Extended multiscale finite element method for mechanical analysis of heterogeneous materials

An extended multiscale finite element method （EMsFEM） is developed for solving the mechanical problems of heterogeneous materials in elasticity.The underlying idea of the method is to construct numerically the multiscale base functions to capture the small-scale features of the coarse elements in the multiscale finite element analysis.On the basis of our existing work for periodic truss materials, the construction methods of the base functions for continuum heterogeneous materials are systematically introduced. Numerical experiments show that the choice of boundary conditions for the construction of the base functions has a big influence on the accuracy of the multiscale solutions, thus,different kinds of boundary conditions are proposed. The efficiency and accuracy of the developed method are validated and the results with different boundary conditions are verified through extensive numerical examples with both periodic and random heterogeneous micro-structures.Also, a consistency test of the method is performed numerically. The results show that the EMsFEM can effectively obtain the macro response of the heterogeneous structures as well as the response in micro-scale,especially under the periodic boundary conditions.

Two-scale finite element method for piezoelectric problem in periodic structure

The prediction of the mechanical and electric properties of piezoelectric fibre composites has become an active research area in recent years. By means of introducing a boundary layer problem, some new kinds of two-scale finite element methods for solutions to the electric potential and the displacement for composite material in periodic struc- ture under the coupled piezoelectricity are derived. The coupled two-scale relation of the electric potential and the displacement is set up, and some finite element approximate estimates and numerical examples which show the effectiveness of the method are presented.

BUCKLING AND POST-BUCKLING OF PIEZOELECTRIC PLATES USING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

The finite element equations considering the geometrical nonlinearity of piezoelectric smart structures are derived based on the total Lagrange method under the assumption of weak coupling between electricity and mechanics. Buckling and post-buckling of piezoelectric-plate with various boundary conditions are investigated. The calculated results show that piezoelectric effects and external voltage can hardly affect the buckling and post-bucking characteristics of piezoelectric-plate under uniaxial pressure while the buckling caused by displacement in-plane has much to do with the electric field.

RANDOM MICROSTRUCTURE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD FOR EFFECTIVE NONLINEAR PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Some theoretical methods have been reported to deal with nonlinear problems of composite materials but the accuracy is not so good. In the meantime, a lot of linear problems are difficult to be managed by the theoretical methods. The present study aims to use the developed method, the random microstructure finite element method, to deal with these nonlinear problems. In this paper, the random microstructure finite element method is used to deal with all three kinds of nonlinear property problems of composite materials. The analyzed results suggest the influences of the nonlinear phenomena on the effective properties of composite materials are significant and the random microstructure finite element method is an effective tool to investigate the nonlinear problems.

Adaptive Lagrange finite element methods for high precision vibrations and piezoelectric acoustic wave computations in SMT structures and plates with nano interfaces

This paper discusses the validity of (adaptive) Lagrange generalized plain finite element method (FEM) and plate element method for accurate analysis of acoustic waves in multi-layered piezoelectric structures with tiny interfaces between metal electrodes and surface mounted piezoelectric substrates. We have come to conclusion that the quantitative relationships between the acoustic and electric fields in a piezoelectric structure can be accurately determined through the proposed finite element methods. The higher-order Lagrange FEM proposed for dynamic piezoelectric computation is proved to be very accurate (prescribed relative error 0.02% - 0.04% ) and a great improvement in convergence accuracy over the higher order Mindlin plate element method for piezoelectric structural analysis due to the assumptions and corrections in the plate theories.The converged lagrange finite element methods are compared with the plate element methods and the computedresults are in good agreement with available exact and experimental data. The adaptive Lagrange finite elementmethods and a new FEA computer program developed for macro- and micro-scale analyses are reviewed, and recently extended with great potential to high-precision nano-scale analysis in this paper and the similarities between piezoelectric and seismic wave propagations in layered structures and plates are stressed.

