Showing papers on "Digital image correlation published in 2010"

Discrete and continuum analysis of localised deformation in sand using X-ray mu CT and volumetric digital image correlation

Abstract: The objective of this work was to observe and quantify the onset and evolution of localised deformation processes in sand with grain-scale resolution. The key element of the proposed approach is combining state-of-the-art X-ray micro tomography imaging with three-dimensional volumetric digital image correlation techniques. This allows not only the grain-scale details of a deforming sand specimen to be viewed, but also, and more importantly, the evolving three-dimensional displacement and strain fields throughout loading to be assessed. X-ray imaging and digital image correlation have been in the past applied individually to study sand deformation, but the combination of these two methods to study the kinematics of shear band formation at the grain scale is the first novel aspect of this work. Moreover, the authors have developed a completely original grain-scale volumetric digital image correlation method that permits the characterisation of the full kinematics (i.e. three-dimensional displacements and rotations) of all the individual sand grains in a specimen. The results obtained using the discrete volumetric digital image correlation confirm the importance of grain rotations associated with strain localisation.

Optical image encryption based on diffractive imaging

Abstract: In this Letter, we propose a method for optical image encryption based on diffractive imaging. An optical multiple random phase mask encoding system is applied, and one of the phase-only masks is selected and laterally translated along a preset direction during the encryption process. For image decryption, a phase retrieval algorithm is proposed to extract a high-quality plaintext. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are demonstrated by numerical results. The proposed method can provide a new strategy instead of conventional interference methods, and it may open up a new research perspective for optical image encryption.

Local plastic strain evolution in a high strength dual-phase steel

Abstract: The evolution of local plastic deformation in a dual-phase (DP) steel has been studied using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and in-situ tensile testing inside a scanning electron microscope. Tests were performed using specially designed samples to study the initiation and evolution of damage in DP1000 steel by measuring the strains at the scale of the microstructure. Micrographs have been analysed using DIC at different stages throughout a tensile test to measure local strain distributions within the ferrite–martensite microstructure. The results show progressive localisation of deformation into bands orientated at 45° with respect to the loading direction. Strain magnitudes are higher in the ferrite phase with local values reaching up to 120%. Several mechanisms for damage initiation are identified and related to the local strains in this steel. The procedure used and the results obtained in this work may help the development of models aimed at predicting the properties of new generation automotive steels.

Multiscale Full‐Field Strain Measurements for Micromechanical Investigations of the Hydromechanical Behaviour of Clayey Rocks

Abstract: Digital image correlation techniques (DIC) are applied to sequences of optical images of argillaceous rock samples submitted to uniaxial compression at various saturation states at both the global centimetric scale of the samples and the local scale of their composite microstructure, made of a water-sensitive clay matrix and other mineral inclusions with a typical size of 50 μm. Various scales of heterogeneities are revealed by the optical technique. Not only is it confirmed that the clay matrix deforms much more than the other mineral inclusions, but it also appears that the deformation is very inhomogeneous in the matrix, with some areas almost not deformed, while others exhibit deformation twice the average overall strain (for a gauge length of 45 μm), depending on the local distribution of the inclusions. In almost-saturated rocks, overall heterogeneities are also linked to the presence of a network of cracks, induced by the preliminary hydric load. On such wet samples, DIC analysis shows that the overall strain results both from the bulk deformation of the sound rock, with deformation levels similar to those in dry samples, and the closing or opening of these mesoscopic cracks.

Residual stress evaluation at the micrometer scale: Analysis of thin coatings by FIB milling and digital image correlation

Abstract: In this report, an optimised method for residual stress determination at the microscopic scale is presented. The newly proposed approach involves incremental Focused Ion Beam (FIB) milling of annular trenches at material surface, combined with high resolution SEM imaging of a previously deposited marker pattern. Digital image correlation (DIC) analysis of the relative displacements between markers with respect to the undisturbed state provides a measure of strain relief. Results of finite element modeling show that the proposed configuration gives complete strain relief when the annular trench depth becomes comparable with the diameter of the remaining stub, thus allowing analytical calculation of the average residual stress from measured strain components. Basing on results of modeling, the experimental methodology has been developed and optimised for residual stress analysis in thin coatings. In order to cover a wide range of material properties and residual stress states, two different materials have been selected: TiN CAE-PVD coating (hard and stiff, with compressive residual stress) on WC–Co substrate, and also an Au MS-PVD coating (soft and compliant, with tensile residual stress). The procedure for the optimization of FIB milling parameters is reported. Results are validated by comparison with residual stress evaluation by X-ray diffraction and curvature measurement on the two different specifically selected PVD coatings.

