Chemoelastic Constitutive Modeling for Cosserat Beams

  • Alzate, Juan Camilo (TU Darmstadt)
  • Xu, Bai-Xiang (TU Darmstadt)
  • Weeger, Oliver (TU Darmstadt)

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The shift towards more sustainable energy sources allows for architected materials to play an emergent role in the design of future generations of Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Particularly, three-dimensional LIB lattice electrode architectures have the potential to provide shorter ion-diffusion paths due to the greater surface-to-volume ratios of the active electrode material. However, simulation of architected LIB electrodes, which are subject to multiphysics and large deformations, is computationally expensive; particularly, when the underlying models are based on 3D finite element discretizations. One way to mitigate this adversity would be the use of beam theories, which, as 1D continua, naturally lead to computationally more efficient discretizations. However, literature regarding chemo-elastic beam theory is scarce and a model that includes large elastic deformation, large volumetric expansion due to Li-ion intercalation, anisotropic diffusion, concentration dependent material parameters, and a two-way coupled chemo-elastic constitutive law is largely missing in literature. We aim to close this gap. In this work, we present two approaches for obtaining chemoelastic constitutive relations in beam theory. The first approach unites the geometrically exact beam model with 3D continuum chemo-mechanics. This results in a beam model that includes two-way coupled chemo-mechanics. It is, essentially, a direct extension of the one-way coupled beam model introduced in [1]. The derivation is done following 3D continuum principles and it highlights the effect the strain measures of beam theory have on the transient diffusion. Nonetheless, the model is based on beam theory and is hence restricted to small elastic strains. The second approach overcomes this restriction. For this, the so-called cross-sectional warping problem from [2] is combined with the 3D chemo-mechanics implementation presented in [3]. The result is a computational way to obtain nonlinear chemoelastic models apt for beam theory. Lastly, both approaches are compared and cost vs. accuracy is discussed. [1] Alzate et. al, A finite swelling 3D beam model with axial and radial diffusion, CMAME, 441 (2025). [2] Arora et. al, A computational approach to obtain nonlinearly elastic constitutive relations of special Cosserat rods, CMAME, 350 (2019). [3] Shafqat et. al, A robust finite strain isogeometric chemo-mechanics solid-beam element, CMAME, 448B (2025).