A dynamic large-deformation particle finite element method for geotechnical applications based on Abaqus

In this paper,the application of Abaqus-based particle finite element method(PFEM)is extended from static to dynamic large deformation.The PFEM is based on periodic mesh regeneration with Delaunay triangulation to avoid mesh distortion.Additional mesh smoothing and boundary node smoothing techniques are incorporated to improve the mesh quality and solution accuracy.The field variables are mapped from the old to the new mesh using the closest point projection method to minimize the mapping error.The procedures of the proposed Abaqus-based dynamic PFEM(Abaqus-DPFEM)analysis and its implementation in Abaqus are detailed.The accuracy and robustness of the proposed approach are examined via four illustrative numerical examples.The numerical results show a satisfactory agreement with published results and further confirm the applicability of the Abaqus-DPFEM to solving dynamic large-deformation problems in geotechnical engineering.

Finite Element Analysis on a Square Canister Piezoelectric Energy Harvester in Asphalt Pavement

A novel square canister piezoelectric energy harvester was proposed for harvesting energy from asphalt pavement. The square of the harvester was of great advantage to compose the harvester array for harvesting energy from the asphalt pavement in a large scale. The open circuit voltage of the harvester was obtained by the piezoelectric constant d33 of the piezoelectric ceramic. The harvester is different from the cymbal harvester which works by the piezoelectric constant d31. The finite element model of the single harvester was constructed. The open circuit voltage increased with increase of the outer load. The finite element model of the single harvester buried in the asphalt pavement was built. The open circuit voltage, the deformation difference percent and the stress of the ceramic of the harvester were obtained with different buried depth. The open circuit voltage decreased when the buried depth was increased. The proper buried depth of the harvester should be selected as 30 - 50 mm. The effects of structure parameters on the open circuit voltage were gotten. The output voltage about 64.442 V could be obtained from a single harvester buried under 40 mm pavement at the vehicle load of 0.7 MPa. 0.047 mJ electric energy could be gotten in the harvester. The output power was about 0.705 mW at 15 Hz vehicle load frequency.

Finite element method simulation for tensile process of sintered iron-base material

Different material properties leads to different metal fracture behaviors. Even if the powder material is composed of plastic metal, the fracture still does not show macroscopic plastic deformation characteristics if the material contains a large number of voids. Eight node isoparametric elastic plastic finite element method was used to simulate the tensile process of sintered powder material. By setting a number of voids in the analyzed metal cuboid, the initial density was taken into consideration. The material properties of the three dimensional solid for the tensile simulation were defined with reference to the known pure iron material parameters. The load displacement curves during elongation were obtained with a universal testing machine, and then the simulated curves were compared with the experimental results. The factors that cause the stress concentration and strength decrease were analyzed according to the simulated equivalent von Mises stress distribution.

Existence and numerical approximation of a solution to frictional contact problem for electro-elastic materials

In this paper,a frictional contact problem between an electro-elastic body and an electrically conductive foundation is studied.The contact is modeled by normal compliance with finite penetration and a version of Coulomb’s law of dry friction in which the coefficient of friction depends on the slip.In addition,the effects of the electrical conductivity of the foundation are taken into account.This model leads to a coupled system of the quasi-variational inequality of the elliptic type for the displacement and the nonlinear variational equation for the electric potential.The existence of a weak solution is proved by using an abstract result for elliptic variational inequalities and a fixed point argument.Then,a finite element approximation of the problem is presented.Under some regularity conditions,an optimal order error estimate of the approximate solution is derived.Finally,a successive iteration technique is used to solve the problem numerically and a convergence result is established.

Friction Characteristics Between Marine Clay and Construction Materials

Structure-soil interface friction characteristics is of importance to investigate the interaction between engineering structures and soils,especially for offshore structures.The interface friction behavior between marine clay and structural materials with different roughness was studied in this paper by using 3D optical scanning tests,a modified direct shear device and numerical simulation.Relationships between the surface roughness of structures,water content and interface friction angle were presented by model tests.The increase of water contents decreased the interface friction angles.For interfaces with different roughness,the interface friction angles will be smaller than that of the soil when the water content exceeds a certain value.The roughness of the interface and the water content of the soil are mutually coupled to influence the coefficient of friction(COF).This paper proposed a Finite Element Method(FEM)to simulate the interface direct shear tests of structures with different roughness.The surface models with different roughness are established based on the structure data obtained by 3D scanning.The Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian(CEL)approach was employed to analyse soils sheared by irregular surfaces.The interface behavior for interfaces with different roughness under cyclic shear stresses was analyzed by FEM.

