Now showing 1 - 10 of 43
  • Publication
    Fracture properties of PCBN as a function of loading rate and temperature
    Polycrystalline Cubic Boron Nitride (PCBN) is a superhard material which is used in machining of hardened steels and other abrasive and aerospace grade alloys. In these applications the tools are subjected to high operating temperatures, abrasive and impact loading. Impact loading can lead to the sudden fracture and hence failure of the tool. In this work the static and dynamic fracture toughness of PCBN is determined via a combined experimental-numerical approach. The results show that the fracture toughness of PCBN varies with loading rate
    Scopus© Citations 4  288
  • Publication
    Hierarchical RVE-based multiscale modelling of non-linear heterogeneous materials using the finite volume method
    This paper describes the development of a hierarchical multiscale procedure within the finite volume OpenFOAM framework for modelling the mechanical response of non-linear heterogeneous solid materials. This is a first development of hierarchical multi-scale model for solid mechanics to use the finite volume discretisation method. In this computational procedure the information is passed between the macro and micro scales using representative volume elements (RVE), allowing for general, non-periodic microstructures to be considered. Each computational point at the macro scale is assigned an RVE with prescribed microstructural features. The overall macro response accounts for the microstructural effects through the coupling of macro and micro scales, i.e., the macro deformation gradient is passed to the RVE and in turn, the homogenised micro stress-strain response is passed back to the macro scale. The incremental total Lagrangian formulation is used to represent the equilibrium state of the solid domain at both scales and its integral equilibrium equation is discretised using the cell-centred finite volume (FV) method in OpenFOAM. The verification of the model is demonstrated using both 2D and 3D simulations of perforated elastic-plastic plates subjected to tensile loading.
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  • Publication
    The prediction of dynamic fracture evolution in PMMA using a cohesive zone model
    (Elsevier, 2005-04) ;
    A cohesive zone model was used in conjunction with the finite volume method to model the dynamic fracture of single edge notched tensile specimens of PMMA under essentially static loading conditions. In this study, the influence of the shape of the cohesive law was investigated, whilst keeping the cohesive strength and separation energy constant. Cohesive cells were adaptively inserted between adjacent continuum cells when the normal traction across that face exceeded the cohesive strength of the material. The cohesive constitutive law was therefore initially rigid, and the effective elasticity of the material was unaltered prior to insertion of the cohesive cells. Notch depths ranging from 2.0 to 0.1 mm were considered. The numerical predictions were compared with experimental observations for each notch depth and excellent qualitative and quantitative agreement was achieved in most cases. Following an initial period of rapid crack tip acceleration up to terminal velocities well below the Rayleigh wave speed, subsequent propagation took place at a constant rate under conditions of increasing energy flux to an expanding process region. In addition, attempted and successful branching was predicted for the shorter notches. It was found that the shape of the cohesive law had a significant influence on the dynamic fracture behaviour. In particular, the value of the initial slope of the softening function was found to be an important parameter. As the slope became steeper, the predicted terminal crack speed increased and the extent of the damage decreased.
      716Scopus© Citations 54
  • Publication
    A Block-Coupled Finite Volume Methodology for Linear Elasticity and Unstructured Meshes
    The current article presents a new implicit cell-centred Finite Volume solution methodology for linear elasticity and unstructured meshes. Details are given of the implicit discretisation, including use of a Finite Area method for face tangential gradients and implicit non-orthogonal correction. A number of 2-D and 3-D linear-elastic benchmark test cases are examined using hexahedral, tetrahedral and general polyhedral meshes; solution accuracy and efficiency are compared with that of a segregated procedure and a commercial Finite Element software, where the new method is shown to be faster in all cases.
    Scopus© Citations 64  811
  • Publication
    Thermal shock resistance of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride
    The effect of thermal shock on the exural strength has been investigated experimentally. It was found that the variation in exural strength with quench temperature was influenced by the CBN grain size. Polycrystalline material containing small CBN grains showed a discontinuous drop in measured exural strength above a material dependent critical quench temperature difference, delta Tc. The sharp decrease in measured strength is accompanied by unstable crack propagation. Material containing a significantly larger CBN grain size, exhibited a gradual decrease in strength above the critical quench conditions. The experimental observations agreed with an established theory developed for thermal shock of alumina. The theoretically calculated critical temperatures agree well with the observed experimental data for each material when a aw size equal to the CBN grain size is employed.
