Phase-field modelling of interface failure in brittle materials

Multiscale failure modelling of quasi - brittle materials

Numerical micromechanical modelling of brittle polycrystalline materials

A generally applicable framework for generating a nite element mesh that is based on the actual micro-structure of a material is developed. The procedure is applied to a microscopic image of a ceramic material. Special attention is paid to the modelling of the interfaces between adjoining grains. Plane strain and plane stress nite element calculations are performed. The observed e ective consta...

Intermittency and roughening in the failure of brittle heterogeneous materials

Stress enhancement in the vicinity of brittle cracks makes the macro-scale failure properties extremely sensitive to the micro-scale material disorder. Therefore: (i) Fracturing systems often display a jerky dynamics, socalled crackling noise, with seemingly random sudden energy release spanning over a broad range of scales, reminiscent of earthquakes; (ii) Fracture surfaces exhibit roughness a...

Phase-field modeling and simulation of fracture in brittle materials with strongly anisotropic surface energy

Crack propagation in brittle materials with anisotropic surface energy is important in applications involving single crystals, extruded polymers, or geological and organic materials. Furthermore, when this anisotropy is strong, the phenomenology of crack propagation becomes very rich, with forbidden crack propagation directions or complex sawtooth crack patterns. This problem interrogates funda...

An Algorithm based on Predicting the Interface in Phase Change Materials

Phase change materials are substances that absorb and release thermal energy during the process of melting and freezing. This characteristic makes phase change material (PCM)  a favourite choice to integrate it in buildings. Stephan problem including melting and solidification in PMC materials is an practical problem in many engineering processes. The position of the moving boundary, its veloci...