whose matrix is composed of two solid phases which are not in direct contact with each other (weakly coupled solid phases). An example of this composite medium is the case of a solid matrix, unfrozen water, and an ice matrix within the pore space. The macroscopic equations for this type of saturated porous material are obtained using two-space homogenization techniques from microscopic periodic structures. The pore size is assumed to be small compared to the macroscopic scale under consideration. At the microscopic scale the two weakly coupled solids are described by the linear elastic equations, and the fluid by the linearized Navier–Stokes equations with appropriate boundary conditions at the solid–fluid interfaces. The derived Darcy’s law contains three permeability tensors whose properties are analyzed. Also, a formal relation with a previous macroscopic fluid flow equation obtained using a phenomenological approach is given. Moreover, a constructive proof of the existence of the three permeability tensors allows for their explicit computation employing finite elements or analogous numerical procedures.     

A homogenization theory for time-dependentnonlinear composites with periodic internal structures

A homogenization theory for time-dependent deformation such as creep andviscoplasticity of nonlinear composites with periodic internal structures is developed. To beginwith, in the macroscopically uniform case, a rate-type macroscopic constitutive relation betweenstress and strain and an evolution equation of microscopic stress are derived by introducing twokinds of Y-periodic functions, which are determined by solving two unit cell problems.Then, the macroscopically nonuniform case is discussed in an incremental form using thetwo-scale asymptotic expansion of field variables. The resulting equations are shown to beeffective for computing incrementally the time-dependent deformation for which the history ofeither macroscopic stress or macroscopic strain is prescribed. As an application of the theory,transverse creep of metal matrix composites reinforced undirectionally with continuous fibers isanalyzed numerically to discuss the effect of fiber arrays on the anisotropy in such creep.     

The asymptotic homogenization elasticity tensor properties for composites with material discontinuities

The classical asymptotic homogenization approach for linear elastic composites with discontinuous material properties is considered as a starting point. The sharp length scale separation between the fine periodic structure and the whole material formally leads to anisotropic elastic-type balance equations on the coarse scale, where the arising fourth rank operator is to be computed solving single periodic cell problems on the fine scale. After revisiting the derivation of the problem, which here explicitly points out how the discontinuity in the individual constituents’ elastic coefficients translates into stress jump interface conditions for the cell problems, we prove that the gradient of the cell problem solution is minor symmetric and that its cell average is zero. This property holds for perfect interfaces only (i.e., when the elastic displacement is continuous across the composite’s interface) and can be used to assess the accuracy of the computed numerical solutions. These facts are further exploited, together with the individual constituents’ elastic coefficients and the specific form of the cell problems, to prove a theorem that characterizes the fourth rank operator appearing in the coarse-scale elastic-type balance equations as a composite material effective elasticity tensor. We both recover known facts, such as minor and major symmetries and positive definiteness, and establish new facts concerning the Voigt and Reuss bounds. The latter are shown for the first time without assuming any equivalence between coarse and fine-scale energies (Hill’s condition), which, in contrast to the case of representative volume elements, does not identically hold in the context of asymptotic homogenization. We conclude with instructive three-dimensional numerical simulations of a soft elastic matrix with an embedded cubic stiffer inclusion to show the profile of the physically relevant elastic moduli (Young’s and shear moduli) and Poisson’s ratio at increasing (up to 100 %) inclusion’s volume fraction, thus providing a proxy for the design of artificial elastic composites.     

Second-order homogenisation of functionally graded materials

The homogenisation theory for periodic composites is generalised to the case of quasi-periodic composites. In quasi-periodic composites, the unit cell does not repeat throughout the medium but gradually changes along one or more directions of periodicity (grading directions). Quasi-periodic composites are thus to functionally graded materials (FGMs) what periodic composites are to statistically uniform composite materials. Contrarily to most of the homogenisation methods applied to FGMs, the proposed second-order homogenisation theory takes explicitly into account the grading at the micro-level. The derived equivalent material happens to be a particular second gradient material in which few components of the strain gradient (second gradient of the displacement) should be taken into account in addition to the classical strains (first gradient of displacement). The second gradient theory therefore appears as the natural framework to appropriately handle functionally graded materials at the macro-level. It is worth mentioning that the presented second-order homogenisation procedure is somehow analogous to the one developed for periodic composite materials submitted to rapidly varying macroscopic strain fields as in regions of high gradients. In fact, both are a generalisation of the first-order homogenisation theory for periodic media and lead to a second gradient equivalent material. However, besides their different domains of application, they exhibit further substantial differences, which are highlighted in the paper.     

