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Research

 
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Image-based High-Fidelity Modeling at Material Microscale

Modeling at Microscale

Computational modeling at the material microstructural scale, which relies on fully resolved microstructure, and physics-based constitutive modeling, can provide fundamental understanding of the deformation and failure mechanismsat material microscale, facilitating material selection and design for engineering applications. We aims at developing an integrated microstructure reconstruction and physics-based modeling workflow as shownin the figure above to study various advanced materials. Current research includes Crystal Plasticity Finite Element(CPFE) modeling of high-performance alloys [1, 2, 3], and Interface-enriched Generalized Finite Element Method (IGFEM) for transverse failure response modeling of fiber-reinforced composites [4].

When integrated with sensitivity analysis (e.g., senstitivity of stress-strain response with respect with microscale material/shape parameter), we can achieve microstructure design to achieve desired properties.

 


Reduced-Order Multiscale Modeling and Design

Multiscale

While tremendous progress has been made in microstructure-based and physics-informed microscale modeling, the real world design has not yet befenit as much as they could from these simulations, mainly due to the prohibitive computations cost associated with briding microscale response (e.g., at the order of micrometers) to that of structural scale (e.g., at the scale of cemtimer or even meters).

To address this issue, we focus on developing reduced-order models that use pre-calculated information as well as approximated spatial variance of the microscale response, to formulate a reduced-order system that replaces the expensive microscale problem in a concurrent multiscale modeling framework (5, 6).

This model also features a hierarchical model improvement capability that delivers a series of increasingly refined model with increased computational cost, that eventually recovers the full filed microscale mode. Integrated with sensitivity analysis, it  also allows to conduct reduced-order sensitivity analysis and material design.

 


Multiphysics Modeling of Composite Manufacturing

MultiPhysics

TThe ultimate goal of material modleing and design is to be able to inform the manufacturing process, such that we are able to design the revelant parameters associate with manufacturing that produces a certain microstructure that eventually deliever desired performance at the structural scale. To establisth the link between processing and microstructure and properties at the microscale, both multiscale and multiphysics modleing technique are needed. To achieve this goad, we are activelly working on modleing the chemo-thermo-mechanical process associated with composite manufacturing [7] and metal additive manufacturing.

Contact

I invitate to take a tour of this website. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comments.

Xiang Zhang, Ph.D.,
1000 E. University
Dept. 3295
Laramie, WY 82071