An Automated Remeshing Algorithm for the Numerical Analysis of Propagating Delaminations

Delaminations are a critical failure mode for composite laminates. The Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) is a useful tool to analyse propagating delaminations in numerical simulations. However, it is a mesh dependent technique: when the mesh is not conformal to the delamination front, incorrect calculations of the strain energy release rate are possible. This has severely affected the applicability of VCCT to complex cases with large and curved crack fronts. In this work, we implemented an automated remeshing algorithm capable of creating meshes that are always conformal to the delamination front. The algorithm was implemented using a sequential-simulation approach: several simulations are launched, where each simulation is automatically prepared and launched based on the results of the previous. This was shown to accelerate significantly the computational time required. The developed algorithm was able to eliminate the numerical errors due to the non-conformity between the mesh and the delamination front. Discrepancies from the considered experimental reference case are still present, but can be further investigated thanks to the versatility of the sequential-simulation approach. This work sets the basis for such further development of the remeshing algorithm and its implementation in a fatigue modelling approach.