Consistent application of periodic boundary conditions in implicit and explicit finite element simulations of damage in composites

Abstract This paper presents an implementation-dedicated analysis of Periodic Boundary Conditions (PBCs) for Finite Element (FE) models incorporating highly non-linear effects due to plasticity and damage. This research addresses fiber-reinforced composite materials modeled at micros-scale level using a Representative Volume Element (RVE), where its overall mechanical response is obtained via homogenization techniques. For the sake of clearness, a unidirectional ply with randomly distributed fibers RVE model is assumed. PBCs are implemented for implicit and explicit FE solvers, where conformal and non-conformal meshes can be used. The influence of applying PBCs in the reliability of the mechanical response under tension and shear loading is assessed. Furthermore, the Poisson effect and the consistency of damage and fiber debonding propagation through the periodic boundaries are reported as well as their impact on the homogenized results. Likewise, numerical aspects like computational performance and accuracy are evaluated comparing implicit- versus explicit-based solutions.