Development of an RVE using a DEM–FEM scheme under modified approximate periodic boundary condition to estimate the elastic mechanical properties of open foams

In this article, a methodology based on Discrete Element Method (DEM) and Finite Elements Method (FEM) combined with modified Approximate Periodic Boundary Condition (mAPBC) has been utilized to develop a cubic Representative Element Volume (RVE). The developed methodology has then been effectively utilized to estimate the elastic mechanical properties of open foams, validated for the case of Ti open-cell foams with non-regular distribution of spherical pores. The non-regular distribution of overlapping pores was generated by means of DEM, while the homogenized elastic constants for foams with 30–70 percentage porosity are computed using FEM based on a Small Lineal Perturbation Method (SLPM). The accuracy of the developed approach has been demonstrated through the comparison of the simulations obtained for different RVE sizes with experimental results and predictive models available in literature. Graphic abstract