Voxel coarsening approach on image-based finite element modeling of representative volume element

Abstract

This study proposed an approach to reduce the high computational demand in image-based finite element modeling based on structured meshing. This approach generates a coarsened finite element mesh containing the two-level resolution of subunits and finer discretization around the phase-boundary through direct translation from an original voxel data of a microstructure. The proposed approach was applied to representative volume elements (RVEs) of polycrystalline aggregates, which are computational results of the recrystallization simulations with the multi-phase-field method. The deformation simulations of the RVEs were performed to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed approach. This approach enables us to reduce the number of elements by over 80% and easily set up the periodic boundary condition at nodes on the corresponding surfaces of the finite element model because the structured mesh in subunit resolution is maintained after the coarsening process.