An efficient computational technique for modeling dislocation–precipitate interactions within dislocation dynamics

Abstract

A new computational technique for modeling dislocation interactions with shearable and non-shearable precipitates within the line dislocation dynamics framework is presented. While shearable precipitates are modeled by defining a resistance function, non-shearable ones are modeled by drawing a comparison between the two well-known Orowan and Frank–Read mechanisms. The precipitates are modeled directly within the dislocation dynamics analysis without the need for any additional numerical methods. Due to low computational cost the method is appropriate for simulation of a high dislocation density interacting with large number of precipitates considering different types and various sizes and resistances. It is also efficient for coupling dislocation dynamics with finite element method in multi-scale frameworks since it does not require the mesh to be consistent with the precipitates geometry.