What Is Eigenstrain? Applications Of Eigenstrain?
What Is Eigenstrain?
Eigenstrain is a type of mechanical deformation in a material that is not caused by external stress, such as thermal expansion. Toshio Mura first introduced it in the 1970s as part of a theory for generalizing its mathematical treatment.
In essence, eigenstrain allows materials to change their size or shape due to internal stress instead of as a result of forces from outside sources. This effect has been observed in solid-state transformations.
It can be used to explain why certain materials expand or contract after being subjected to extreme conditions like high temperature or pressure.
Though it’s still an area of research that requires further study, understanding eigenstrain could allow engineers better to design components with properties suitable for specific applications.
Applications Of Eigenstrain?
- Structural engineering
Eigenstrain has various applications in structural engineering, such as analyzing the residual stresses that result from manufacturing processes or welding, which can impact structural components’ fatigue, wear, and corrosion behavior.
Eigenstrain analysis is a method used to model these types of residual stresses, intentional or unintentional, such as shot peening.
- Composite materials
Eigenstrains are useful in the study of composite materials because of the varying thermal and mechanical properties of their components.
These strains can lead to issues such as decohesion and cracking, which can be caused by temperature changes, moisture, piezoelectric effects, and phase transformations.
Solutions and approximations for stress fields in composite materials, which take into account the periodic or statistical nature of eigenstrain, have been developed.
- Strain engineering
Eigenstrains can be applied in strain engineering by controlling lattice misfit strains in epitaxially grown semiconductors.
These strains occur when a crystal with different lattice parameters is grown on top of another crystal, and controlling them can improve the electronic properties of the semiconductor.
Inverse Eigenstrain Method?
The Inverse Eigenstrain Method is an advanced semi-empirical approach based on the Theory of Eigenstrains, which uses experimental characterization and numerical modeling to determine material properties.
This method provides accurate predictions regarding the mechanical behavior of materials, such as Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, or elastic constants.
It also calculates strain energy density distributions in three dimensions, allowing 3D mapping of stress components and better assessing local strain fields in heterogeneous materials.
The Inverse Eigenstrain Method has been applied to many materials, including metals, composite materials, and highly porous media.
It provides a reliable way to accurately determine macroscopic and microscopic material parameters without relying solely on experiments or theoretical models.
What Does Eigen Stand For?
Eigen, which is derived from the German word “eigen” meaning “own,” is a numerical library for linear algebra.
It is used by scientists and engineers to solve linear algebraic problems efficiently, such as matrix inversion, eigenvalues and eigenvectors calculation of matrices, or solving systems of linear equations.
Eigen’s powerful C++ language interface allows users to take full advantage of modern computing speeds and memory usage efficiency.
Furthermore, its library comprises different modules that make it possible to perform complex operations with large matrices without having to write complicated code.
As a result, Eigen has become one of the most popular libraries for scientific computing due to its ease-of-use, speed and memory efficiency.
