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In finite element analysis, mesh density is a critical issue which closely relates to the accuracy of the finite element models while directly determines their complexity level. This paper presents a systematic study on finding the effects of mesh density on the accuracy of numerical analysis results, based on which brief guidelines of choosing the best mesh strategy in finite element modeling are provided. Static, modal, and impact analysis are involved in this study to discuss the effects of element size in finite element analysis.

The moisture/water absorption and microvoids/cracks progression are two well-understood mechanisms that have significant degradation effects on the mechanical properties/behaviors of the polymer-based composites. To theoretically investigate the effects of above two mechanisms, we develop a simple fiber reinforced polymer composites model by employing the internal state variable (ISV) theory. The water content and the anisotropically distributed damage of the composites are considered as two ISVs (the water content is described by a scalar variable and the damage is defined as a second order tensor) whose histories are governed by two specific physically-based evolution equations. The proposed model can be easily cast into a general theoretical framework to capture more polymer composites behaviors such as viscoelasticity, viscoplasticity and the thermal effect.