XFEM modeling of inelastic material behavior of composite

Abstract

In the present contribution the authors applied numerical homogenization techniques to predict the effective material behavior of composite based on the simulation of a representative volume element (RVE) [1]. An enriched displacement approximation (XFEM) is used to describe weak and strong discontinuities within the displacement field, independent from the underlying FE mesh. For the description of curved material interfaces a higher order XFEM formulation based on quadratic shape functions and consisting integration sub domains is developed. In order to incorporate microscopic damage effects, the XFEM approximation has been combined with a cohesive zone approach to model failure of the fiber-matrix interface. The inelastic properties of the polymeric matrix material are described via constitutive relations of fractional viscoelasticity with process dependent viscous properties.