Adaptive coupled discrete/continuous approach for the forming of materials

Abstract

During the manufacturing process of train wheels, industries encounter limitations to study the fatigue cracking problem with the finite element method (FEM). Another method, the discrete element method (DEM), is more adapted to study these types of problems, but it is very expensive. This paper shows a strategy to switch from an initially purely FEM computation to a combined FEM-DEM computation. This switching made it possible to take advantage of both methods. To achieve this strategy, a coupling method and a field transfer method between FEM and DEM have been developed. To validate these methods, numerical test cases are carried out.