Thermo-hydro-mechanical-air coupling finite element method and its application to multi-phase problems

In this paper, a finite element method （FEM）-based multi-phase problem based on a newly proposed thermal elastoplastic constitutive model for saturated/unsaturated geomaterial is discussed. A program of FEM named as SOFT, adopting unified field equations for thermo-hydro-mechanical-air （THMA） behavior of geomaterial and using finite element-finite difference （FE-FD） scheme for so/l-water-air three-phase coupling problem, is used in the numerical simulation. As an application of the newly proposed numerical method, two engineering problems, one for slope failure in unsaturated model ground and another for in situ heating test related to deep geological repository of high-level radioactive waste （HLRW）, are simulated. The model tests on slope failure in unsaturated Shirasu ground, carried out by Kitamura et al. （2007）, is simulated in the framework of soil-water-air three-phase coupling under the condition of constant temperature. While the in situ heating test reported by Munoz （2006） is simulated in the same framework under the conditions of variable temperature hut constant air pressure.

Finite Element Simulation of Flexible Roll Forming with Supplemented Material Data and the Experimental Verification

Flexible roll forming is a promising manufacturing method for the production of variable cross section products. Considering the large plastic strain in this forming process which is much larger than that of uniform deformation phase of uniaxial tensile test, the widely adopted method of simulating the forming processes with non-supplemented material data from uniaxial tensile test will certainly lead to large error. To reduce this error, the material data is supplemented based on three constitutive models. Then a finite element model of a six passes flexible roll forming process is established based on the supplemented material data and the original material data from the uniaxial tensile test. The flexible roll forming experiment of a B pillar reinforcing plate is carried out to verify the proposed method. Final cross section shapes of the experimental and the simulated results are compared. It is shown that the simulation calculated with supplemented material data based on Swift model agrees well with the experimental results, while the simulation based on original material data could not predict the actual deformation accurately. The results indicate that this material supplement method is reliable and indispensible, and the simulation model can well reflect the real metal forming process. Detailed analysis of the distribution and history of plastic strain at different positions are performed. A new material data supplement method is proposed to tackle the problem which is ignored in other roll forming simulations, and thus the forming process simulation accuracy can be greatly improved.

Compression Mechanical Performance Simulation and Parameter Optimization of Degradable Ureteral Stent Based on ABAQUS

The compression performance of a degradable ureteral stent is analyzed and the parameters are optimized by a finite element modeling method.The degradable ureteral stent explored in this paper is developed from poly(glycolic acid)(PGA)and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA)degradable materials.Based on the actual measurement of fabric structure parameters,the three-dimensional model of the stent is established with the help of the modeling software.The finite element analysis software is used to simulate the compression process of the degradable ureteral stent.The parameters of materials,interactions and boundary conditions are set according to the compression environment of the stent for modeling and simulation.On this basis,the friction coefficient of yarns,the yarn radius,and the braided angle of the stent are further compared.The comparison test is carried out by a single variable.The experimental results show that the change of yarn friction coefficient has little influence on the compressive stress,while the yarn radius and the braided angle of the stent have a great influence on the compressive stress.

THE PARTIAL PROJECTION METHOD IN THE FINITE ELEMENT DISCRETIZATION OF THE REISSNER-MINDLIN PLATE MODEL

In the paper a linear combination of both the standard mixed formulation and the displacement one of the Reissner-Mindlin plate theory is used to enhance stability of the former and to remove ''locking'' of the later. For this new stabilized formulation, a unified approach to convergence analysis is presented for a wide spectrum of finite element spaces. As long as the rotation space is appropriately enriched, the formulation is convergent for the finite element spaces of sufficiently high order. Optimal-order error estimates with constants independent of the plate thickness are proved for the various lower order methods of this kind.

Development and application of an interface constitutive model for fully grouted rock-bolts and cable-bolts

This paper proposes a new interface constitutive model for fully grouted rock-bolts and cable-bolts based on pull-out test results.A database was created combining published experimental data with in-house tests.By means of a comprehensive framework,a Coulomb-type failure criterion accounting for friction mobilization was defined.During the elastic phase,in which the interface joint is not yet created,the proposed model provides zero radial displacement,and once the interface joint is created,interface dilatancy is modeled using a non-associated plastic potential inspired from the behavior of rock joints.The results predicted by the proposed model are in good agreement with experimental results.The model has been implemented in a finite element method(FEM)code and numerical simulations have been performed at the elementary and the structural scales.The results obtained provide confidence in the ability of the new model to assist in the design and optimization of bolting patterns.