Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Gustavo Giordani, Fernando Soares, Ignacio Iturrioz
Summary: The challenge of simulating the damage process in both ductile and quasi-fragile materials has led to the development and success of the discrete element method. This approach allows for a natural transition between continuum and cracked regions. Validation of the numerical method is done with fissures introduced in a lattice structure, and the performance of the approach in quantifying damage is discussed in the context of quasi-brittle materials.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FATIGUE
(2021)
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
T. Hirschler, P. Antolin, A. Buffa
Summary: The study introduces a multiscale assembly procedure to reduce assembly time in the context of isogeometric linear elasticity of complex microstructured geometries. The developed approach involves polynomial approximation at the macro-scale and the use of lookup tables with pre-computed integrals at the micro-scale. The strategy shows promising performance in forming finite element operators and computing other quantities efficiently, such as sensitivity analyses in design optimization.
COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Jie Sun, Ang Wang, Hongneng Cai, Xuecheng Han, Zhiyuan Wei, Yaping Huang
Summary: A novel multiscale progressive damage model is proposed in this paper to study the mechanical behavior and damage mechanism of plain woven composites. The model considers the macroscopic behavior of composites by using three-dimensional solid elements and incorporates mesoscale constitutive relationships for the yarn and matrix. By introducing the stress amplification factor (SAF) database based on the microscopic representative volume element (RVE), a progressive damage model is developed using the micro-mechanics of failure (MMF) theory. Validation experiments show that the model accurately predicts the behavior of the composites in quasi-static tension. The proposed multiscale method can be further applied to predict the strength and damage of full-size woven composites under complex loading conditions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Giao Vu, Fabian Diewald, Jithender J. Timothy, Christoph Gehlen, Guenther Meschke
Summary: A reduced order multiscale model for simulating microcracking-induced damage in concrete is proposed, allowing for early identification of failure precursors and application of suitable precautionary measures to reduce repair and maintenance costs. The model simulates microcrack growth in concrete using a two-scale computational methodology and is validated through uniaxial compression tests.
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Jingye Tan, Baoshan Liang, Pratyush Kumar Singh, Kathryn A. Farrell-Maupin, Danial Faghihi
Summary: This study presents a systematic strategy for selecting an optimal predictive computational model. By introducing model-specific validation experiments, the strategy balances the trade-off between complexity and validity of the models, considering the uncertainty in data and model parameters. The results show the importance of choosing the right validation data set for different models, and demonstrate the application of this strategy in multiscale modeling.
COMPUTER METHODS IN APPLIED MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Michael R. Buche, Meredith N. Silberstein, Scott J. Grutzik
Summary: In this paper, an analytical approach is introduced to analyze the mechanical response of single polymer chains using statistical thermodynamics and an idealized single-chain model. The accuracy of the analytical approximations derived from an asymptotically correct statistical thermodynamic theory is demonstrated using various link potential energy functions. This method can be applied to other single-chain models and molecular stretching in general.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Julian M. Jimenez, Tyler Tuttle, Yifan Guo, Dalton Miles, Adrian Buganza-Tepole, Sarah Calve
Summary: In this study, a strategy was presented to quantitatively evaluate the mechanical response and deformation of fibrin gels at both macroscopic and mesoscopic scales. Mechanical testing and confocal microscopy imaging revealed significant changes in volume and fiber alignment during deformation. Computational modeling and finite element analysis enabled the prediction of strain fields in heterogeneous fibrin gels with spatial variations in material properties. These strategies can be applied to characterize and predict the mechanical behavior of other heterogeneous biological tissues and matrices.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Weiwei Wang, Han Wang, Shaohua Fei, Huiyue Dong, Yinglin Ke
Summary: This paper proposes a new concurrent multiscale unit cell model to investigate the in-plane micro-damage evolution of Z-pinned composite laminates (ZCL). The research indicates that in-plane micro-damage initiates from the interface between Z-pin and matrix, with stress concentration and higher local fiber volume fraction playing a major role.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Caleb Widstrand, Chen Hu, Xiaoming Mao, Joseph Labuz, Stefano Gonella
Summary: Advances in topological mechanics have revealed the unique mechanical properties of Maxwell lattices, such as the ability to focus stress and protect against damage. This study provides an experimental exploration of using Maxwell lattices with non-ideal hinges for structural design. The experiments show that the lattice can withstand stress concentration and potential failure, demonstrating the effectiveness of the design approach.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOLIDS AND STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Lin Liu
Summary: Advancements in experimental and modeling techniques enable in-depth analysis of complex systems with unprecedented precision. The crucial role of energy systems necessitates health monitoring to prevent failures. Balancing experimental complexity and computational cost is challenging, thus predictive capabilities in prognostics and health monitoring (PHM) are required. Using lithium-ion batteries as an example, this study summarizes PHM predictive modeling for remaining useful life, anomalies, and failure detection, and introduces a new approach called data-driven prognosis (DDP) for failure detection in such systems.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Lizhe Wang, Liu He, Xiang Wang, Sina Soleimanian, Yanqing Yu, Geng Chen, Ji Li, Min Chen
Summary: In this paper, a multiscale numerical method is proposed to study the effective properties of metal-coated BCC lattices. Parametric studies show that an increase in volume fraction improves the elastic modulus and specific modulus significantly, while an increase in coating film thickness only leads to a monotonously increased elastic modulus. This study provides an effective method for evaluating structural mechanical properties.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Jiaxing Cheng, Guangyu Li, Hui Shen, Longchao Dai
Summary: Reliability issues in MEMS devices are often caused by the evolution of microdefects in materials. The failure at the top level of the device can be traced back to the bottom level of microdefects. Considering the influence of material damage in the stress-strain constitutive equations is crucial for calculating crack propagation force. This paper introduces a combined method of damage and fracture to accurately determine the stress at the crack tip of MEMS thin films.