Higher-order theory for periodic multiphase materials with inelastic phases

An extension of a recently-developed linear thermoelastic theory for multiphase periodic materials is presented which admits inelastic behavior of the constituent phases. The extended theory is capable of accurately estimating both the effective inelastic response of a periodic multiphase composite and the local stress and strain fields in the individual phases. The model is presently limited to materials characterized by constituent phases that are continuous in one direction, but arbitrarily distributed within the repeating unit cell which characterizes the material's periodic microstructure. The model's analytical framework is based on the homogenization technique for periodic media, but the method of solution for the local displacement and stress fields borrows concepts previously employed by the authors in constructing the higher-order theory for functionally graded materials, in contrast with the standard finite-element solution method typically used in conjunction with the homogenization technique. The present approach produces a closed-form macroscopic constitutive equation for a periodic multiphase material valid for both uniaxial and multiaxial loading. The model's predictive accuracy in generating both the effective inelastic stress-strain response and the local stress and inelastic strain fields is demonstrated by comparison with the results of an analytical inelastic solution for the axisymmetric and axial shear response of a unidirectional composite based on the concentric cylinder model and with finite-element results for transverse loading.     

Micromechanical analysis of heterogeneous materials subjected to overall Cosserat strains

In the framework of the computational homogenization procedures, the problem of coupling a Cosserat continuum at the macroscopic level and a Cauchy medium at the microscopic level, where a heterogeneous periodic material is considered, is addressed. In particular, non-homogeneous higher-order boundary conditions are defined on the basis of a kinematic map, properly formulated for taking into account all the Cosserat deformation components and for satisfying all the governing equations at the micro-level in the case of a homogenized elastic material. Furthermore, the distribution of the perturbation fields, arising when the actual heterogeneous nature of the material is taken into account, is investigated. Contrary to the case of the first-order homogenization where periodic fluctuations arise, in the analyzed problem more complex distributions emerge.     

Multi-scale analysis in elasto-viscoplasticity coupled with damage

The purpose of this study is to present a micromechanical approach, based on the transformation field analysis (TFA), proposed by Dvorak, which has been generalized at Onera in order to analyze the nonlinear behavior of heterogeneous materials in elasto-viscoplasticity coupled with damage. In such analysis, the macroscopic constitutive equations are not purely phenomenological but are built up from multi-scale approaches starting from the knowledge of the properties of the constituents at the microscopic or mesoscopic scales. The model can take into account some local characteristics that can evolve during the thermo-mechanical applied loads or the manufacturing process, like the grain size for metallic alloys or the fiber volume fraction for composites.The determination of some specific tensors which are present in this formulation is closely linked to the microstructure morphology of heterogeneous materials constituting the macroscopic structure. For example, an Eshelby’s based approach is more appropriate to characterize polycrystalline materials with a random microstructure, while the homogenization of periodic media technique can be used for composite materials with a sufficiently regular microstructure. The proposed methodologies allowing to perform this nonlinear analysis across the scales are illustrated with examples based on the behavior of structures reinforced with a long fiber unidirectional metal matrix composite.     

Micro-stress prediction in composite laminates with high stress gradients

The objective of this research is to develop a macroscopic theory, which can provide the connection between macro-mechanics and micro-mechanics in characterizing the micro-stress of composite laminates in regions of high macroscopic stress gradients. The micro-polar theory, a class of higher-order elasticity theory, of composite laminate mechanics is implemented in a well-known Pipes–Pagano free edge boundary problem. The micro-polar homogenization method to determine the micro-polar anisotropic effective elastic moduli is presented. A displacement-based finite element method based on micro-polar theory in anisotropic solids is developed in analyzing composite laminates. The effects of fiber volume fraction and cell size on the normal stress along the artificial interface resulting from ply homogenization of the composite laminate are also investigated. The stress response based on micro-polar theory is compared with those deduced from the micro-mechanics and classical elasticity theory. Special attention of the investigation focuses on the stress fields near the free edge where the high macro-stress gradient occurs. The normal stresses along the artificial interface and especially, the micro-stress along the fiber/matrix interface on the critical cell near the free edge where the high macro-stress gradient detected are the focus of this investigation. These micro-stresses are expected to dominate the failure initiation process in composite laminate. A micro-stress recovery scheme based on micro-polar analysis for the prediction of interface micro-stresses in the critical cell near the free edge is found to be in very good agreement with “exact” micro-stress solutions. It is demonstrated that the micro-polar theory is able to capture the micro-stress accurately from the homogenized solutions.     

