• Composites Research
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.206-210
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• 2019

As the use of composite materials of woven structure has expanded to various fields such as automobile and aviation industry, there has been a need for reliability problems and prediction of mechanical properties of woven composites. In this study, finite element analysis for predicting the mechanical properties of composite materials with different weaving structures was conducted to verify similarity with experimental static properties and an effective modeling method was developed. To reflect the characteristics of the weave structure, the meso-scale representative volume element (RVE) was used in modeling. Three-dimensional modeling was carried out by separating the yarn and the pure matrix. Hashin's failure criterion was used to determine whether the element was failed, and the simulation model used a progressive failure model which was suitable for the composite material. Finally, the accordance of the modeling and simulation technique was verified by successfully predicting the mechanical properties of the composite material according to the weave structure.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.153.2-153.2
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• 2005

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.279-301
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• 2008

This paper develops a 3D homogenization based continuum damage mechanics (HCDM) model for fiber reinforced composites undergoing micromechanical damage under monotonic and cyclic loading. Micromechanical damage in a representative volume element (RVE) of the material occurs by fiber-matrix interfacial debonding, which is incorporated in the model through a hysteretic bilinear cohesive zone model. The proposed model expresses a damage evolution surface in the strain space in the principal damage coordinate system or PDCS. PDCS enables the model to account for the effect of non-proportional load history. The loading/unloading criterion during cyclic loading is based on the scalar product of the strain increment and the normal to the damage surface in strain space. The material constitutive law involves a fourth order orthotropic tensor with stiffness characterized as a macroscopic internal variable. Three dimensional damage in composites is accounted for through functional forms of the fourth order damage tensor in terms of components of macroscopic strain and elastic stiffness tensors. The HCDM model parameters are calibrated from homogenization of micromechanical solutions of the RVE for a few representative strain histories. The proposed model is validated by comparing results of the HCDM model with pure micromechanical analysis results followed by homogenization. Finally, the potential of HCDM model as a design tool is demonstrated through macro-micro analysis of monotonic and cyclic damage progression in composite structures.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.221-240
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• 2017

The modeling of the mechanical behavior of quasi-brittle materials is still a challenge task, mainly in failure processes when fracture and plasticity phenomena become important actors in dissipative processes which occur in materials like concrete, as instance. Many homogenization-based approaches have been proposed to deal with heterogeneous materials in the last years. In this context, a computational homogenization modeling for concrete is presented in this work using the concept of Representative Volume Element (RVE). The material is considered as a three-phase material consisting of interface zone (ITZ), matrix and inclusions-each constituent modeled by an independent constitutive model. The Representative Volume Element (RVE) consists of inclusions idealized as circular shapes symmetrically and nonsymmetrically placed into the specimen. The interface zone is modeled by means of cohesive contact finite elements. The inclusion is modeled as linear elastic and matrix region is considered as elastoplastic material. A set of examples is presented in order to show the potentialities and limitations of the proposed modeling. The consideration of the fracture processes in the ITZ is fundamental to capture complex macroscopic characteristics of the material using simple constitutive models at mesoscopic level.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.469-482
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• 2010

This paper investigates the concrete permeability through a numerical and statistical approach. Concrete is considered as a random heterogeneous composite of three phases: aggregates, interfacial transition zones (ITZ) and matrix. The paper begins with some classical bound and estimate theories applied to concrete permeability and the influence of ITZ on these bound and estimate values is discussed. Numerical samples for permeability analysis are established through random aggregate structure (RAS) scheme, each numerical sample containing randomly distributed aggregates coated with ITZ and dispersed in a homogeneous matrix. The volumetric fraction of aggregates is fixed and the size distribution of aggregates observes Fuller's curve. Then finite element method is used to solve the steady permeation problem on 2D numerical samples and the overall permeability is deduced from flux-pressure relation. The impact of ITZ on overall permeability is analyzed in terms of ITZ width and contrast ratio between ITZ and matrix permeabilities. Hereafter, 3680 samples are generated for 23 sample sizes and 4 contrast ratios, and statistical analysis is performed on the permeability dispersion in terms of sample size and ITZ characteristics. By sample theory, the size of representative volume element (RVE) for permeability is then quantified considering sample realization number and expected error. Concluding remarks are provided for the impact of ITZ on concrete permeability and its statistical characteristics.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.579-594
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• 2013

A new enthalpy - based procedure for the homogenization of the electromechanical material parameters of composite piezoelectric modules with integrated electrodes is presented. It is based on a finite element (FE) modeling of the latter's representative volume element (RVE). In contrast to most previously published homogenization approaches that are based on averaged quantities, the presented method uses a direct evaluation of the electromechanical enthalpy. Hence, for the linear orthotropic piezoelectric composite behavior full set of elastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric material parameters, 17 load cases (LC) are used where each load case leads directly to one material parameter. This gives the possibility to elaborate a very strict and easy to program processing. In conjunction with the 17 LC, the enthalpy - based homogenization is particularly suitable for laminated composite piezoelectric modules with integrated electrodes. In this case, the electric load has to be given at the electrodes rather than at the RVE FE model boundaries. The proposed procedure is validated through its comparison to literature available results on a classical 1-3 piezoelectric micro fiber (longitudinally polarized) reinforced composite and a $d_{15}$ shear piezoelectric macro-fiber (transversely polarized) composite module.

