Universitätsbibliothek
Weimar Open Access

Srihari Kurukuri

• This master thesis explores an important and under-researched topic on the so-called bridging of length scales (from >meso< to >macro<), with the concept of homogenization in which the careful characterization of mechanical response requires that the developed material model >bridge< the representations of events that occur at two different scales. The underlying objective here is to efficientlyThis master thesis explores an important and under-researched topic on the so-called bridging of length scales (from >meso< to >macro<), with the concept of homogenization in which the careful characterization of mechanical response requires that the developed material model >bridge< the representations of events that occur at two different scales. The underlying objective here is to efficiently incorporate material length scales in the classical continuum plasticity/damage theories through the concept of homogenization theory. The present thesis is devoted to computational modeling of heterogeneous materials, primarily to matrix-inclusion type of materials. Considerations are focused predominantly on the elastic and damage behavior as a response to quasistatic mechanical loading. Mainly this thesis focuses to elaborate a sound numerical homogenization model which accounts for the prediction of overall properties with the application of different types of boundary conditions namely: periodic, homogeneous and mixed type of boundary conditions over two-dimensional periodic and non-periodic RVEs and three-dimensional non-periodic RVEs. Identification of the governing mechanisms and assessing their effect on the material behavior leads one step further. Bringing together this knowledge with service requirements allows for functional oriented materials design. First, this thesis gives attention on providing the theoretical basic mechanisms involved in homogenization techniques and a survey will be made on existing analytical methods available in literature. Second, the proposed frameworks are implemented in the well known finite element software programs ANSYS and SLang. Simple and efficient algorithms in FORTRAN are developed for automated microstructure generation using RSA algorithm in order to perform a systematic numerical testing of microstructures of composites. Algorithms are developed to generate constraint equations in periodic boundary conditions and different displacements applied spatially over the boundaries of the RVE in homogeneous boundary conditions. Finally, nonlinear simulations are performed at mesolevel, by considering continuum scalar damage behavior of matrix material with the linear elastic behavior of aggregates with the assumption of rigid bond between constituents.…