No description available.

The performance of smart structures depends on the dynamic electromechanical behavior of piezoelectric sensors/actuators and the bonding condition along the interface. This thesis contents a theoretical study of the coupled electromechanical characteristics of a surface-bonded piezoelectric sensor with interfacial debonding, which is subjected to high frequency mechanical loads. A one dimensional sensor model is proposed. Analytical solutions based on the integral equation method are provided. Numerical simulation is conducted to evaluate the effects of different parameters upon the dynamic load transfer between the sensor and the host medium. The results indicate that, the material combination, the sensor geometry, and the loading frequency, affect the load transfer significantly. The analytical solution of the elastic wave field in the host medium is obtained and used to evaluate the effects of different parameters upon the resulting wave field. The theoretical solution demonstrates the basic properties of wave propagation under current loading conditions.

Cette thèse traite de la modélisation multi-échelle de composites particulaires fortement chargés. La méthode d’estimation, qualifiée d’“Approche Morphologique” (A.M.), repose sur une double schématisation géométrique et cinématique du composite permettant de fournir la réponse aux deux échelles. Afin d’évaluer les capacités prédictives de l’A.M. en élasticité linéaire avec évolution de l’endommagement, l’A.M. est testée vis-à-vis de ses aptitudes à rendre compte des effets de taille et d’interaction de particules sur la chronologie de décohésion. Pour cela, différentes microstructures périodiques simples, aléatoires monomodales et bimodale générées numériquement sont considérées. Les résultats obtenus sont cohérents avec les données de la littérature : la décohésion des grosses particules précède celle des plus petites et est d’autant plus précoce que le taux de charges est important. Puis, l’objectif est de coupler deux non-linéarités traitées séparément dans deux versions antérieures de l’A.M : l’endommagement par décohésion charges/matrice et les grandes déformations. La formulation du problème de localisation-homogénéisation est reprise à la source de manière analytique. Le critère de nucléation de défauts est étendu en transformations finies. Le problème obtenu, fortement non-linéaire, est résolu numériquement via un algorithme de Newton-Raphson. Les étapes sous-jacentes à la résolution (calcul de la matrice tangente, codage en langage Python®) sont explicitées. Des évaluations progressives (matériaux sain et endommagé)permettent de valider la mise en oeuvre numérique. Les effets de taille et d’interaction sont alors restitués en transformations finies. / This study is devoted to multi-scale modeling of highly-filled particulate composites.This method, the “Morphological Approach” (M.A.), is based on a geometrical and kinematicalschematization which allows the access to both local fields and homogenized response. In order toevaluate the predictive capacities of the M.A. considering a linear elastic behavior for the constituentsand evolution of damage, analysis is performed regarding the ability of the M.A. to accountfor particle size and interaction effects on debonding chronology. For that purpose, simple periodic,random monomodal and bimodal microstructures are considered. The results are consistent withliterature data : debonding of large particles occurs before the one of smaller particles and thehigher the particle volume fraction, the sooner the debonding. Finally, the objective is to operatethe coupling of two non linearities which were separately studied in previous versions of the M.A. :debonding between particles and matrix, and finite strains. The whole analytical background of theapproach is reconsidered in order to define the localization-homogenization problem. The nucleationcriterion is extended to the finite strains context. The final problem, strongly non linear, is numericallysolved through a Newton-Raphson algorithm. The different solving steps (jacobian matrix,coding with Python®) are developed. Progressive evaluations (sound and damage materials) allowthe validation of numerical implementation. Then, size and interaction effects are reproduced infinite strains.

No description available.

