Direct numerical simulation of complex nano‐structured composites, considering interface stretching and bending effects, using nano‐computational grains. (25th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Junbo; Yan, Peng; Dong, Leiting; Atluri, Satya N.
• Is Part Of: International journal for numerical methods in engineering. Volume 122:Number 6(2021)
• Page Start: 1476
• Page End: 1492
• Publication Date: 2020-12-25
• Subjects: computational grains -- nano‐inclusion -- parallel computation -- Steigmann–Ogden interface stress model; Numerical analysis -- Periodicals; Engineering mathematics -- Periodicals; 620.001518
• DOI: 10.1002/nme.6586
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0029-5981

Abstract

Abstract: Driven by the promising applications of nano‐composites, the Steigmann–Ogden (S‐O) interface stress model is used together with the classical Elasticity theory to model the effective mechanical properties of nano‐composites, considering both interface stretching and bending effects. However, no literature has been reported on analytical or numerical solutions for composites containing multiple three‐dimensional nano‐inclusions with S‐O interfaces. In order to overcome this difficulty, a new type of computational grain (CG) is developed with an embedded spherical inclusion and S‐O matrix/inclusion interface. The stiffness matrix of each CG is computed by a new boundary‐type multifield variational principle together with Papkovich–Neuber potentials. By evaluating and assembling stiffness matrices of CGs along with parallel computations, very efficient direct numerical simulations of complex nano‐composites with a large number of inclusions in a Representative Volume Element of the nanocomposite are essentially realized. Numerical examples demonstrate the validity and the power of the currently developed CGs. Especially, material models with 10, 000 nano‐inclusions are simulated in around 50 min on the 16‐core workstation. The influence of interface elastic bending parameters and spatial distributions of the nano‐inclusions on the overall properties of nano‐composites is also investigated in this study.