Finite Element Analysis on Plane Stress Crack Growth in a Power-Law Hardening Material

Aim To determine numerically the field characteristics in the vied at the tip of a place crack growing steadily in a power-law hardening material. Meteods. Methods on the Euler mode and small-scale yield assumption, the numerical results were given by nonlinear finite element analysis. Results The numerical results of the shape of the active plastic sone, the angular distribution of stresseses and Clack tip opening displacement (CTOD) in the vicinity at the hp of the steadily groWing CraCk are determined. Conclusion The comparison between the numerical results given by the present wort and those given by analytic asymptotic analysis shows that the present work reached a very high accuracy.

Enhancing Stress Intensity Factor Reduction in Cracks Originating from a Circular Hole in a Rectangular Plate under Uniaxial Stress through Piezoelectric Actuation

Circular holes are commonly employed in engineering designs;however, they often serve as locations where cracks initiate and propagate. This paper explores a novel approach to structural repair by utilizing piezoelectric actuators. The primary focus of this study is to investigate the influence of an adhesively bonded piezoelectric actuator patch placed above a circular hole on the stress intensity factor (SIF) in an aluminium plate. The plate is subjected to uniaxial tensile stress, while the piezoelectric actuator is excited with varying voltage levels. The analysis is conducted using the finite element method (FEM), a powerful numerical technique for simulating complex structures. The study assesses the stress distribution and employs the SIF as an adequate criterion for evaluating the impact of different patch configurations. The results indicate a strong correlation between the applied voltage and the SIF. Whether the SIF increases or decreases depends on the polarization of the piezoelectric actuator. Particularly noteworthy is the finding that rectangular patches in a horizontal orientation significantly reduce the SIF compared to other patch geometries. Moreover, double-sided patches exhibit a pronounced decrease in the SIF compared to single-sided patches. In summary, this research underscores the potential of piezoelectric actuators in mitigating stress intensity in structures with circular hole with crack initiation. It offers valuable insights into the influence of applied voltage, patch geometry, and patch placement on the SIF, thereby contributing to developing effective strategies for enhancing structural integrity.

Displacement Field Variable Modeling Method for Heterogeneous Materials in Wind Power Blade Core Plates

In order to study the mechanical properties of the heterogeneous core plate of the wind turbine blade,a modeling method of the core plate based on displacement field variables is proposed.Firstly,the wind turbine blade core plate was modeled according to the theory of modeling heterogeneous material characteristics.Secondly,the three-point bending finite element model of the wind turbine blade core plate was solved by the display dynamic equation to obtain the deformation pattern and force-deformation relationship of the core plate.Finally,the three-point bending static test was conducted to compare with the finite element analysis.The test results show that:the damage form of the wind turbine blade core plate includes elasticity,yield,and failure stages.The main failure modes are plastic deformation,core material collapse,and panel-core delamination.The failure load measured by the test is 1.59 kN,which is basically consistent with the load-displacement result obtained by the simulation,with a difference of only 1.9%,which verifies the validity and reliability of the model.It provides data references for wind turbine blade structure design.

Modeling and finite element analysis of transduction process of electromagnetic acoustic transducers for nonferromagnetic metal material testing

Facing the problems lack of considering the non-uniform distribution of the static bias magnetic field and computing the panicle displacements in the simulation model of electromagnetic acoustic transducer （EMAT）, a multi-field coupled model was established and the finite element method （FEM） was presented to calculate the entire transduction process. The multi-field coupled model included the static magnetic field, pulsed eddy current field and mechanical field. The FEM equations of the three fields were derived by Garlerkin FEM method. Thus, the entire transduction process of the EMAT was calculated through sequentially coupling the three fields. The transduction process of a Lamb wave EMAT was calculated according to the present model and method. The results show that, by the present method, it is valid to calculate the particle displacement under the given excitation signal and non-uniformly distributed static magnetic field. Calculation error will be brought about if the non-uniform distribution of the static bias magnetic field is neglected.