The problem of a thin elastomeric layer confined between two stiff adherends arises in numerous applications such as microelectronics, bio-inspired adhesion and the manufacture of soft biomedical products. A common requirement is that the debonding of the elastomeric layer from the adherends be controlled to avoid undesirable failure modes. This level of control may necessitate understanding the collective role of the interfacial adhesion, material properties, part geometries, and loading conditions on the debonding. Analytical and numerical approaches using the finite element method and a cohesive zone model (CZM) for the interfacial debonding are used in this dissertation to delineate the role of the afore-mentioned parameters on the initiation and propagation of debonding for both rigid and non-rigid adherends. Extensively studied in the dissertation is the debonding of a semi-infinite relatively stiffer adherend from an elastomer layer with its other surface firmly bonded to a rigid base. The adherend is pulled upwards by applying normal displacements either on its entire unbonded surface or on the edge of its part overhanging from the elastomer layer. The adherend and the elastomeric layer materials are assumed to be linear elastic, homogeneous and isotropic and the elastomer is assumed to be incompressible. Viscoelasticity of the elastomer is considered in the first part of the work. Plane strain deformations of the system with a bilinear traction-separation (TS) relation in the CZM are analyzed. Two non-dimensional numbers, one related to the layer confinement and the other to the interfacial TS parameters, are found to determine if debonding initiates at interior points in addition to at corner points on the adherend/elastomer interface, and if adhesion-induced instability is exhibited. This work is extended to axisymmetric problems in which debonding can take place at both interfaces. Motivated by an industrial demolding problem, numerical experiments are conducted to derive insights into preferential debonding at one of the two interfaces, including for curved adherends. Results reported herein should help engineers design an elastomer layer sandwiched between two adherends for achieving desired failure characteristics. / Ph. D.

In this thesis, the focus has been on micro-mechanical mechanisms in polymer-based materials and structures. The first part of the thesis treats length-scale effects on polymer materials. Experiments have showed that the smaller the specimen, the stronger is the material. The length-scale effect was examined experimentally in two different polymers materials, polystyrene and epoxy. First micro-indentations to various depths were made on polystyrene. The experiments showed that length-scale effects in inelastic deformations exist in polystyrene. It was also possible to show a connection between the experimental findings and the molecular length. The second experimental study was performed on glass-sphere filled epoxy, where the damage development for tensile loading was investigated. It could be showed that the debond stresses increased with decreasing sphere diameter. The debonding grew along the interface and eventually these cracks kinked out into the matrix. It was found that the length to diameter ratio of the matrix cracks increased with increasing diameter. The experimental findings may be explained by a length-scale effect in the yield process which depends on the strain gradients. The second part of the thesis treats mechano-sorptive creep in paper, i.e. the acceleration of creep by moisture content changes. Paper can be seen as a polymer based composite that consists of a network of wood fibres, which in its turn are natural polymer composites. A simplified network model for mechano-sorptive creep has been developed. It is assumed that the anisotropic hygroexpansion of the fibres leads to large stresses at the fibre-fibre bonds when the moisture content changes. The resulting stress state will accelerate creep if the fibre material obeys a constitutive law that is non-linear in stress. Fibre kinks are included in order to capture experimental observations of larger mechano-sorptive creep effects in compression than in tension. Furthermore, moisture dependent material parameters and anisotropy are taken into account. Theoretical predictions based on the developed model are compared to experimental results for anisotropic paper both under tensile and compressive loading at varying moisture content. The important features in the experiments are captured by the model. Different kinds of drying conditions have also been examined. / QC 20100910

<h4>A generalized physics-based modeling framework is presented to analyze: (a) the effects of temperature on identified degradation mechanisms, (b) interfacial debonding processes, including deterministic and stochastic mechanisms, and (c) establishing model performance benchmarks of electrochemical porous electrode theory models, as a necessary stepping stone to perform valid battery degradation analyses and designs. Specifically, the effects of temperature were incorporated into a physics-based, reduced-order model and extended for a LiCoO₂ -graphite 18650 cell. Three dimensionless driving forces were identified, controlling the temperature-dependent reversible charge capacity. The identified temperature-dependent irreversible mechanisms include homogeneous SEI, at moderate to high temperatures, and the chemomechanical degradation of the cathode at low temperatures. Also, debonding of a statistically representative electrochemically active particle from the surrounding binder-electrolyte matrix in a porous electrode was modeled analytically, for the first time. The proposed framework enables to determine the space of C-Rates and electrode particle radii that suppresses or enhances debonding and is graphically summarized into performance–microstructure maps where four debonding mechanisms were identified, and condensed into power-law relations with respect to the particle radius. Finally, in order to incorporate existing or emerging degradation models into porous electrode theory (PET) implementations, a set of benchmarks were proposed to establish a common basis to assess their physical reaches, limitations, and accuracy. Three open source models: dualfoil, MPET, and LIONSIMBA were compared, exhibiting significant qualitative differences, despite showing the same macroscopic voltage response, leading the user to different conclusions regarding the battery performance and possible degradation mechanisms of the analyzed system.</h4>