Level set X-FEM non matching meshes: application to dynamic crack propagation in elastic-plastic media

Benoit Prabel (1, 2, 3) , Alain Combescure (1) , Anthony Gravouil (1, 3) , Stéphane Marie (4, 5)

1 LaMCoS - Laboratoire de Mécanique des Contacts et des Structures [Villeurbanne]
2 DYN - Laboratoire d'études de DYNamique
3 MIMESIS - Mécanique Multiéchelle pour les solides
4 LISN - Laboratoire d'Intégrité des Structures et de Normalisation
5 DM2S - Département de Modélisation des Systèmes et Structures

This paper develops two aspects improving crack propagation modeling with the X-FEM method. On the one hand, it explains how one can use at the same time a regular structured mesh for a precise and efficient level set update and an unstructured irregular one for the mechanical model. On the other hand, a new numerical scheme based on the X-FEM method is proposed for dynamic elastic-plastic situations. The simulation results are compared with two experiments on PMMA for which crack speed and crack path are provided.

Mots clés: extended finite element method; xfem; plasticity; level set; dynamic crack propagation; experiments; fracture mechanics

Domaines: Mécanique [physics.med-ph]; Mécanique des solides [physics.class-ph]

Benoit Prabel, Alain Combescure, Anthony Gravouil, Stéphane Marie. Level set X-FEM non matching meshes: application to dynamic crack propagation in elastic-plastic media. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 2006, 69 (8), pp.1553-1569. ⟨10.1002/nme.1819⟩. ⟨cea-00475611⟩