• Computers and Concrete
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.35-50
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• 2012

The 2D representative volume element (RVE) for softening quasi-brittle materials like concrete is determined. Two alternative methods are presented to determine a size of RVE in concrete subjected to uniaxial tension by taking into account strain localization. Concrete is described as a heterogeneous three-phase material composed of aggregate, cement matrix and bond. The plane strain FE calculations of strain localization at meso-scale are carried out with an isotropic damage model with non-local softening.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.85-91
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• 2022

The demand for electric vehicles has increased because of environmental regulations. The lithium-ion battery, the most widely used type of battery in electric vehicles, is composed of a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte. It is manufactured according to the pole plate, assembly, and formation processes. To improve battery performance and increase manufacturing efficiency, the manufacturing process must be optimized. To do so, simulation can be used to reduce wasted resources and time, and a finite-element method can be utilized. For high simulation quality, it is essential to reflect the material properties of the electrode by considering the pores. However, the material properties of electrodes are difficult to derive through measurement. In this study, the representative volume element method, which is a homogenization method, was applied to estimate the representative material properties of the electrode considering the pores. The representative volume element method assumes that the strain energy before and after the conversion into a representative volume is conserved. The method can be converted into one representative property, even when nonhomogeneous materials are mixed in a unit volume. In this study, the material properties of the electrode considering the pores were derived. The results should be helpful in optimizing the electrode manufacturing process and related element technologies.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.5
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• pp.651-659
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• 2021

In this study, a new constitutive model has been developed to predict the elastic behavior of plain weave textile composites, using the finite element (FE) method. The geometric conditions and basic assumptions of this model are based on the basics of a continuum theory developed for the plane curved composites. In this model, the mechanical properties of the weave region and pure matrix region is calculated separately and then imported for the FE analysis. This new constitutive model is used to implement the mechanical properties of weave region in the representative volume element (RVE). The constitutive relations are implemented as user-material subroutine code (UMAT) in ABAQUS® FE software. The results of FE analysis have been compared with experimental results and other data available in the literature. These comparisons confirmed the capability of the presented model for the prediction of effective elastic properties of plain weave fabric composites.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.114-117
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• 2002

To develop an effective geometric modeling is essential in order that precise material properties of the 3-D braided composite can be estimated. in this study RVE(representative volume element) which is the smallest volume element representing whole material properties is developed to estimate the mechanical properties of 3-D flat board shaped braided composite using volume averaging method.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2017

Despite the exceptional mechanical properties of individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the effective properties of CNT-reinforced composites remain below expectations. The composite's microstructure has been identified as a key factor in explaining this discrepancy. In this contribution, a method for generating representative volume elements of aligned CNT sheets is presented. The model captures material characteristics such as random waviness and entanglement of individual nanotubes. Thus it allows studying microstructural effects on the composite's effective properties. Simulations investigating the strengthening effect of the application of a pre-stretch on the CNTs are carried out and found to be in very good agreement with experimental values. They highlight the importance of the nanotube's waviness and entanglement for the mechanical behavior of the composite. The presented representative volume elements are the first to accurately capture the waviness and entanglement of CNT sheets for realistically high volume fractions.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2017

In this study, a finite element analysis approach is proposed to predict the fluid-structure interaction behavior of active materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which are mainly composed of graphite powder. The porous matrix of graphite powder saturated with fluid electrolyte is considered a representative volume element (RVE) model. Three different RVE models are proposed to consider the uncertainty of the powder shape and the porosity. P-wave modulus from RVE solutions are analyzed based on the microstructure and the interaction between the fluid and the graphite powder matrix. From the results, it is found that the large surface area of the active material results in low mechanical properties of LIB, which leads to poor structural durability when subjected to dynamic loads. The results obtained in this study provide useful information for predicting the mechanical safety of a battery pack.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1722-1729
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• 2006

Predicting the mechanical properties of the 3-D scaffold using finite element method (FEM) simulation is important to the practical application of tissue engineering. However, the porous structure of the scaffold complicates computer simulations, and calculating scaffold models at the pore level is time-consuming. In some cases, the demands of the procedure are too high for a computer to run the standard code. To address this problem, the representative volume element (RVE) theory was introduced, but studies on RVE modeling applied to the 3-D scaffold model have not been focused. In this paper, we propose an improved FEM-based RVE modeling strategy to better predict the mechanical properties of the scaffold prior to fabrication. To improve the precision of RVE modeling, we evaluated various RVE models of newly designed 3-D scaffolds using FEM simulation. The scaffolds were then constructed using microstereolithography technology, and their mechanical properties were measured for comparison.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.367-375
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• 2023

Composite materials, known for their excellent mechanical properties and lightweight characteristics, are applied in various engineering fields. Recently, efforts have been made to develop an automotive battery protection panel using a plain-woven composite composed of glass fiber and polypropylene to reduce the weight of automobiles. However, excessive warpage occurs during the GF/PP compression molding process, which makes car assembly challenging. This study aims to develop a model that predicts the warpage during the compression molding process. Obtaining out-of-plane properties such as elastic or shear modulus, essential for predicting warpages, is tricky. Existing mechanical methods also have limitations in calculating these properties for woven composite materials. To address this issue, finite element analysis is conducted using representative volume elements (RVE) for woven composite materials. A warpage prediction model is developed based on the estimated physical properties of GF/PP composite materials obtained through representative volume elements. This model is expected to be used for reducing warpages in the compression molding process.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.1549-1559
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• 2022

As an accident tolerant fuel (ATF) concept, oxide dispersion strengthened Zircaloy-4 (ODS Zry-4) cladding has been developed to enhance the mechanical properties of cladding using laser processing technology. In this study, a simulation technique was established to investigate the mechanical properties and effects of Y₂O₃ particles for the ODS Zry-4. A 3D representative volume element (RVE) model was developed considering the parameters of the size, shape, distribution and volume fraction (VF) of the Y₂O₃ particles. From the 3D RVE model, the Young's modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and creep strain rate of the ODS Zry-4 were effectively calculated. It was observed that the VF of Y₂O₃ particles had a significant effect on the aforementioned mechanical properties. In addition, the predicted properties of ODS Zry-4 were applied to a simulation model to investigate cladding deformation under a transient condition. The ODS Zry-4 cladding showed better performance, such as a delay in large deformation compared to Zry-4 cladding, which was also found experimentally. Accordingly, it is expected that the simulation approach developed here can be efficiently employed to predict more properties and to provide useful information with which to improve ODS Zry-4.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1085-1103
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• 2016

The present paper is aimed to evaluate and compare the effective elastic properties of CNT- and graphene-based nanocomposites using 3-D nanoscale representative volume element (RVE) based on continuum mechanics using finite element method (FEM). Different periodic displacement boundary conditions are applied to the FEM model of the RVE to evaluate various elastic constants. The effects of the matrix material, the volume fraction and the length of reinforcements on the elastic properties are also studied. Results predicted are validated with the analytical and/or semiempirical results and the available results in the literature. Although all elastic stiffness properties of CNT- and graphene-based nanocomposites are found to be improved compared to the matrix material, but out-of-plane and in-plane stiffness properties are better improved in CNT- and graphene-based nanocomposites, respectively. It is also concluded that long nanofillers (graphene as well as CNT) are more effective in increasing the normal elastic moduli of the resulting nanocomposites as compared to the short length, but the values of shear moduli, except $G_{23}$ of CNT nanocomposite, of nanocomposites are slightly improved in the case of short length nanofillers (i.e., CNT and graphene).