    Scopus© Citations 16  841
  • Publication
    Mechanical characterisation of polyurethane elastomer for biomedical applications
    Mechanical testing and modelling of a material for biomedical applications have to be based on conditions representative of the application of interest. In this work, an ether-based polyurethane elastomer is used to build mock arteries. The aim is to study the behaviour of arteries under pulsatile loading conditions and how that behaviour changes with the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Polyurethane elastomers are widely used as biomaterials, e.g. in tube form for bypasses and catheters. However, their mechanical behaviour has not been extensively characterised. This work establishes the variations in the behaviour of polyurethane elastomer with temperature, humidity and strain rate and also reports planar and equibiaxial tension, relaxation, creep and cyclic test results, providing a comprehensive characterisation of the material. Test results are used to determine the properties of the polyurethane elastomer and in the selection of a representative material model for future simulations of arterial behaviour and the development of atherosclerosis. The results show that the behaviour of the elastomer is significantly dependent on both humidity and temperature, with Young’s modulus of 7.4 MPa, 5.3 MPa and 4.7 MPa under dry-room temperature, wet-room temperature and wet at 37 ∘C conditions, respectively. The elastomer also exhibits rate-dependent viscoelastic behaviour. Yeoh’s hyperelastic material model provided the best fit to the entire range of experimental data. The Neo-Hookean model provides a good fit at small strain but significantly diverges at large strains. Nevertheless, in applications where deformations are relatively small, i.e. below 15%, the Neo-Hookean model can be used.
      6582Scopus© Citations 147
  • Publication
    A large strain finite volume method for orthotropic bodies with general material orientations
    This paper describes a finite volume method for orthotropic bodies with general principal material directions undergoing large strains and large rotations. The governing and constitutive relations are presented and the employed updated Lagrangian mathematical model is outlined. In order to maintain equivalence with large strain total Lagrangian methods, the constitutive stiffness tensor is updated transforming the principal material directions to the deformed configuration. Discretisation is performed using the cell-centred finite volume method for unstructured convex polyhedral meshes. The current methodology is successfully verified by numerically examining two separate test cases: a circular hole in an orthotropic plate subjected to a traction and a rotating orthotropic plate containing a hole subjected to a pressure. The numerical predictions have been shown to agree closely with the available analytical solutions. In addition, a 3-D composite component is examined to demonstrate the capabilities of the developed methodology in terms of a variable material orientation and parallel processing.
      984Scopus© Citations 42
  • Publication
    Effect of notch root radius on fracture toughness of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride
    The fracture toughness of five grades of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) has been determined using Single Edge V-Notched Beam specimens. Both coarse and fine grade materials were considered, containing CBN grain sizes of between 1 μm and 22 μm. The influence of notch root radius on the measured fracture toughness was examined. The notch root radius was found to have a major effect for materials with smaller CBN grain sizes while only a small effect was noted for the material with large CBN grain sizes. A simple analytical model was developed to explain the effect of the notch root radius on the fracture toughness and was found to agree well with experiment for all the materials tested. It was shown that the effect of notch root radius is directly linked to the size of the CBN grain. It is proposed that this effect results from the interaction between the microstructure and the stress field around the notch tip.
    Scopus© Citations 33  1247
  • Publication
    Investigating the behaviour of fluid-filled polyethylene containers under base drop impact: A combined experimental/numerical approach
    In this work, the behaviour of fluid-filled plastic containers under base drop impact is investigated using a combined experimental/numerical approach. In addition, theoretical predictions from two approaches, waterhammer theory and a mass-spring model, are also given. Experimental tests are conducted using a specially designed rig for testing plastic containers (bottles). Tested containers are fully instrumented with pressure transducers and strain gauges. The experiments are simulated using a two-system fluid-structure interaction procedure based on the Finite Volume Method. Good agreement is found between measured and predicted pressure and strain histories. Results obtained are in favour of waterhammer theory.
    Scopus© Citations 20  683