Quantitative Structure-Property Relationship Modeling Using a Meshfree Approach

Speaker: Hailong Chen, University of Kentucky

Abstract
Microstructure-level material mechanical behavior has been predominantly modeled using finite element method (FEM) and its variants. Due to the requirement of mesh generation, difficulties arise in these methods for complex microstructures when automatic quality mesh generation is impossible. More importantly, for simulation involving cracks and discontinuities, classical continuum mechanics-based approaches have the issue of stress singularity at the crack tip or interfaces. Effective modeling and simulation of crack nucleation and propagation using FEM-based approaches are problematic. To overcome these challenges, a nonlocal method called lattice particle model (LPM) was recently developed and has been successfully applied to both composites and metal alloys. Different from the classical continuum mechanics theory, LPM reformulates the equations of motion using integral (spatial) differential (temporal) equations rather than partial differential equations. In this talk, quantitative structure-property relationship modeling using LPM will be presented. Applications of LPM to composites and metal alloys will be discussed.

Bio
Dr. Hailong Chen is a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky (UK) in the Mechanical Engineering Department. Since joining UK, Dr. Chen and his research group have been focusing on developing advanced nonlocal meshfree capabilities for multiscale multiphysics modeling and simulation of materials failure under extreme conditions. Prior to joining UK, Dr. Chen was a postdoctoral computational scientist at Idaho National Laboratory from Nov. 2015 to Aug. 2018, where he worked on developing MOOSE-based and BISON- coupled computational capabilities to meet DOE-NE’s strategic needs. Dr. Chen obtained his Ph.D. from Arizona State University in 2015 under Dr. Yongming Liu, with a research focus on developing computational models for materials failure modeling. Dr. Chen is a member of several research communities, such as Engineering Institute of Mechanics (EMI) and U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM).