Homogenization Methods

In many physical problems several scales present either in space or in time, caused by either inhomogeneity of the medium or complexity of the mechanical process. A fundamental approach is to first construct micro-scale models, and then deduce the macro-scale laws and the constitutive relations by properly averaging over the micro-scale. The perturbation method of multiple scales can be used to derive averaged equations for a much larger scale from considerations of the small scales. In the mechanics of multiscale media, the analytical scheme of upscaling is known as the Theory of Homogenization The authors share the view that the general methods of homogenization should be more widely understood and practiced by applied scientists and engineers. Hence this book is aimed at providing a less abstract treatment of the theory of homogenization for treating inhomogeneous media, and at illustrating its broad range of applications. Each chapter deals with a different class of physical problems. To tackle a new problem, the novel approach of first discussing the physically relevant scales, then identifying the small parameters and their roles in the normalized governing equations is adopted. The details of asymptotic analysis are only explained afterwards.

This book focuses on both classical results of homogenization theory and modern techniques developed over the past decade. The powerful techniques in partial differential equations are illustrated with many exercises and examples to enhance understanding of the material. Several of the modern topics that are presented have not previously appeared in any monograph.

Almost all materials are inhomogeneous at the microscale. Typical examples are fiber- and grain structures made of anisotropic phases. These cannot be accounted for in detail in engineering calculations. Instead, effective, homogeneous material properties are used. These are obtained from the inhomogeneous structures by homogenization methods. This book provides a structured overview of the analytical homogenization methods, including the most common estimates, bounds, and Fourier methods. The focus is on linear and anisotropic constitutive relationships, like Hookean elasticity and Fourier’s law for thermal conduction. All sections are accompanied by example calculations, including program code that is also available online.

This volume presents a collection of contributions on materials modeling, which were written to celebrate the 65th birthday of Prof. Nobutada Ohno. The book follows Prof. Ohno’s scientific topics, starting with creep damage problems and ending with homogenization methods.

This book provides an introduction to the theory and numerical developments of the homogenization method. It's main features are: a comprehensive presentation of homogenization theory; an introduction to the theory of two-phase composite materials; a detailed treatment of structural optimization by using homogenization; a complete discussion of the resulting numerical algorithms with many documented test problems. It will be of interest to researchers, engineers, and advanced graduate students in applied mathematics, mechanical engineering, and structural optimization.

This introduction to multiscale methods gives you a broad overview of the methods’ many uses and applications. The book begins by setting the theoretical foundations of the methods and then moves on to develop models and prove theorems. Extensive use of examples shows how to apply multiscale methods to solving a variety of problems. Exercises then enable you to build your own skills and put them into practice. Extensions and generalizations of the results presented in the book, as well as references to the literature, are provided in the Discussion and Bibliography section at the end of each chapter.With the exception of Chapter One, all chapters are supplemented with exercises.

Structural topology optimization is a fast growing field that is finding numerous applications in automotive, aerospace and mechanical design processes. Homogenization is a mathematical theory with applications in several engineering problems that are governed by partial differential equations with rapidly oscillating coefficients Homogenization and Structural Topology Optimization brings the two concepts together and successfully bridges the previously overlooked gap between the mathematical theory and the practical implementation of the homogenization method. The book is presented in a unique self-teaching style that includes numerous illustrative examples, figures and detailed explanations of concepts. The text is divided into three parts which maintains the book's reader-friendly appeal.