Characterisation of the Portevin-Le Châtelier effect affecting an austenitic TWIP steel based on digital image correlation

Abstract: When strained in tension, high-manganese austenitic TWIP steels achieve very high strength and elongation before necking. They also present serrated flow within a certain range of temperatures and strain rates. A consequence of this jerky flow is the appearance of strain localisation in the form of narrow deformation bands apparent on the surface of the sample. This phenomenon arises from the dynamic interaction between solute atoms and mobile dislocations, otherwise known as dynamic strain ageing (DSA). In this study, the heterogeneous deformation of a Fe-20wt.%Mn-1.2wt.%C grade has been investigated at room temperature and at different strain rates by means of digital image correlation (DIC) for spatially resolved strain measurements made in situ during tensile tests. Simple tensile tests have also been conducted at different temperatures in order to investigate the evolution of the type of serrations and their influence on the bulk mechanical properties. The results of tests performed at room temperature and at two different strain rates, indicate that the plasticity is entirely governed by the appearance of localised deformation bands, similar to those observed in materials that exhibit the Portevin-Le Chatelier (PLC) effect. However, no critical strain for the onset of the phenomenon could be determined. The origin of these observations is discussed in this paper. It is proposed that the mode of propagation of the bands is dependent on the strain rate and the strain level. Moreover, it is shown that the band propagation is well correlated with the different types of serrations appearing on the stress-strain curve. These results match the characteristics of a classical DSA effect and help to shed light on the remarkable properties achieved by this material. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Novel “Subset Splitting” Procedure for Digital Image Correlation on Discontinuous Displacement Fields

Abstract: Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is an easy to use yet powerful approach to measure displacement and strain fields. While the method is robust and accurate for a variety of applications, standard DIC returns large error and poor correlation quality near displacement discontinuities such as cracks or shear bands. This occurs because the subsets used for correlation can only capture continuous deformations from the reference to the deformed image. As a result the regions around discontinuities are typically removed from the area of interest, before or after analysis. Here, a novel approach is proposed which enables the subset to split in two sections when a discontinuity is detected. This method enables the measurement of “displacement jumps”, and also of displacements and strains right by the discontinuity (for example a crack profile or residual strains in the wake). The method is validated on digitally created images based on mode I and mode II asymptotic displacement fields, for both sub-pixel and super-pixel crack opening displacements. Finally, an actual fracture experiment on a high density polyethylene (HDPE) specimen demonstrates the robustness of the method on actual images. Compared to other methods capable of handling discontinuities, this novel “subset-splitting” procedure offers the advantage of being a direct extension of the now popular standard DIC, and can therefore be implemented as an “upgrade” to that method.

Constitutive Modeling of Liver Tissue: Experiment and Theory

Abstract: Realistic surgical simulation requires incorporation of the mechanical properties of soft tissue in mathematical models. In actual deformation of soft-tissue during surgical intervention, the tissue is subject to tension, compression, and shear. Therefore, characterization and modeling of soft-tissue in all these three deformation modes are necessary. In this paper we applied two types of pure shear test, unconfined compression and uniaxial tension test to characterize porcine liver tissue. Digital image correlation technique was used to accurately measure the tissue deformation field. Due to gravity and its effect on the soft tissue, a maximum stretching band was observed from the relative strain field on sample undergoing tension and pure shear test. The zero strain state was identified according to the position of this maximum stretching band. Two new constitutive models based on combined exponential/logarithmic and Ogden strain energy were proposed. The models are capable to represent the observed non-linear stress–strain relation of liver tissue for full range of tension and compression and also the general response of pure shear.

An experimental methodology to relate local strain to microstructural texture

Abstract: This paper introduces an experimental methodology for obtaining high resolution full-field strain measurements in polycrystalline metals. The (sub)grain level resolution of these measurements was indispensable for relating measured strain fields to observed microstructure in the material. Microstructural information was obtained through electron backscatter diffraction and the optical technique of digital image correlation (DIC) was used to acquire full-field deformation measurements. By spatially overlaying both sets of results, the effects of different microstructural features such as orientation, grain boundary character, misorientation between grains, and twin boundaries on material response can be quantitatively studied. To obtain the necessary resolution for such measurements, the images used in DIC had to be captured at high magnifications. This necessity reduces the field of view and constrains the area of interest that can be monitored. To address this issue, results from adjacent measurement areas are combined together to create a data set with high spatial strain resolution over a larger region than can otherwise be observed. The procedure for performing this technique is outlined here, along with benefits, drawbacks, possible modifications, and example applications of the technique to cyclic plasticity and fatigue crack growth.

