Open Access

ABSTRACT

Multiscale simulation of crack propagation using variable-node finite elements

Dongwoo Sohn¹, Jae Hyuk Lim², Young-Sam Cho³, Seyoung Im¹

1 School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Systems Engineering, Division of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Science Town, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
2 Satellite Structure Department, Satellite Technology Development Office, Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), Science Town, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
3 Division of Mechanical and Automobile Engineering, College of Engineering, Wonkwang University, 344-2 Shinyoung-dong, Iksan, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences 2009, 10(2), 53-54. https://doi.org/10.3970/icces.2009.010.053

Abstract

A novel multiscale finite element (FE) scheme is proposed for a simulation of crack propagation in the heterogeneous media including randomly distributed microstructures, such as voids, rigid fibers. A fine scale mesh is employed to capture the singularity of the crack tip and the effect of microstructures at the vicinity of crack tip. On the other hand, a region far from the crack tip is composed of coarse scale mesh, wherein the effect of the microstructures is averaged through the homogenization theory. An interface between the fine scale mesh and the coarse scale mesh is connected by variable-node finite elements in a seamless way. As moving the crack tip, the elements including the crack tip are automatically remeshed with the conventional quarter-point singular element. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme, several numerical examples are presented, and the effect of microstructures on the crack path is considered in terms of the parameters of fracture mechanics.

---