Analysis of micro-stresses in the SiC/Ti metal matrix composite using a truly local meshless method

Abstract

A generalized plane strain micromechanical model is developed for the analysis of unidirectional fibre-reinforced composites subjected to various combined normal loading conditions. Based on the integral form of the equilibrium equations, a truly meshless method is presented to obtain the solution for the governing equations of the problem. By employing the integral form of equilibrium equations for each sub-domain, the domain integration is eliminated from the formulation and the computational time is considerably reduced. The solution domain includes a quarter of the fibre surrounded by the corresponding matrix known as the representative volume element (RVE). The appropriate boundary conditions are imposed on the RVE using a direct interpolation method. The continuity of displacements and reciprocity of traction are imposed on the fibre—matrix interface based on the fully bonded interface condition. The presented model is used to predict the micro-stresses in the SiC/Ti metal matrix composites. Comparison of the CPU time between the presented model and the conventional meshless local Petrov—Galerkin model shows significant reduction of computational time. The results also revealed that the presented model can provide highly accurate predictions with a relatively small number of nodes. Comparison of the predicted results shows excellent agreement with available experimental and finite-element studies.