No label defined (Q4489934)

This paper is devoted to mathematical modeling of hysteretic behavior exibited by shape memory alloys in the pseudoelastic temperature range. The quasistatic phase transformations are considered, which occur at a constant temperature above the austenite finish temperature. In this case, there are stress-induced austenite/martensite phase transformations, whose characteristic features are stress-strain hysteresis loops in the process of subsequent loading and unloading. Based on the mathematical model for the pseudoelastic behavior by \textit{Y. Huo} and \textit{I. Müller} [Contin. Mech. Thermodyn. 5, 163-204 (1993; Zbl 0780.73006)], and a description of internal hysteresis loops by \textit{V. I. Levitas} [Mech. Res. Comm. 21, 273-280 (1994; Zbl 0800.73095)], the paper studies the qualitative behavior of internal hysteresis loops in dependence on hardening and material homoheneity. It is assumed that two phases (here austenite and martensite) may coexist at each material point, which corresponds to relaxation of the energy. The thermomechanical model is based on a common quadratic expression of free energy for each phase. The structural rearrangements at a microscale are accounted for by means of an internal variable defined by concentration of the product (martensitic) phase. The free energy of the mixture is a weighted sum of free energies of the phases and the mixing energy. The authors consider the pseudoelastic behavior of one-dimensional bar, as an isothermal quasistatic deformation-controlled process. In the case of hardening, the authors prove an existence and uniqueness result for solutions under the assumption of a piecewise monotone loading. In the case of no hardening and a homogeneous bar, there are infinitely many solutions displaying completely different system behavior. The authors study the limit of hardening and material inhomogeneity, going to 0 simultaneously such that their relative size can be measured by a positive parameter. In this limit, there is a distinguished solution for homogeneous problem without hardening, which still depends on the above parameter, and thus contains information about the relative size of hardening and inhomogeneity. Then, a numerical method is used to calculate the system behavior for cycles of loading, unloading and reloading. The numerical scheme is devised by time and space discretization, and there is a numerical evidence for its convergence. Finally, the authors analyze the system behavior under loading cycles. The main results show that in the case of large inhomogeneity and small hardening the system behavior does not display internal loops and follow the outer hysteresis loop. Only in the case of large hardening and small inhomogeneity the points are forced to behave similar at each point of the bar, and the system behavior shows the desired internal loops.