An energy–momentum time integration scheme based on a convex multi-variable framework for non-linear electro-elastodynamics

Abstract This paper introduces a new one-step second order accurate energy–momentum (EM) preserving time integrator for reversible electro-elastodynamics. The new scheme is shown to be extremely useful for the long-term simulation of electroactive polymers (EAPs) undergoing massive strains and/or electric fields. The paper presents the following main novelties. (1) The formulation of a new energy–momentumtime integrator scheme in the context of nonlinear electro-elastodynamics. (2) The consideration of well-posed ab initio convex multi-variable constitutive models. (3) Based on the use of alternative mixed variational principles, the paper introduces two different EM time integration strategies (one based on the Helmholtz’s and the other based on the internal energy). (4) The new time integrator relies on the definition of four discrete derivatives of the internal/Helmholtz energies representing the algorithmic counterparts of the work conjugates of the right Cauchy–Green deformation tensor, its co-factor, its determinant and the Lagrangian electric displacement field. (6) Proof of thermodynamic consistency and of second order accuracy with respect to time of the resulting algorithm is included. Finally, a series of numerical examples are included in order to demonstrate the robustness and conservation properties of the proposed scheme, specifically in the case of long-term simulations.