A Stochastic Homogenized Peridynamic Model for Intraply Fracture in Fiber-Reinforced Composites

Abstract

The quasi-static transverse fracture behavior in unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites (FRCs) is investigated using a new intermediately-homogenized peridynamic (IH-PD) model and a fully homogenized peridynamic (FH-PD) model. The novelty in the IH-PD model here is accounting for the topology of the fiber-phase in the transverse sample loading via a calibration to the Halpin-Tsai model. Both models can capture well the measured load-displacement behavior observed experimentally for intraply fracture, without the need for an explicit representation of microstructure geometry of the FRC. The IH-PD model, however, is more accurate and produces crack path tortuosity as well as a non-monotonic load-crack-opening softening curve, similar to what is observed experimentally. These benefits come from the preservation of some micro-scale heterogeneity, stochastically generated in the IH-PD model to match the composite’s fiber volume fraction, while its computational cost is equivalent to that of an FH-PD model. We also present a three-point bending transverse loading case in which the two models lead to dramatically different failure modes: the FH-PD model shows that failure always starts from the off-center pre-notch, while the IH-PD model, when the pre-notch is sufficiently off-center, finds that the composite fails from the center of the sample, not from the pre-notch. Experiments that can confirm these findings are sought.

Efficient Solutions for Nonlocal Diffusion Problems Via Boundary-Adapted Spectral Methods

“…Peridynamics, as a nonlocal extension of continuum mechanics [13,14], has been successful in modeling damage evolution and material failure [15,16,13]. Dynamic brittle fracture [17][18][19], fatigue and thermallyinduced cracking [20,16], fracture in porous and granular materials [21][22][23], failure of composites [24,25], corrosion damage [26][27][28][29], and stress corrosion cracking [30][31][32], are among some applications of this formulation in modeling material damage.…”

Uncovering the dynamic fracture behavior of PMMA

“…Peridynamics was introduced as a nonlocal form of continuum mechanics by Silling in 2000 [8] for modeling damage and fracture. Since then, it has been extended to a variety of other problems in which domain changes/discontinuities are part of the problem [9][10][11][12][13][14]. In this theory, each material point is connected through peridynamic bonds to other points within a certain neighborhood region called "the horizon region" [15].…”