Cell Attribute-Based Algorithm for Crack Visualization

Abstract

The paper presents the development of the visualization algorithm for propagating cracks. The novel algorithm is based on the cell attribute obtained from the damaged lattice connections employed for discrete element computations of mono-dispersed particulate media. Generation of the cells is efficiently performed by using the positions of particles and the lattice connections. The developed visualization algorithm is implemented in the distributed visualization software VisPartDEM. The efficiency of the software is tested visualizing the datasets resulting from computations of the lattice-based discrete element method. The performance of the developed algorithm is compared with that of the visualization algorithms based on the Voronoi diagrams and the inscribed spheres.