Combining coupled, staggered and uncoupled solution methods for phase-field-based fracture analysis

Abstract

A unified framework for an impromptu switching between the coupled (i.e., the monolithic), the staggered, and the uncoupled solution strategies for the phase-field based computations of material fracture is presented. As a model problem, a 2d quasi-brittle solid phase-field formulation, which is based on the tension-compression split energy functional, is chosen. In order to fit within the proposed framework, the classical staggered approach is reformulated as a loop of uncoupled monolithic steps that we call modified-staggered. Numerical examples show that an automatic switching between the coupled and the modified-staggered solution methods (when the former fails) may shorten the computational times (compared to the pure staggered approach) for an order of magnitude.

Keywords:

• Fracture modeling
• phase-field
• monolithic
• coupled
• staggered
• uncoupled

Disclosure statement

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Slovenian Research Agency under Grant J2-1722.