Optimal design of butterfly-shaped linear ultrasonic motor using finite element method and response surface methodology

A new method for optimizing a butterfly-shaped linear ultrasonic motor was proposed to maximize its mechanical output. The finite element analysis technology and response surface methodology were combined together to realize the optimal design of the butterfly-shaped linear ultrasonic motor. First, the operation principle of the motor was introduced. Second, the finite element parameterized model of the stator of the motor was built using ANSYS parametric design language and some structure parameters of the stator were selected as design variables. Third, the sample points were selected in design variable space using latin hypercube Design. Through modal analysis and harmonic response analysis of the stator based on these sample points, the target responses were obtained. These sample points and response values were combined together to build a response surface model. Finally, the simplex method was used to find the optimal solution. The experimental results showed that many aspects of the design requirements of the butterfly-shaped linear ultrasonic motor have been fulfilled. The prototype motor fabricated based on the optimal design result exhibited considerably high dynamic performance, such as no-load speed of 873 ram/s, maximal thrust of 27.5 N, maximal efficiency of 43%, and thrust-weight ratio of 45.8.

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.

Implementing the Node Based Smoothed Finite Element Method as User Element in Abaqus for Linear and Nonlinear Elasticity

In this paper,the node based smoothed-strain Abaqus user element(UEL)in the framework of finite element method is introduced.The basic idea behind of the node based smoothed finite element(NSFEM)is that finite element cells are divided into subcells and subcells construct the smoothing domain associated with each node of a finite element cell[Liu,Dai and Nguyen-Thoi(2007)].Therefore,the numerical integration is globally performed over smoothing domains.It is demonstrated that the proposed UEL retains all the advantages of the NSFEM,i.e.,upper bound solution,overly soft stiffness and free from locking in compressible and nearly-incompressible media.In this work,the constant strain triangular(CST)elements are used to construct node based smoothing domains,since any complex two dimensional domains can be discretized using CST elements.This additional challenge is successfully addressed in this paper.The efficacy and robustness of the proposed work is obtained by several benchmark problems in both linear and nonlinear elasticity.The developed UEL and the associated files can be downloaded from https://github.com/nsundar/NSFEM.

ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE LAMINATE BEAMS USING COUPLING CROSS-SECTION FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

Beams and plates manufactured from laminates of composite materials have distinct advantages in a significant number of applications. However, the anisotropy arising from these materials adds a significant degree of complexity, and thus time, to the stress and deformation analyses of such components, even using numerical approaches such as finite elements. The analysis of composite laminate beams subjected to uniform extension, bending, and/or twisting loads was performed by a novel implementation of the usual finite element method. Due to the symmetric features of the deformations, only a thin slice of the beam to be analysed needs to be modelled. Conventional threedimensional solid finite elements were used for the structural discretization. The accurate deformation relationships were formulated and implemented through the coupling of nodal translational degrees of freedom in the numerical analysis. A sample solution for a rectangular composite laminate beam is presented to show the validity and accuracy of the proposed method.

APPLICATION OF STOCHASTIC FINITE ELEMENT METHOD TO STRENGTH AND STABILITY ANALYSIS OF EARTH DAMS

This paper applies the stochastic finite element method to analyse the statistics of stresses in earth dams and assess the safety and reliability of the dams. Formulations of the stochastic finite element method are briefly reviewed and the procedure for assessing dam's strength and stability is described. As an example, a detailed analysis for an actual dam Nululin dam is performed. A practical method for studying built-dams based on the prototype observation data is described.

The 2D Fundamental Solutions in BEM Applied for Piezoelectric Materials

It is expected to solve the piezoelectric problems by using numerical method,e.g.,the boundary element method,since analytical solutions can hardly be obtained due to the deformation,electric field coupling effects of the material and anisotropy of the piezoelectric properties.However,the appropriate fundamental solutions used in boundary element method have not been found so far.In this paper,the solutions of displacement,potential,stress and dielectric displacement field effected by a unit mechanical force and a unit electric charge applied respectively at a point in a two-dimensional infinite domain are derived based on the coupling theory of electromagnetics and continuum mechanics.Hence,the eight indispensable fundamental solutions in BEM are provided.