A two-scale model predicting the mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline solids

in Journal of the Mechanics & Physics of Solids (in press)

Polycrystalline materials, with nanosized grains (<100 nm), exhibit superior strength exceeding those of their coarse-grained counterparts. With such small grains, the deformation mechanisms taking place ... [more ▼]

Polycrystalline materials, with nanosized grains (<100 nm), exhibit superior strength exceeding those of their coarse-grained counterparts. With such small grains, the deformation mechanisms taking place at grain boundaries (GBs) become dominant compared to the intragranular crystal plasticity. Recent studies have revealed that the deformation mechanisms are influenced by the GB network. For instance, a high yield stress in nanostructured metals can be obtained by choosing the relevant grain boundary character distribution (GBCD). In this paper we present an original numerical multiscale approach to predict the mechanical behavior of nanostructured metals according to their GBCD composed of either high angle (HA) GBs (HAB) or low angle (LA) GBs (LAB). Molecular simulations using the quasicontinuum method (QC) are performed to obtain the mechanical response at the nanoscale of GB undergoing simple shear (GB sliding behavior) and tensile loads (GB opening behavior). To simulate the grain behavior, a mechanical model of dislocation motions through a forest dislocation is calibrated using a nanoindentation simulation performed with QC. These QC results are then used in a finite element code (direct numerical simulation-DNS) as a GB constitutive model and as a grain constitutive model. This two-scale framework does not suffer from length scale limitations conventionally encountered when considering the two scales separately. [less ▲]

An Energy-Based Variational Model of Ferromagnetic Hysteresis for Finite Element Computations

in Journal of Computational & Applied Mathematics (2013), 246

This paper proposes a macroscopic model for ferromagnetic hysteresis that is well-suited for finite element implementation. The model is readily vectorial and relies on a consistent thermodynamic ... [more ▼]

This paper proposes a macroscopic model for ferromagnetic hysteresis that is well-suited for finite element implementation. The model is readily vectorial and relies on a consistent thermodynamic formulation. In particular, the stored magnetic energy and the dissipated energy are known at all times, and not solely after the completion of closed hysteresis loops as is usually the case. The obtained incremental formulation is variationally consistent, i.e., all internal variables follow from the minimization of a thermodynamic potential. [less ▲]

A micro-meso-model of intra-laminar fracture in fi ber-reinforced composites based on a Discontinuous Galerkin/Cohesive Zone Method

in Engineering Fracture Mechanics (2013), 104

The recently developed hybrid discontinuous Galerkin/extrinsic cohesive law framework is extended to the study of intra{laminar fracture of composite materials. Toward this end, micro-volumes of di erent ... [more ▼]

The recently developed hybrid discontinuous Galerkin/extrinsic cohesive law framework is extended to the study of intra{laminar fracture of composite materials. Toward this end, micro-volumes of di erent sizes are studied. The method captures the debonding process, which is herein proposed to be assimilated to a damaging process, before the strain softening onset, and the density of dissipated energy resulting from the damage (debonding) remains the same for the di erent studied cell sizes. Finally, during the strain softening phase a micro{crack initiates and propagates in agreement with experimental observations. We thus extract a resulting mesoscale cohesive law, which is independent on the cell sizes, using literature methods. [less ▲]

A full-discontinuous Galerkin formulation of non-linear Kirchhoff-Love shells: elasto-plastic finite deformations, parallel computation & fracture applications

in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering (2013), 93(1), 80-117

Due to its ability to take into account discontinuities, the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method presents some advantages for modeling crack initiations and propagations. This concept has been recently ... [more ▼]

Due to its ability to take into account discontinuities, the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method presents some advantages for modeling crack initiations and propagations. This concept has been recently applied to 3D simulations and to elastic thin bodies. In this last case, the assumption of small elastic deformations before crack initiations or propagations reduces drastically the applicability of the framework to a reduced number of materials. To remove this limitation, a full-DG formulation of non-linear Kirchhoff-Love shells is presented and is used in combination with an elasto-plastic finite deformations model. The results obtained by this new formulation are in agreement with other continuum elasto-plastic shell formulations. Then this full-DG formulation of Kirchhoff-Love shells is coupled with the cohesive zone model to perform thin body fracture simulations. As this method allows considering elasto-plastic constitutive laws in combination with the cohesive model, accurate results compared to the experiments are found. In particular, the crack path and propagation rate of a blasted cylinder are shown to match experimental results. One of the main advantages of this framework is its ability to run in parallel with a high speed-up factor, allowing the simulation of ultra fine meshes. [less ▲]

The fracture studies of polycrystalline silicon based MEMS

in EUROSIME 2013 (2013)

The advantages of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), such as low power requirement, miniaturized sizes and costs reduction, have already made significant impact in many technological fields. MEMS ... [more ▼]

The advantages of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), such as low power requirement, miniaturized sizes and costs reduction, have already made significant impact in many technological fields. MEMS are now widely used as accelerometers, pressure sensors, and resonators etc. However, the determination of the mechanical properties of MEMS devices with high accuracy is still a challenging task due to their small dimensions and often anisotropic behaviour. This paper focuses on the modelling and simulation of the fracture of a key MEMS component, which is a polycrystalline silicon beam, by discontinuous Galerkin (DG) formulation combined with an extrinsic cohesive law (ECL) to describe the fracture process. As the beam is modelled by plane-stress 2D elements, an analytical equation to compute the effective fracture strength and the effective critical strain energy release rate in terms of the through-the-thickness fracture mode and of the orientation of the facet with respect to the crystal is also developed. At the end, a model is simulated, and the results are verified as per the physics of the problem and experiments. [less ▲]

