• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.45-68
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• 2009

An aim of the study is to develop an efficient numerical simulation technique that can handle the two-scale analysis of fluid permeation filters fabricated by the partial sintering technique of small spherical ceramics. A solid-fluid mixture homogenization method is introduced to predict the mechanical characters such as rigidity and permeability of the porous ceramic filters from the micro-scale geometry and configuration of partially-sintered particles. An extended finite element (X-FE) discretization technique based on the enriched interpolations of respective characteristic functions at fluid-solid interfaces is proposed for the non-interface-fitted mesh solution of the micro-scale analysis that needs non-slip condition at the interface between solid and fluid phases of the unit cell. The homogenization and localization performances of the proposed method are shown in a typical two-dimensional benchmark problem whose model has a hole in center. Three-dimensional applications to the body-centered cubic (BCC) and face-centered cubic (FCC) unit cell models are also shown in the paper. The 3D application is prepared toward the computer-aided optimal design of ceramic filters. The accuracy and stability of the X-FEM based method are comparable to those of the standard interface-fitted FEM, and are superior to those of the voxel type FEM that is often used in such complex micro geometry cases.