Experimental Investigation of Strain Rate Dependence of Nanocrystalline Pt Films

Abstract: A new microscale uniaxial tension experimental method was developed to investigate the strain rate dependent mechanical behavior of freestanding metallic thin films for MEMS. The method allows for highly repeatable mechanical testing of thin films for over eight orders of magnitude of strain rate. Its repeatability stems from the direct and full-field displacement measurements obtained from optical images with at least 25 nm displacement resolution. The method is demonstrated with micron-scale, 400-nm thick, freestanding nanocrystalline Pt specimens, with 25 nm grain size. The experiments were conducted in situ under an optical microscope, equipped with a digital high-speed camera, in the nominal strain rate range 10−6–101 s−1. Full field displacements were computed by digital image correlation using a random speckle pattern generated onto the freestanding specimens. The elastic modulus of Pt, E = 182 ± 8 GPa, derived from uniaxial stress vs. strain curves, was independent of strain rate, while its Poisson’s ratio was v = 0.41 ± 0.01. Although the nanocrystalline Pt films had the elastic properties of bulk Pt, their inelastic property values were much higher than bulk and were rate-sensitive over the range of loading rates. For example, the elastic limit increased by more than 110% with increasing strain rate, and was 2–5 times higher than bulk Pt reaching 1.37 GPa at 101 s−1.

Localised deformation patterning in 2D granular materials revealed by digital image correlation

Abstract: Tests have been performed on an analogue two-dimensional granular material in a special laboratory apparatus that allows the application of general stress or strain conditions. Digital image correlation of pairs of consecutive photographs taken during the tests has enabled fields of displacement and hence strain to be determined. Thus direct observation of internal displacements and strains has been possible for a series of general strain increments with different orientations of principal strain and different imposed angles of dilation. This analysis has successfully provided clear evidence of evolving internal structures of deformation. The observed evolving structures consist of bands of localised deformation and ‘cells’ of low deformation between the bands. The orientations of the identified localised features and cells are seen to depend on the applied strain path. The characteristic features and dimensions of the bands have been approximately identified.

Full Three‐Dimensional Strain Measurements on Wood Exposed to Three‐Point Bending: Analysis by Use of Digital Volume Correlation Applied to Synchrotron Radiation Micro‐Computed Tomography Image Data

Abstract: A microscale three-point bend experiment on wood has been carried out. The full 3D strain field of the microscale wood structure has been determined by use of digital volume correlation, based on reconstructed 3D image data acquired with synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography. The wood specimen, which measures 1.57 × 3.42 × 0.75 mm3, was scanned in different load states along the three-point bend load cycle, from unloaded state to failure. The correlation algorithm is based on a Chebyshev polynomial description of the displacements, which allows a continuous representation of the 3D deformation fields. The methodology of the correlation algorithm is described thoroughly and its performance is tested for a 3D structure that is exposed to a virtual pre-defined deformation. The performance is tested both for noise free volume data as well as for structures with additive noise content. The performance test shows that the correlation algorithm resolves the applied deformation satisfyingly well. In the real experiment, on wood microstructure, the displacement fields show a structural behaviour that is consistent with what is expected for a specimen exposed to three-point bend. However, there are also anomalous effects present in the displacement fields that can be coupled to characteristic features in the cellular structure of the wood. Furthermore, 3D strain calculations based on the obtained displacement data shows a concentration of tensile strain in the region where the specimen eventually collapses. The experimental results show that the use of X-ray-based tomography with high spatial resolution in combination with digital volume correlation can successfully be used to perform 3D strain measurements on wood, at the microscale.

Non-invasive 3D analysis of local soil deformation under mechanical and hydraulic stresses by μCT and digital image correlation

Abstract: Soil deformation is a perpetual process in the pedosphere where besides physicochemical stresses primarily alternating hydraulic and mechanical stresses continuously re-arrange the configuration of solid particles. In this study we present a local strain analysis and changes in soil structure resulting from hydraulic and mechanical stresses based on X-ray microtomography data. Digital image reconstructions were used to quantify local structural pore space characteristics and local soil deformation by 3D morphological and correlation analysis of grayscale tomograms. Swelling and shrinkage resulted in a complex heterogeneous soil structure which proofed to be very stable when mechanical loads were applied. The mechanism of soil deformation for both structure formation by internal hydraulic stresses and structure degradation by external mechanical stresses were in both cases controlled by pre-existing (micro)-structures. Especially during wetting such structures served as a nucleus for subsequent structure evolution. The results demonstrate the potential of more detailed non-invasive micromechanical analysis of soil deformation processes which could improve the conceptual understanding of the physical behavior of soil systems.

