Numerical Analysis of Growing the Ductile Damage in Structures Reinforced by SMA Using Continuum Damage Mechanics Approach

In this paper, the numerical study on mechanical behavior of materials reinforced with shape memory alloys (SMAs) in framework of continuum damage mechanics has been investigated. The investigated structure is an aluminum notched piece reinforced with SMA under tension loading. Simulation of the structure has been conducted with nonlinear finite element method. In numerical simulations, the SMA is embedded in the aluminum material and it is assumed that there is no slip between the aluminum and SMAs. To properly account for the mechanical behavior with damage effects, Lemaitre constitutive model via UMAT code have been developed. Simulation results were verified by experimental results. The Brinson model is used to consider the thermomechanical behavior of SMA. The simulation results showed that the mechanical behavior of aluminum with reinforced aluminum is rather different. Also, the presence of SMAs in the notched piece leads to increasing the energy absorption, piece fracture in higher loadings and a decreasing in the damage growth rate.