Generalized finite element method for modeling nearly incompressible bimaterial hyperelastic solids

An extension of the generalized finite element method to the class of mixed finite element methods is presented to tackle heterogeneous systems with nearly incompressible non-linear hyperelastic material behavior. In particular, heterogeneous systems with large modulus mismatch across the material interface undergoing large strains are investigated using two formulations, one based on a continuous deformation map, the other on a discontinuous one. A bimaterial patch test is formulated to assess the ability of the two formulations to reproduce constant stress fields, while a mesh convergence study is used to examine the consistency of the formulations. Finally, compression of a model heterogeneous propellant pack is simulated to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed discontinuous deformation map formulation. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.