Computational homogenization of cellular materials

In this work we propose to study the behavior of cellular materials using a second-order multi-scale computational homogenization approach. During the macroscopic loading, micro-buckling of thin components, such as cell walls or cell struts, can occur. Even if the behavior of the materials of which the micro-structure is made remains elliptic, the homogenized behavior can lose its ellipticity. In that case, a localization band is formed and propagates at the macro-scale. When the localization occurs, the assumption of local action in the standard approach, for which the stress state on a material point depends only on the strain state at that point, is no-longer suitable, which motivates the use of the second-order multi-scale computational homogenization scheme. At the macro-scale of this scheme, the discontinuous Galerkin method is chosen to solve the Mindlin strain gradient continuum. At the microscopic scale, the classical finite element resolutions of representative volume elements are considered. Since the meshes generated from cellular materials exhibit voids on the boundaries and are not conforming in general, the periodic boundary conditions are reformulated and are enforced by a polynomial interpolation method. With the presence of instability phenomena at both scales, the arc-length path following technique is adopted to solve both macroscopic and microscopic problems.     

A higher-order nonlocal elasticity and strain gradient theory and its applications in wave propagation

In recent years there have been many papers that considered the effects of material length scales in the study of mechanics of solids at micro- and/or nano-scales. There are a number of approaches and, among them, one set of papers deals with Eringen's differential nonlocal model and another deals with the strain gradient theories. The modified couple stress theory, which also accounts for a material length scale, is a form of a strain gradient theory. The large body of literature that has come into existence in the last several years has created significant confusion among researchers about the length scales that these various theories contain. The present paper has the objective of establishing the fact that the length scales present in nonlocal elasticity and strain gradient theory describe two entirely different physical characteristics of materials and structures at nanoscale. By using two principle kernel functions, the paper further presents a theory with application examples which relates the classical nonlocal elasticity and strain gradient theory and it results in a higher-order nonlocal strain gradient theory. In this theory, a higher-order nonlocal strain gradient elasticity system which considers higher-order stress gradients and strain gradient nonlocality is proposed. It is based on the nonlocal effects of the strain field and first gradient strain field. This theory intends to generalize the classical nonlocal elasticity theory by introducing a higher-order strain tensor with nonlocality into the stored energy function. The theory is distinctive because the classical nonlocal stress theory does not include nonlocality of higher-order stresses while the common strain gradient theory only considers local higher-order strain gradients without nonlocal effects in a global sense. By establishing the constitutive relation within the thermodynamic framework, the governing equations of equilibrium and all boundary conditions are derived via the variational approach. Two additional kinds of parameters, the higher-order nonlocal parameters and the nonlocal gradient length coefficients are introduced to account for the size-dependent characteristics of nonlocal gradient materials at nanoscale. To illustrate its application values, the theory is applied for wave propagation in a nonlocal strain gradient system and the new dispersion relations derived are presented through examples for wave propagating in Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko nanobeams. The numerical results based on the new nonlocal strain gradient theory reveal some new findings with respect to lattice dynamics and wave propagation experiment that could not be matched by both the classical nonlocal stress model and the contemporary strain gradient theory. Thus, this higher-order nonlocal strain gradient model provides an explanation to some observations in the classical and nonlocal stress theories as well as the strain gradient theory in these aspects.     

A homogenization theory of strain gradient single crystal plasticity and its finite element discretization

In this study, a homogenization theory based on the Gurtin strain gradient formulation and its finite element discretization are developed for investigating the size effects on macroscopic responses of periodic materials. To derive the homogenization equations consisting of the relation of macroscopic stress, the weak form of stress balance, and the weak form of microforce balance, the Y-periodicity is used as additional, as well as standard, boundary conditions at the boundary of a unit cell. Then, by applying a tangent modulus method, a set of finite element equations is obtained from the homogenization equations. The computational stability and efficiency of this finite element discretization are verified by analyzing a model composite. Furthermore, a model polycrystal is analyzed for investigating the grain size dependence of polycrystal plasticity. In this analysis, the micro-clamped, micro-free, and defect-free conditions are considered as the additional boundary conditions at grain boundaries, and their effects are discussed.     

Asymptotic homogenization of three-dimensional thermoelectric composites

Thermoelectric composites are promising for high efficiency energy conversion between thermal flows and electric conduction, though their effective behaviors remain poorly understood due to nonlinear thermoelectric coupling. In this paper, we develop an asymptotic homogenization theory to analyze the effective behavior of three-dimensional (3D) thermoelectric composites, built on the observation that the equations governing microscopic field fluctuations in the composite are actually linear instead of nonlinear after separation of length scales. A set of solutions similar to Green's function method are used to construct the unit cell problem, and appropriate interfacial continuity conditions and boundary conditions are derived. The homogenized governing equations are then developed for thermoelectric composites, and they are further reduced for a special case wherein the heat flow and electric conduction in the composite remains one-dimensional (1D) at macroscopic scale, even though the composite itself is 3D in general. The general homogenization theory is implemented using finite element method, and a key constant in the constructed solutions is determined using the reformulated eigenvalue problem. The algorithm is validated, and is applied for a number of case studies for the effective behavior of thermoelectric composites.     

