Eulerian framework for contact between solids represented as phase fields

Mechanical contact between solids is almost exclusively modeled in Lagrangian frameworks. While these frameworks have been developed extensively and applied successfully to numerous contact problems, they generally require complex algorithms for contact detection and reso-lution. These challenges become particularly important when contact appears between solids with evolving boundaries, such as in systems where crystals grow in a constrained space. In this work, we introduce a fully Eulerian finite element framework for modeling contact between elastic solids tailored towards problems including evolving and intricate surfaces. The proposed approach uses a phase-field method that involves a diffuse representation of geometries on a fixed mesh, simplifying the modeling of evolving surfaces. Our methodology introduces a novel volumetric contact constraint based on penalty body forces, efficiently resolving the interpenetration of solids. We showcase the validity and versatility of our method through numerical examples, highlighting its ability to accurately capture complex solid-solid interactions. The Eulerian phase-field formulation greatly simplifies contact detection and its resolution. Furthermore, the framework can be straightforwardly coupled with other physical phenomena through the inclusion of multiple energy terms in the evolution of the phase-field. This enables multiphysics modeling, potentially providing a valuable tool for a wide range of applications involving chemically or physically evolving deformable solids in contact, as they commonly occur in deterioration processes of porous media.

Automated summary

This article introduces a fully Eulerian finite element framework for modeling contact between elastic solids, specifically tailored for problems with evolving and intricate surfaces. The proposed approach uses a phase-field method that simplifies the modeling of evolving surfaces and introduces a new volumetric contact constraint to efficiently resolve the interpenetration of solids. Numerical examples demonstrate the validity and versatility of the method in accurately capturing complex solid-solid interactions.