Dr.-Ing. Kumar, Paras
Dr.-Ing. Paras Kumar
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Configurational Mechanics of Soft Materials: Revolutionising Geometrically Nonlinear Fracture
(Drittmittelfinanzierte Einzelförderung)
Laufzeit: 1. Januar 2023 - 31. Dezember 2027
Mittelgeber: Europäische Union (EU)SoftFrac will revolutionise geometrically nonlinear fracture mechanics of soft materials (in short soft fracture) by capitalising on configurational mechanics, an unconventional continuum formulation that I helped shaping over the past decades. Mastering soft fracture will result in disruptive progress in designing the failure resilience of soft devices, i.e. soft robotics, stretchable electronics and tissue engineering applications. Soft materials are challenging since they can display moduli as low as only a few kPa, thus allowing for extremely large deformations. Geometrically linear fracture mechanics is well established, nevertheless not applicable for soft fracture given the over-restrictive assumptions of infinitesimal deformations. The appropriate geometrically nonlinear, finite deformation counterpart is, however, still in its infancy. By combining innovative data-driven/data-adaptive constitutive modelling with novel configurational-force-driven fracture onset and crack propagation, I will overcome the fundamental obstacles to date preventing significant progress in soft fracture. I propose three interwoven research Threads jointly addressing challenging theoretical, computational and experimental problems in soft fracture. The theoretical Thread establishes a new constitutive modelling ansatz for soft in/elastic materials, and develops the transformational configurational fracture approach. The computational Thread provides the associated novel algorithmic setting and delivers high-fidelity discretisation schemes to numerically follow crack propagation driven by accurately determined configurational forces. The experimental Thread generates and analyses comprehensive experimental data of soft materials and their geometrically nonlinear fracture for properly calibrating and validating the theoretical and computational developments. Ultimately, SoftFrac, for the first time, opens up new horizons for holistically exploring the nascent field soft fracture.
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Teilprojekt P8 - Fracture in Polymer Composites: Meso to Macro
(Drittmittelfinanzierte Gruppenförderung – Teilprojekt)
Titel des Gesamtprojektes: Skalenübergreifende Bruchvorgänge: Integration von Mechanik, Materialwissenschaften, Mathematik, Chemie und Physik (FRASCAL)
Laufzeit: 2. Januar 2019 - 31. Dezember 2027
Mittelgeber: DFG / Graduiertenkolleg (GRK)
URL: https://www.frascal.research.fau.eu/home/research/p-8-fracture-in-polymer-composites-meso-to-macro/The mechanical properties and the fracture toughness of polymers can be increased by adding silica nanoparticles. This increase is mainly caused by the development of localized shear bands, initiated by the stress concentrations due to the silica particles. Other mechanisms responsible for the observed toughening are debonding of the particles and void growth in the matrix material. The particular mechanisms depend strongly on the structure and chemistry of the polymers and will be analysed for two classes of polymer-silica composites, with highly crosslinked thermosets or with biodegradable nestled fibres (cellulose, aramid) as matrix materials.
The aim of the project is to study the influence of different mesoscopic parameters, as particle volume fraction, on the macroscopic fracture properties of nanoparticle reinforced polymers.
2023
Computational modeling of fracture in polymer nanocomposites undergoing large deformations via the graded-interphase-enhanced phase-field fracture approach
In: Proceedings in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics 23 (2023), Art.Nr.: e202300247
ISSN: 1617-7061
DOI: 10.1002/pamm.202300247
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A comparative assessment of different adaptive spatial refinement strategies in phase-field fracture models for brittle fracture
In: Forces in Mechanics 10 (2023), S. 100157
ISSN: 2666-3597
DOI: 10.1016/j.finmec.2022.100157
URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666359722000853
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2022
Computational Fracture Modeling in Heterogeneous Materials - Recent Advances and Future Challenges
conference, WCCM-APCOM 15th World Congress on Computational Mechanics & 8th Asian Pacific Congress on Computational Mechanics (Yokohama (online), 31. Juli 2022 - 5. August 2022)
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A graded interphase enhanced phase-field approach for modeling fracture in polymer composites
In: Forces in Mechanics 9 (2022), Art.Nr.: 100135
ISSN: 2666-3597
DOI: 10.1016/j.finmec.2022.100135
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2021
Size Effects in Computational Homogenization of Polymer Nano-Composites
In: Proceedings in Applied Mathematics & Mechanics 2021
DOI: 10.1002/pamm.202000047
URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pamm.202000047
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Enhanced computational homogenization techniques for modelling size effects in polymer composites
In: Computational Mechanics (2021)
ISSN: 0178-7675
DOI: 10.1007/s00466-021-02037-x
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