Micromechanical analysis of the finite elastic–viscoplastic response of multiphase composites

Nonlinear thermoelastic–viscoplastic constitutive equations for large deformations with isotropic and directional hardening, are incorporated into a micromechanical finite strain analysis. As a result of this analysis, which is based on the homogenization technique for periodic microstructures, a global thermoinelastic constitutive law is established that governs the overall response of multiphase materials under finite deformations. This constitutive law is expressed in terms of the instantaneous effective mechanical and thermal stress tangent tensors together with the instantaneous global inelastic stress tensor that represents the viscoplastic effects. Results for a thermoinelastic matrix reinforced by a hyperelastic compressible material are given that illustrate the response of fibrous and particulate composites to various types of loading.     

Periodic homogenization in thermoviscoelasticity: case of multilayered media with ageing

Conceived as an alternative method to deal with highly heterogeneous composite structures, the homogenization approach developed in this paper is devoted to the formulation of the thermoviscoelastic behavior at the macroscopic level. Attention is focused on composites involving ageing constituents. The concept of strain localization tensor is extended and the memory effects induced by the homogenization process are discussed. The case of multilayered thermoviscoelastic media is examined in the last part of the paper. Taking into account local anisotropic behavior as well as ageing, an explicit formulation is derived for the macroscopic relaxation moduli. An illustrative example is presented where the memory effects are quantified in terms of relaxation times.     

Determining the effective thermoelastic characteristics of regularly laminated composite in the asymmetric theory of elasticity

The asymmetric theory of elasticity is used to model a hybrid laminated composite of regular structure with all phases isotropic. The effective thermoelastic characteristics of the composite are determined. It is shown that the equations derived can be used to determine stress–strain state in all the phases of the composite using the average components of the tensors of force stresses, couple stresses, strains, and wryness in a layered material, which is of fundamental importance for the design of composites based on structural theories of failure     

基于迭代法的非线性弹性均质化研究

微观结构对复合材料的宏观力学性能具有至关重要的影响, 通过合理设计复合材料微观结构可以得到期望的宏观性能. 均质化方法作为一种有效的设计方法, 它从微观结构的角度出发, 利用均匀化的概念, 实现了对复合材料宏观力学性能的预测和设计. 而当考虑非线性因素, 均质化的实现就非常困难. 本文利用双渐近展开方法, 将位移按照宏观位移和微观位移展开, 推导了非线性弹性均质化方程. 通过直接迭代法, 对非线性弹性均质化方程进行了求解, 并给出了具体的迭代方法和实现步骤. 本文基于迭代步骤和非线性弹性均质化方程编写MATLAB 程序, 对3种典型本构关系的周期性多孔材料平面问题进行了计算, 对比细致模型的应变能、最大位移和等效泊松比, 对程序及迭代方法的准确性进行了验证. 之后对一种三元橡胶基复合材料进行多尺度均质化, 将其分为芯丝尺度和层间尺度. 用线弹性的均质化方法得到了芯丝尺度的等效弹性参数, 并将其作为层间尺度的材料参数. 在层间尺度应用非线性弹性均质化方法对结构进行计算, 得到材料的宏观等效性能, 并以实验结果为基准进行评价.      

Strain gradient elastic homogenization of bidimensional cellular media

The present paper aims at introducing an homogenization scheme for the determination of strain gradient elastic coefficients. This scheme is based on a quadratic extension of homogeneous boundary condition (HBC). It allows computing strain elastic effective tensors. This easy-to-handle computational procedure will then be used to construct overall behaviors and to verify some theoretical predictions on strain gradient elasticity.     

Objective evaluation of linearization procedures in nonlinear homogenization: A methodology and some implications on the accuracy of micromechanical schemes

A systematic methodology for an accurate evaluation of various existing linearization procedures sustaining mean fields theories for nonlinear composites is proposed and applied to recent homogenization methods. It relies on the analysis of a periodic composite for which an exact resolution of both the original nonlinear homogenization problem and the linear homogenization problems associated with the chosen linear comparison composite (LCC) with an identical microstructure is possible. The effects of the sole linearization scheme can then be evaluated without ambiguity. This methodology is applied to three different two-phase materials in which the constitutive behavior of at least one constituent is nonlinear elastic (or viscoplastic): a reinforced composite, a material in which both phases are nonlinear and a porous material. Comparisons performed on these three materials between the considered homogenization schemes and the reference solution bear out the relevance and the performances of the modified second-order procedure introduced by Ponte Castañeda in terms of prediction of the effective responses. However, under the assumption that the field statistics (first and second moments) are given by the local fields in the LCC, all the recent nonlinear homogenization procedures still fail to provide an accurate enough estimate of the strain statistics, especially for composites with high contrast.