A bonded sphero-cylinder model for the discrete element simulation of elasto-plastic fibers

•A bonded sphero-cylinder model is proposed to simulate elasto-plastic fibers.•Elastic deformation and vibration of a fiber are validated against the beam theories.•Plastic bending deformation of a fiber is validated against the FEM simulations.•DEM implementation of loading-history-dependent fiber deformation model is proposed.

Based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM), a bonded sphero-cylinder model is developed to simulate flexible fibers that can undergo plastic bending deformation. In the model, a fiber is formed by connecting a number of identical sphero-cylinders using virtual bonds, which can experience bending, axial extension/compression, and twisting deformations. The elastic deformation and vibration of a single fiber are simulated and validated against elastic beam theories. In addition, an elasto-plastic constitutive model is implemented to simulate the elasto-plastic bending deformation of a fiber. The DEM results compare well with Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations, verifying the proposed elasto-plastic fiber model. By using bonded sphero-cylinders as opposed to more traditional bonded spheres, large aspect ratio fibers with smooth surfaces can be simulated effectively with fewer elements. The new constitutive model allows for the simulation of elasto-plastic materials, such as metals, plastics, and biomass.

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