A Multiscale Computational Model Combining a Single Crystal Plasticity Constitutive Model with the Generalized Method of Cells (GMC) for Metallic Polycrystals

A multiscale computational model is developed for determining the elasto-plastic behavior of polycrystal metals by employing a single crystal plasticity constitutive model that can capture the microstructural scale stress field on a finite element analysis (FEA) framework. The generalized method of cells (GMC) micromechanics model is used for homogenizing the local field quantities. At first, the stand-alone GMC is applied for studying simple material microstructures such as a repeating unit cell (RUC) containing single grain or two grains under uniaxial loading conditions. For verification, the results obtained by the stand-alone GMC are compared to those from an analogous FEA model incorporating the same single crystal plasticity constitutive model. This verification is then extended to samples containing tens to hundreds of grains. The results demonstrate that the GMC homogenization combined with the crystal plasticity constitutive framework is a promising approach for failure analysis of structures as it allows for properly predicting the von Mises stress in the entire RUC, in an average sense, as well as in the local microstructural level, i.e., each individual grain. Two–three orders of saving in computational cost, at the expense of some accuracy in prediction, especially in the prediction of the components of local tensor field quantities and the quantities near the grain boundaries, was obtained with GMC. Finally, the capability of the developed multiscale model linking FEA and GMC to solve real-life-sized structures is demonstrated by successfully analyzing an engine disc component and determining the microstructural scale details of the field quantities.