A Nonlinear Finite Element Heterogeneous Multiscale Method for the Homogenization of Hyperelastic Solids and a Novel Staggered Two-Scale Solution Algorithm

In this paper we address three aspects of nonlinear computational homogenization of elastic solids by two-scale finite element methods. First, we present a nonlinear formulation of the finite element heterogeneous multiscale method FE-HMM in a Lagrangean formulation that covers geometrical nonlinearity and, more general, hyperelasticity. Second, a-priori estimates of FE-HMM, which exist so far only for the fully linear elastic case in solid mechanics, are assessed in the regime of nonlinear elasticity. The measured convergence rates agree fairly well with those of the fully linear regime. Third, we revise the standard solution algorithm of FE$^2$ which is a staggered scheme in terms of a nested loop embedding the full solution of the micro problem into one macro solution iteration step. We demonstrate that suchlike staggered scheme, which is typically realized by a nested two-level Newton algorithm, can safely and efficiently be replaced by direct alternations between micro and macro iterations. The novel algorithmic structure is exemplarily detailed for the proposed nonlinear FE-HMM, its efficiency is substantiated by a considerable speedup in numerical tests.