Modelling Damage Progression by a Statistical Energy-Balance Algorithm

In this contribution some characteristics and predictive capabilities are discussed of a recently introduced model for damage progression and energy release, in view of modelling Acoustic Emission. The specimen is discretized in a network of connected springs, similar to a Fibre Bundle Model approach, with the spring intrinsic strengths statistically distributed according to a Weibull distribution. Rigorous energy balance considerations allow the determination of the dissipated energy due to crack surface formation and kinetic energy propagation. Based on results of simulations, the macroscopic behaviour emerging from different choices at “mesoscopic” level is discussed, in particular the relevance of model parameters such as the distribution of spring cross sections, Weibull modulus values, and discretization parameters in determining results like stressstrain curves and energy scaling versus time or specimen size.