Equivalent Properties of Periodic Microstructures
Application ID: 23621
This app demonstrates the following:
- Visualization of a periodic structure from a unit cell
- Resetting some or all input parameters
- Export the resulting material properties as an MPH-file or an XML-file that can be imported to a COMSOL Multiphysics session
Periodic microstructures are frequently found in composite materials, such as carbon fibers and honeycomb structures. They can be represented by a unit cell repeated along three directions of propagation.
To reduce computational costs, simulations may replace all of the microscopic details of a composite material with a homogeneous domain with equivalent properties. This app computes the equivalent properties for a geometrical configuration and the material properties of a unit cell to be used in a macroscopic model that uses these composite materials.
Nine different microstructures are given, with dimensional characteristics that are modifiable by the user, as well as thirteen predefined materials. The app calculates the equivalent density, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity or diffusivity of the composite materials.
This application example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Specification Chart and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.