Fig. 2: In-silico multiscale platform for conductive thermoplastics.
From: In-silico platform for the multifunctional design of 3D printed conductive components
a Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of longitudinal samples were used to reliably capture the mesostructural features in the representative volume elements (RVEs) used. b Diagram of the electrical boundary conditions (BCs) used in the printed samples. The electric potentials were applied to parallel facets of the sample using compatible gripping electrodes with the universal testing machine. c Examples of multiphysical simulations supported by the framework: c.1 Mesoscopic full-field homogenisation controlling both mechanical and electrical macroscopic BCs. c.2 Macroscopic continuum modelling controlling thermal (i.e., temperature and convective terms), electrical (i.e., electric potential) and mechanical (i.e., displacements) BCs, in independent or simultaneous manners. d Multiscale optimisation approach based on a Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) algorithm used to calibrate mesostructural and mechanical parameters. Example of application to obtain the resistivity of the interfilament adhesion zones. The homogenisation framework allows for obtaining the macroscopic resistivity in each principal direction. The macroscopic parameters feed the continuum model allowing for a minimisation of the error between numerical and experimental results (i.e., objective function).