Stiction Failure in Microswitches Due to Elasto-Plastic Adhesive Contacts

in Shaw, Gordon; Prorok, Bart; Starman, LaVern (Eds.) MEMS and Nanotechnology, Volume 6 (2013)

Full discontinuous Galerkin formulation of shells in large deformations with parallel and fracture mechanics applications

Conference (2012, July 11)

Fracture mechanical problems can be solved by coupling the finite elements with a cohesive approach. Unfortunately, the classical cohesive methods suffer from severe limitations. Indeed, on one hand, the ... [more ▼]

Fracture mechanical problems can be solved by coupling the finite elements with a cohesive approach. Unfortunately, the classical cohesive methods suffer from severe limitations. Indeed, on one hand, the intrinsic approach, which inserts the cohesive elements at the beginning, has to model the prefracture stage. This requires an initial slope in the traction separation law that should tend toward infinity to avoid lack of consistency leading to obvious numerical problems. On the other hand, the extrinsic cohesive method inserts the cohesive elements during the simulation when a fracture criterion is reached. This insertion requires topological mesh modifications and therefore a very complicated implementation, especially in a parallel code. To overcome these limitations, new methods were developed and in particular, an approach based on discontinuous Galerkin formulation (DG) has been pioneered by R. Radovitzky (Radovitzky cmame2011). The use of the DG principle allows to formulate the problem with discontinuous elements and the continuity between them is ensured weakly by terms integrated on the elements interface . These interface elements can be easily replaced by a cohesive element during the simulation. We have recently developed this approach for shells (Becker cmame2011) to obtain a full DG method. Moreover, a new cohesive law based on the reduced stresses of the thin bodies formulation is developed to propagate a fracture through the thickness. This cohesive model dissipates the right amount of energy during crack phenomena. These developments are implemented in parallel and validated by the study the blast of a notched cylinder, for which experimental and numerical (by XFEM method) data are reported in the literature by R. Larsson (Larsson ijnme2011). Finally, as thin structures are often made of ductile materials, which show large deformations before fracture, the formulation is extended to the non linear case with hyperelastic material law. This one can take into account the damage and a criterion based on the work of Huespe (Huespe plasticity2009) is developed to localize the damage leading to the apparition and propagation of cracks. [less ▲]

Imposing periodic boundary condition on arbitrary meshes by polynomial interpolation

in Computational Materials Science (2012), 55

In order to predict the effective properties of heterogeneous materials using the finite element approach, a boundary value problem (BVP) may be defined on a representative volume element (RVE) with ... [more ▼]

In order to predict the effective properties of heterogeneous materials using the finite element approach, a boundary value problem (BVP) may be defined on a representative volume element (RVE) with appropriate boundary conditions, among which periodic boundary condition is the most efficient in terms of convergence rate. The classical method to impose the periodic boundary condition requires the identical meshes on opposite RVE boundaries. This condition is not always easy to satisfy for arbitrary meshes. This work develops a new method based on polynomial interpolation that avoids the need of matching mesh condition on opposite RVE boundaries. [less ▲]

A multiscale mean-field homogenization method for fiber-reinforced composites with gradient-enhanced damage models

in Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics & Engineering (2012), 233-236

In this work, a gradient-enhanced homogenization procedure is proposed for fiber reinforced materials. In this approach, the fiber is assumed to remain linear elastic while the matrix material is modeled ... [more ▼]

In this work, a gradient-enhanced homogenization procedure is proposed for fiber reinforced materials. In this approach, the fiber is assumed to remain linear elastic while the matrix material is modeled as elasto-plastic coupled with a damage law described by a non-local constitutive model. Toward this end, the mean-field homogenization is based on the knowledge of the macroscopic deformation tensors, internal variables and their gradients, which are applied to a micro-structural representative volume element (RVE). The macro-stress is then obtained from a homogenization procedure. The methodology holds for 2-phase composites with moderate fiber volume ratios, and for which, at the RVE size, the matrix can be considered as homogeneous isotropic and the ellipsoidal fibers can be considered as homogeneous transversely isotropic. Under these assumptions, the method is successfully applied to simulate the damage process occurring in unidirectional carbon-fiber reinforced epoxy composites submitted to different loading conditions. [less ▲]

Stiction failure in microswitches due to elasto-plastic adhesive contact

in Proceedings of the XII SEM International Conference & Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics (2012)

Undesirable stiction, which results from contact between surfaces, is a major failure mode in micro-switches. Indeed the adhesive forces can become so important that the two surfaces remain permanently ... [more ▼]

Undesirable stiction, which results from contact between surfaces, is a major failure mode in micro-switches. Indeed the adhesive forces can become so important that the two surfaces remain permanently glued, limiting the life-time of the MEMS. This is especially true when contact happens between surfaces where elasto-plastic asperities deform permanently until the surfaces reach plastic accommodation, increasing the surface forces. To predict this behavior, a micro adhesive-contact model is developed, which accounts for the surfaces topography evolutions during elasto-plastic contacts. This model can be used at a higher scale to study the MEMS behavior, and thus its life-time. The MEMS devices studied here are assumed to work in a dry environment. In these operating conditions only the Van der Waals forces have to be considered for adhesion. For illustration purpose, an electrostatic-structural analysis is performed on a micro-switch. To determine the degree of plasticity involved, the impact energy of the movable electrode at pull-in is estimated. Thus the maximal adhesive force is predicted using the developed model. [less ▲]