Three-dimensional digital image correlation technique using single high-speed camera for measuring large out-of-plane displacements at high framing rates

Abstract: We are concerned with the development of a three-dimensional (3D) full-field high-speed digital image correlation (DIC) measurement system using a single camera, specifically aimed at measuring large out-of-plane displacements. A system has been devised to record images at ultrahigh speeds using a single camera and a series of mirrors. These mirrors effectively converted a single camera into two virtual cameras that view a specimen surface from different angles and capture two images simultaneously. This pair of images enables one to perform DIC measurements to obtain 3D displacement fields at high framing rates. Bench testing along with results obtained using a shock wave blast test facility are used to show the validity of the method.

Use of Full‐Field Digital Image Correlation and Infrared Thermography Measurements for the Thermomechanical Analysis of Material Behaviour

Abstract: The paper aims to highlight the advantages of using data supplied by digital image correlation (DIC) and infrared thermography (IRT) to study the thermomechanical behavior of materials. It describes an experimental procedure for the determination of mechanical energy and heat sources involved locally during a heterogeneous tensile test. This procedure involves two complementary imaging techniques: DIC provides in-plane displacement fields while IRT enables the temperature distribution at the specimen surface to be monitored. Numerous different application examples are successively proposed to underline the promising potential of this experimental approach. Kinematical assessments can reveal the extent of homogeneity of the deformation state for a given gauge length. They can also help to determine the relevance of the variables and/or material parameters introduced in the behavioral description at the length-scale imposed by the spatial resolution of optical systems (typically 0.1 mm). Moreover, infrared and kinematical data can be used to derive heat source fields induced by the specimen loading and then to generate information on the dissipative or coupled nature of the deformation mechanisms.

Stochastic laminate analogy for simulating the variability in modulus of discontinuous composite materials

Abstract: Recent composite technology research and development efforts have focused on discontinuous carbon fiber/epoxy molding systems derived from chopped aerospace-grade unidirectional tape prepreg. Although the average elastic modulus of this material has been shown to be as high as that of the continuous tape quasi-isotropic benchmark, experimental measurement by means of strain gage or extensometer has shown variation as high as 20%. Digital Image Correlation can be used successfully to obtain a full-field strain measurement, and it shows that a highly non-uniform strain distribution exists on the surface of the specimen, with distinct peaks and valleys. This pattern of alternating regions of high and low strain gradients, and which exhibit a characteristic shape and size, can be described in terms of Random Representative Volume Element (RRVE). The RRVE proposed here exhibits random elastic properties, which are assigned based on stochastic distributions. This approach leads to the analysis method proposed here, which is designed to compensate for the fact that traditional methods cannot capture the experimentally observed variation in modulus within a specimen and among different specimens. The method utilizes a randomization process to generate statistical distributions of fractions and orientations of chips within the RRVE, and then applies Classical Laminated Plate Theory to an equivalent quasi-isotropic tape laminate to calculate its average elastic properties. Validation of this method is shown as it applies to a finite element model that discretizes the structure in multiple RRVEs, whose properties are generated independently of the neighboring ones, and then are solved simultaneously. The approach generates accurate predictions of the strain distribution on the surface of the specimen.

Pixelation effect removal from fiber bundle probe based optical coherence tomography imaging.

Abstract: A method of eliminating pixelization effect from en face optical coherence tomography (OCT) image when a fiber bundle is used as an OCT imaging probe is presented. We have demonstrated that applying a histogram equalization process before performing a weighted-averaged Gaussian smoothing filter to the original lower gray level intensity based image not only removes the structural artifact of the bundle but also enhances the image quality with minimum blurring of object’s image features. The measured contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for an image of the US Air Force test target was 14.7dB (4.9dB), after (before) image processing. In addition, by performing the spatial frequency analysis based on two-dimensional discrete Fourier transform (2-D DFT), we were able to observe that the periodic intensity peaks induced by the regularly arrayed structure of the fiber bundle can be efficiently suppressed by 41.0dB for the first nearby side lobe as well as to obtain the precise physical spacing information of the fiber grid. The proposed combined method can also be used as a straight forward image processing tool for any imaging system utilizing fiber bundle as a high-resolution imager.