Material sensitivity analysis in homogenization of linear elastic composites. (Q5955462)

The author considers an heterogeneous elastic material assuming that the inclusions, which are periodically distributed, are built of a finite number of different disjoint materials. All the materials which are involved (the matrix and the inclusions) are supposed to be linear and transversely isotropic elastic materials. Because the size of different heterogeneities is proportional to a parameter which is associated with the size of the representative volume element, it is possible to describe the homogenized limit behaviour of the heterogeneous structure using the method of effective moduli. The effective elasticity tensor is thus computed in terms of the solutions of local problems. The sensitivity analysis is performed when differentiating the effective elasticity tensor with respect to the parameters under consideration, and thus considering the dependence of the solution of local problems on these parameters. Applying the finite element method to discretize this elasticity problem, the author then constructs an effective stiffness matrix. The rest of the paper deals with sensitivity analysis of this stiffness matrix with respect to elastic coefficients of heterogeneities. The author specially focuses on one-dimensional or two-dimensional cases assuming that the reference heterogeneity is built of a unique material. He gives numerical results illustrating this sensitivity analysis with respect to Young modulus or Poisson ratio of the material filling the inclusion.