Digital image-based modeling applied to the homogenization analysis of composite materials (Q1376216)

The systematic methodologies to derive accurate microstructural models are developed for studying the mechanical behaviors of composite materials. Since the geometric information about a microstructure is often given by an image or a set of images, the direct interpretation of the geometry is possible by digitizing it. By identifying each pixel or voxel with a finite element (FE) and accompanying appropriate image processing, an FE model can be automatically generated. It is also emphasized that the digitized models can be suitable for solving the FE equations by utilizing the uniformity of the FE mesh. Several kinds of the digitizing techniques are presented to illustrate the potential of digital image-based FE modeling of the unit cell. Keeping the microstructural design in mind, the modification of the plane image is introduced and the virtual realization of the unit cell geometry is presented so that a microstructural analysis utilizing the homogenization method would be realistic.