ENGINEERING FAILURE ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Yifei Li, Peter van Heijster, Matthew J. Simpson, Martin Wechselberger
Summary: Reaction-diffusion equations (RDEs) are derived from lattice-based discrete models, with recent developments allowing for negative diffusion terms. Numerical simulations support shock-fronted travelling waves in RDEs with Allee effects. By embedding RDEs in a larger class of PDEs, the existence of shock-fronted travelling waves has been proven, with different embeddings leading to waves with varying properties.
PHYSICA D-NONLINEAR PHENOMENA
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Lisa Lovqvist, Romain Balieu, Nicole Kringos
Summary: This paper presents a new thermodynamics-based multiscale model of freeze-thaw damage in asphalt mixtures which takes into account the effects of microscale material components, as well as damage acceleration, moisture, and traffic. The novelty of the model lies in its ability to accurately predict and understand the development of asphalt pavement damage by simulating the in-time acceleration of damage, the combined deteriorating effect of freeze-thaw cycles, moisture, and traffic, and the coupling of two scales.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAVEMENT ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Travis Skinner, Aditi Chattopadhyay
Summary: This study presents a multiscale thermomechanical simulation framework to investigate the temperature-dependent damage behavior of woven ceramic matrix composites, successfully simulating the mechanical response of two different CMC materials at various temperatures.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
E. Barchiesi, H. Yang, C. A. Tran, L. Placidi, W. H. Mueller
Summary: Strain gradient continuum damage modelling is used to simulate quasistatic brittle fracture, introducing non-locality by considering strain gradient in deformation energy and allowing stable computation of crack propagation in differently notched samples. The model can also account for wedge cracks, enabling fracture onset at wedge notches.
MATHEMATICS AND MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Bernardino Chiaia, Valerio De Biagi, Luca Placidi
Summary: A hemi-variational formulation is proposed for simulating the properties of a damaged non-homogeneous Timoshenko beam in the context of a dam. The study explores the evolution of damage and mechanics of the beam, showing that the damage is confined to the bottom of the beam.
MATHEMATICS AND MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
(2021)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Bilen Emek Abali, Andre Klunker, Emilio Barchiesi, Luca Placidi
Summary: The response of metamaterials is often modeled using generalized continuum based theories, which require higher-order theories due to the materials' inherent substructure. Utilizing the action formalism and auxiliary variables, this study obtained governing equations for generalized damage mechanics in metamaterials, addressing the absence of damage variable rate in standard approaches. By implementing a finite element method using the FEniCS computing platform, deformation and damage in metamaterials were successfully simulated numerically.
ZAMM-ZEITSCHRIFT FUR ANGEWANDTE MATHEMATIK UND MECHANIK
(2021)
Article
Thermodynamics
Luca Placidi, Emilio Barchiesi, Anil Misra, Dmitry Timofeev
Summary: This paper develops a continuum theory for materials with granular microstructure, accounting for dissipative phenomena like damage and plasticity. Objective kinematic descriptors are proposed to explain grain-grain relative displacements. Numerical experiments validate the model’s applicability and assess the competition between damage and plasticity.
CONTINUUM MECHANICS AND THERMODYNAMICS
(2021)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Emilio Barchiesi, Anil Misra, Luca Placidi, Emilio Turco
Summary: This study provides values of elastic constants for a second gradient continuum, obtained through granular micromechanics assumptions and measuring relative displacements between grain pairs. The research reveals that the elastic constants of a macroscopically linear second gradient continuum can be expressed in terms of micro-scale grain-pair parameters.
ZAMM-ZEITSCHRIFT FUR ANGEWANDTE MATHEMATIK UND MECHANIK
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Valerii Maksimov, Emilio Barchiesi, Anil Misra, Luca Placidi, Dmitry Timofeev
Summary: This study analyzes the mechanical behavior of materials with granular microstructures using a variationally formulated strain-gradient continuum approach. The research shows that this approach can capture microstructural-size-dependent effects, as well as tension-compression asymmetry and microscale damage. Numerical results confirm previous research and demonstrate interesting size-dependent effects typical of strain-gradient modeling.
JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING MECHANICS
(2021)
Article
Mechanics
C. A. Tran, E. Barchiesi, L. Placidi, F. J. Leon Trujillo
Summary: A new block-based elasto-damage model has been developed for masonry structures, inspired by recent literature in granular micromechanics. The model includes adaptations such as impenetrability constraints through energy barriers, and realistic masonry deformation modes have been proven achievable through the analysis conducted in this study.
MECHANICS RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Maria Luisa Grilli, Daniele Valerini, Antonella Rizzo, Mehmet Yilmaz, Chen Song, Guohang Hu, Alexey Mikhaylov, Rosa Chierchia, Antonio Rinaldi
Summary: The study deposited thin Al2O3 films (150 nm thick) on Si substrates using ALD and sputtering, followed by annealing at 900 degrees C for 90 min in N-2 atmosphere. The annealed coatings exhibited higher hardness, with the ALD coating showing the highest hardness (18.8 GPa), indicating clear trends of stiffening and hardening associated with different processes and postprocessing methods.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI A-APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Noemi Fiaschini, Chiara Giuliani, Roberta Vitali, Loredana Tammaro, Daniele Valerini, Antonio Rinaldi
Summary: The antibacterial properties of engineered materials are crucial for various industries like healthcare, food, and water treatment. Nanocoating and electrospinning are low-cost technologies that can be used to manufacture innovative non-woven membranes with antibacterial and antifouling properties. This study demonstrates the use of combinatorial testing and nanocoating to optimize the mechanical properties of electrospun membranes and enhance their antimicrobial resistance.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Somayyeh Rakhshani, Rodolfo Araneo, Andrea Pucci, Antonio Rinaldi, Chiara Giuliani, Alfonso Pozio
Summary: Anion exchange membranes (AEM) are gaining attention as a low-cost solution for water electrolysis to produce hydrogen, providing a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. This article presents the development of a composite AEM by activating a commercial support structure (Celgard (R) 3401) with a commercially available functional group (Fumion (R) FAA-3) through a phase-inversion process. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the phase-inversion procedure through FTIR and SEM analysis. The performance test of the membrane showed promising results, surpassing a commonly used commercial membrane in alkaline electrolysis (Fumasep), and a testing procedure for membrane performance evaluation during electrolysis was developed.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Francesco Torre, Teodor Huminiuc, Paolo Barra, Luciano Pilloni, Tomas Polcar, Antonio Rinaldi, Francesco Delogu, Roberto Orru, Giacomo Cao, Antonio Mario Locci
Summary: Nanocrystalline W100-xAlx powders (x up to 20 at.%) obtained by mechanical alloying were consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Alloying W with Al significantly improved the sinterability, enabling the fabrication of dense samples. The consolidation process did not significantly affect the nanocrystalline microstructure, contributing to the hardness of the final W-Al alloys.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF REFRACTORY METALS & HARD MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Felicia Carotenuto, Noemi Fiaschini, Paolo Di Nardo, Antonio Rinaldi
Summary: Electrospinning has great potential for tissue engineering scaffold manufacturing by mimicking the extracellular matrix and directing stem cell fate. This study discusses a rational methodology based on statistical design of experiments to capture the relationship between electrospinning process parameters and scaffold properties. The obtained models enable material-by-design strategies and accelerate product development. The approach can be applied in the design of multilayer scaffolds with controlled properties and can potentially be merged with artificial intelligence tools.
Article
Electrochemistry
Mariasole Di Carli, Annalisa Aurora, Antonio Rinaldi, Noemi Fiaschini, Pier Paolo Prosini
Summary: In this study, electrospun nanofiber membranes were investigated as separators for lithium batteries. The relationship between process parameters and microstructural properties of membranes made from polyacrylonitrile-polycaprolactone mixtures was identified using a combinatorial approach. The membranes' microstructure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, and temperature and humidity during deposition were analyzed for their influence. Functional evaluation was conducted through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and the membranes showed high specific conductivities. The best performance was observed from the PAN/PCL 50:50 membrane, with excellent cycling stability, high initial capacity, and high coulombic efficiency.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daniela Ariaudo, Francesca Cavalieri, Antonio Rinaldi, Ana Aguilera, Matilde Lopez, Hilda Garay Perez, Ariel Felipe, Maria del Carmen Dominguez, Odalys Ruiz, Gillian Martinez, Mariano Venanzi
Summary: In this study, porous polysaccharide-based microsponges based on crosslinked alginate polymers were developed and characterized. These microsponges showed efficient loading and sustained release of a therapeutic peptide, suggesting their potential as a carrier for controlled peptide delivery.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Dmitry Timofeev, Emilio Barchiesi, Anil Misra, Luca Placidi
Summary: This study investigates the damage behavior of materials with granular microstructures using energy and variational approaches. By considering granular micromechanics through Piola's ansatz and objective kinematic descriptors, evolution equations and displacement evolution equations are derived, showing interesting damage-induced anisotropy evolution and formation of finite localization zones.
MATHEMATICS AND MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
(2021)