Finite element modeling of effective properties of nanoporous thermoelastic composites with surface effects

Abstract

This investigation concerns to the determination of the material properties of nanoscale thermoelastic composites of an arbitrary anisotropy class with stochastically distributed porosity. In order to take into account nanoscale level at the borders between material and pores, the GurtinMurdoch model of surface stresses and the highly conduct- ing model are used. Finite element package ANSYS was used to simulate representative volume and to calculate the effective material properties. This approach is based on the theory of effective moduli of composite mechanics, modeling of representative volumes and the finite element method. Here, the contact boundaries between material and pores were covered by the surface membrane elastic and thermal shell elements in order to take the surface effects into account.