• Advances in biomechanics and applications
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.23-40
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• 2014

This paper examines the blood chamber of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) under static loading conditions and standard operating temperatures. The LVAD's walls are made of a temperature-sensitive polymer (ChronoFlex C 55D) and are covered with a titanium nitride (TiN) nano-coating (deposited by laser ablation) to improve their haemocompatibility. A loss of cohesion may be observed near the coating-substrate boundary. Therefore, a micro-scale stress-strain analysis of the multilayered blood chamber was conducted with FE (finite element) code. The multi-scale model included a macro-model of the LVAD's blood chamber and a micro-model of the TiN coating. The theories of non-linear elasticity and elasto-plasticity were applied. The formulated problems were solved with a finite element method. The micro-scale problem was solved for a representative volume element (RVE). This micro-model accounted for the residual stress, a material model of the TiN coating, the stress results under loading pressures, the thickness of the TiN coating and the wave parameters of the TiN surface. The numerical results (displacements and strains) were experimentally validated using digital image correlation (DIC) during static blood pressure deformations. The maximum strain and stress were determined at static pressure steps in a macro-scale FE simulation. The strain and stress were also computed at the same loading conditions in a micro-scale FE simulation.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.289-299
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• 2022

Based on the random cracking theory, the cylinder RVE model of reinforced concrete is established and the damage process is divided into three stages as the evolution of the cracks. The stress distribution along longitude direction of the concrete and the steel bar in the cylinder model are derived. The equivalent elastic modulus of the RVE are derived and the user-defined field variable subroutine (USDFLD) for the equivalent elastic modulus is well integrated into the ABAQUS. Regarding the tensile rebars and the concrete surrounding the rebars as the equivalent homogeneous transversely isotropic material, and the FEM analysis for the reinforced concrete beams is conducted with the USDFLD subroutine. Considering the concrete cracking and interfacial debonding, the macroscopic damage process of the reinforced concrete beam under four-point bending loading in the simulation. The volume fraction of rebar and the cracking degree are mainly discussed to reveal their influence on the macro-performance and they are calibrated with experimental results. Comparing with the bending experiment performed with 8 reinforced concrete beams, the bending stiffness of the second stage and the ultimate load simulated are in good agreement with the experimental values, which verifies the effectiveness and the accuracy of the improved finite element method for reinforced concrete beam.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.367-375
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• 2023

Composite materials, known for their excellent mechanical properties and lightweight characteristics, are applied in various engineering fields. Recently, efforts have been made to develop an automotive battery protection panel using a plain-woven composite composed of glass fiber and polypropylene to reduce the weight of automobiles. However, excessive warpage occurs during the GF/PP compression molding process, which makes car assembly challenging. This study aims to develop a model that predicts the warpage during the compression molding process. Obtaining out-of-plane properties such as elastic or shear modulus, essential for predicting warpages, is tricky. Existing mechanical methods also have limitations in calculating these properties for woven composite materials. To address this issue, finite element analysis is conducted using representative volume elements (RVE) for woven composite materials. A warpage prediction model is developed based on the estimated physical properties of GF/PP composite materials obtained through representative volume elements. This model is expected to be used for reducing warpages in the compression molding process.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.663-670
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• 2020

A study on mechanical property characterization and modeling technique was carried out to approximate the behaviour of structures with 2.5D C/SiC material. Several tensile tests were performed to analyze the behaviour characteristics of the 2.5D C/SiC material and elastic property was characterized by applying a mathematical homogenization and a modified rule of mixture. SiC matrix representing the elasto-plastic behavior approximates as a bilinear function. Then the equivalent yield strength and equivalent plastic stiffness were calculated by minimizing errors in experiment and approximation. RVE(Representative Volume Element)was defined from the fiber and matrix configuration of 2.5D C/SiC and a process of calculating the effective stiffness matrix by applying the modified rule of mixture to RVE was implemented in the ABAQUS User-defined subroutine. Finite element analysis was performed by applying the mechanical properties of fiber and matrix calculated based on the proposed process, and the results were in good agreement with the experimental results.