FEIT Research Excellence 2024 Lecture Series - Dr Jianguang Fang

Phase - Field Models for Ductile Fracture and Their Applications to Additively Manufactured Metallic Materials

Dr Jianguang Fang

Abstract
The phase-field modelling of fractures has gained popularity due to its ease of implementation in numerical simulations. This approach has proven to be a reliable and effective method for capturing complex cracking processes, such as the initiation, growth, and branching of fractures. However, applying it to describe the ductile fracture behaviour of 3D-printed metallic materials and structures still presents challenges. In this presentation, we will discuss our proposed models, covering their theory, implementation, and practical applications. We will revisit the criteria for ductile fracture initiation and show how these can be integrated into the phase-field modelling framework to account for different stress conditions. Then we will introduce a more specialized model designed for simulating crushing and dynamic events, using an explicit phase-field approach. We will also present various numerical examples, supported by data from our in-house tests, including 3D-printed tubular structures and smooth-surface lattices. Finally, we will highlight current challenges and suggest potential areas for future research and improvement.

Biography
Dr. Jianguang Fang is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). His research focuses on computational mechanics and the optimization of structures and materials, including phase-field modelling of fractures, structural crashworthiness, energy absorption, engineering optimization, and machine learning-based design. In recognition of his work, Dr. Fang received the prestigious Future Fellowship in 2024, the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) in 2021 from the Australian Research Council (ARC), and the UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in 2017. He completed his PhD at the University of Sydney in 2016 and was a visiting scholar at the Institute of Structural Mechanics at Bauhaus University Weimar, Germany, in 2019.