[petsc-users] Cohesive Element Support

[Matthew Knepley]

On Wed, Jun 17, 2020 at 4:05 PM Jacob Faibussowitsch <jacob.fai at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I am looking to perform large scale fracture and crack propagation
> simulations and have a few questions regarding PETSc support for this.
> Specifically I am looking for cohesive surface element support with a few
> twists:
>
> 1. Is there support for zero thickness surface elements? For example
> modeling virtually flat patches of adhesives holding together two larger
> structures being pulled apart.
>

This is how PyLith works: https://github.com/geodynamics/pylith


> 2. Is there support for “joining” two possibly distinct meshes with
> cohesive surface elements? For example say I have two distinct cylinders
> representing fibers which would “touch" to form an X shape.
>

No, it would have to be coded.


> 3. In a similar vein, is there support for a mesh to fracture entirely
> along a crack formed through the cohesive elements? Imagine the
> aforementioned X configuration separating entirely into two separate
> cylinders again.
>

No, it would have to be coded.


> 4. Is there a mechanism by which you can classify existing elements as
> cohesive elements?
>

See 1.


> 5. Is there an already implemented way of imposing tie-constraints between
> independent meshes? This would potentially be used to tie high order
> cohesive cells which would have a non-conforming interface to the “regular”
> mesh.
>

There is nothing for non-conforming interfaces.


> From googling I have come across DMPlexCreateHybridMesh(),
> DMPlexConstructCohesiveCells(), and DMPlexCreateCohesiveSubmesh(). While
> these do implement cohesive cells  these functions don’t at first glance
> seem to allow one to implement the above.
>

Having worked with cohesive elements for more than a decade, I would be
cautious about a new code using them for fracture. To me, it appears
that variational fracture codes, like those from Blaise Bourdin and J. J.
Marigo's group have much better geometric flexibility, and Maurini's work on
the solver clears up the hardest part.

  Thanks,

     Matt


> Best regards,
>
> Jacob Faibussowitsch
> (Jacob Fai - booss - oh - vitch)
> Cell: (312) 694-3391
>
>

-- 
What most experimenters take for granted before they begin their
experiments is infinitely more interesting than any results to which their
experiments lead.
-- Norbert Wiener

https://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~knepley/ <http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~knepley/>
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