Cast magnesium alloy corvette engine cradle

The multiscale modeling methodology employed a hierarchical method in which internal state variables (ISVs) were the top-level continuum quantities that were implemented into a finite element (FE) code for design analysis. Because cast magnesium alloys have different size scales of inclusions, the modeling goal was to quantify the structure-property relations throughout the length scales that particularly addressed damage nucleation, growth, and coalescence using the ISV model. The ISV model can be used for structural simulations of the Corvette engine cradle. This chapter addresses mesomechanisms of Mg alloys in terms of void coalescence. In an effort to understand mechanisms at the nanoscale in Mg alloys that include Al alloying, nanoscale simulations were performed to identify mechanisms that might be useful for higher-scale modeling. The chapter summarizes the bridges of information that were used to determine a modified embedded atom potential (MEAM) for use in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.