phase field model

In our recent work, we have developed a thermomechanical theory for multiphase flows, wich particular focus on the van der Waals fluid. By invoking Gurtin's microforce theory, the Coleman-Noll approach is generalized to derive constitutive relations in the presence of non-local effects. A new fully discrete numerical scheme for the model problem is designed. The scheme is provably unconditionally stable in entropy and second-order accurate in time. Using these technologies, the liquid-vapor boiling problem is investigated.

In the latest volume of Engineering Fracture Mechanics there is an interesting paper about the calculation of crack growth paths by use of a phase field model. The considered material is inhomogeneous and that causes the crack to follow a winding path through the material. The material structure is from a CT scanned micro-structure of a cement-based porous material. The paper is:

This paper computationally investigates the effect of martensitic variant strain accommodation on the formation of microstructural and topological patterning in zirconia. We used the phase-field technique to capture the temporal and spatial evolution of embryonic formation of the monoclinic phase in tetragonal single crystals. The three-dimensional simulations were able to capture the formation of all the possible monoclinic variants. We used the multivariant single embryo as an initial condition to mitigate the lack of nucleation criteria at the mesoscale.

Beijing Computational Science Research Center (CSRC) a newly established interdisciplinary institute in China is recruiting multiple postdoctoral positions (http://www.csrc.ac.cn) to conduct top research in computational sciences in condensed matter physics, quantum optics, biological sciences, and material sciences and advance algorithm developments.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359645413003832