Abstract

Simulating the mechanical behavior of materials with complex microstructures has been a longstanding challenge in the field of computational mechanics. This presentation by Dr. Soheil Soghrati will introduce a new mesh generation algorithm, named Conforming to Interface Structured Adaptive Mesh Refinement (CISAMR), for creating high fidelity finite element models of such problems. CISAMR transforms a simple structured grid into a high-quality conforming mesh with appropriate element aspect ratios and negligible discretization error using a non-iterative algorithm. Similar to eXtended FEM (XFEM), CISAMR preserves the original structure of the background grid after the construction of conforming elements. Moreover, unlike conventional mesh generation algorithms such as Octree-based methods, CISAMR does not need an iterative smoothing or relaxation process to improve element aspect ratios and thereby can easily handle complex morphologies. To fully automate the modeling process, CISAMR is integrated with a novel microstructure reconstruction algorithm relying on statistical and geometrical information extracted from digital data such as microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) images. This algorithm not only can reconstruct microstructural models with realistic fiber/inclusion shapes but also can accurately synthesize the target volume fraction and spatial arrangement of heterogeneities. The current presentation demonstrates the application of this integrated computational framework for studying the multiscale failure response of a variety of composite materials subject to thermo-mechanical loadings, including heterogonous structural adhesives, carbon fiber reinforced polymers, and cross-linked non-woven entangled fiberglass packs.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Soheil Soghrati is an assistant professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering & Materials Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University (OSU). He earned his PhD in Structural Engineering with Minor in Computational Science in Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received his Masters and Bachelor degrees in Civil Engineering from Isfahan University of Technology. Dr. Soghrati joined the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at OSU in June 2013 with a joint appointment in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He is also one of the steering board faculty members of the Simulation Innovation and Modeling Center (SIMCenter) at OSU. Dr. Soghrati’s research interests lay in the area of computational solid mechanics, with special focus on the development and application of advanced numerical techniques for the automated modeling of problems with complex and/or evolving morphologies. Some of the ongoing research projects in his research group include simulating localized corrosion processes, multiscale failure response of composite materials, modeling non-woven entangled materials, computational design of Lithium-ion battery electrodes, and modeling sheet mold compounds.