Optimum blank design by using the FEM based on inverse motion in orthotropic elasto-plasticity

Inverse form finding aims to determine the optimum blank design of a workpiece whereby the desired end configuration that is obtaining after a forming process, the boundary conditions and the applied loads are known. Inputting the optimal initial configuration a subsequent computation with the Finite Element Method (FEM) then has to result in exactly the nodal coordinates of the desired deformed workpiece. Germain et al. [1] recently presented a new form finding strategy for isotropic elasto-plasticity, see also Landkammer et al. [2] for orthotropic plasticity. The corresponding algorithm uses the inverse mechanical formulation (also denoted as inverse finite element method) in addition to the common direct formulation in a recursive way. Switching between the direct and the inverse mechanical formulation, while fixing the internal plastic variables in the inverse step, uniquely detects the undeformed configuration iteratively. This contribution demonstrates within an example that the developed recursive algorithm even works with combinations of orthotropic elastic and orthotropic plastic material parameters without affecting the nearly linear convergence rate of the form finding algorithm. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A comparison between the material point method and the finite element method in view of extrusion problems

An appropriate method for the simulation of continuous forming processes is the material point method (MPM) [1],[2] which combines the viewpoints of fluid dynamics and solid mechanics. The MPM and related methods [3] are derived from the particle‐in‐cell methods [4]. Bodies are discretised by Lagragian particles with pointwise mass distributions. The differential equations in their weak form are solved on temporary meshes built of standard finite elements. At the end of each time step the particle positions are updated and the mesh is replaced by a new mesh with a regular shape. The state variables at the nodes of the new mesh are extracted from the state variables at the particles by a transfer algorithm. When particles pass element boundaries, numerical difficulties might be observed. These are eliminated by a smooth approximation of nodal data from material point data. The modified MPM has been implemented together with the FEM in one programme because the similarities of the methods outbalance the differences. On the basis of numerical examples the results of both methods are compared. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

离散系统运动方程的Galerkin有限元EEP法自适应求解

对于结构动力分析中的离散系统运动方程,现有算法的计算精度和效率均依赖于时间步长的选取,这是时间域问题求解的难点.基于EEP(element energy projection)超收敛计算的自适应有限元法,以EEP超收敛解代替未知真解,估计常规有限元解的误差,并自动细分网格,目前已对诸类以空间坐标为自变量的边值问题取得成功.对离散系统运动方程建立弱型Galerkin有限元解,引入基于EEP法的自适应求解策略,在时间域上自动划分网格,最终得到所求时域内任一时刻均满足给定误差限的动位移解,进而建立了一种时间域上的新型自适应求解算法.     

Static contact analysis of spiral bevel gear based on modified VFIFE (vector form intrinsic finite element) method

Since the intrinsic limitations of FEM (Finite element method) and lumped-mass method, we derive the formula of 8-node hexahedral element based on VFIFE (vector form intrinsic finite element method) method and applied it in contact analysis of gears. This paper proposed a new method to determine pure nodal deformation, which could simplify the computation compared to the traditional VFIFE method. Combining the VFIFE method and matching contact algorithm, we analyzed spiral bevel gear meshing problems. Spiral bevel models with two different mesh densities are calculated analyzed by the VFIFE method and FEM. Performance indicators of gears are extracted and compared, including contact forces, contact and bending stresses, contact stress patterns and loaded transmission errors. The results show that the VFIFE method has a stable performance and reliable accuracy under coarse or refined mesh conditions, while the FEM inaccurately calculates the contact stress of the coarse mesh model. The examples demonstrate that the proposed method could precisely analyze gear meshing problems with a coarse mesh model, which provides a new solution for gear mechanics.     

A constrained optimization approach to finite element mesh smoothing

The quality of a finite element solution has been shown to be affected by the quality of the underlying mesh. A poor mesh may lead to unstable and/or inaccurate finite element approximations. Mesh quality is often characterized by the “smoothness” or “shape” of the elements (triangles in 2-D or tetrahedra in 3-D). Most automatic mesh generators produce an initial mesh where the aspect ratio of the elements are unacceptably high. In this paper, a new approach to produce acceptable quality meshes from a topologically valid initial mesh is presented. Given an initial mesh (nodal coordinates and element connectivity), a “smooth” final mesh is obtained by solving a constrained optimization problem. The variables for the iterative optimization procedure are the nodal coordinates (excluding, the boundary nodes) of the finite element mesh, and appropriate bounds are imposed on these to prevent an unacceptable finite element mesh. Examples are given of the application of the above method for 2- and 3-D meshes generated using automatic mesh generators. Results indicate that the new method not only yields better quality elements when compared with the traditional Laplacian smoothing, but also guarantees a valid mesh unlike the Laplacian method.     

Material-Force-Based Refinement Indicators in Adaptive Strategies

A material-force-based refinement indicator for adaptive finite element strategies for finite elasto-plasticity is proposed. Starting from the local format of the spatial balance of linear momentum, a dual material counterpart in terms of Eshelby's energy-momentum tensor is derived. For inelastic problems, this material balance law depends on the material gradient of the internal variables. In a global format the material balance equation coincides with an equilibrium condition of material forces. For a homogeneous body, this condition corresponds to vanishing discrete material nodal forces. However, due to insufficient discretization, spurious material forces occur at the interior nodes of the finite element mesh. These nodal forces are used as an indicator for mesh refinement. Assigning the ideas of elasticity, where material forces have a clear energetic meaning, the magnitude of the discrete nodal forces is used to define a relative global criterion governing the decision on mesh refinement. Following the same reasoning, in a second step a criterion on the element level is computed which governs the local h-adaptive refinement procedure. The mesh refinement is documented for a representative numerical example of finite elasto-plasticity. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Advanced Solution Strategies for r-Adaptive Finite Element Analysis

In Finite Element Analysis (FEA) the discretisation has wide influence on the quality of the analysis. With r-adaptive FEA it is aimed to improve the finite element solution by finding the optimal mesh without changing the mesh connectivity and the order of the elements. Thus, this approach belongs to the group of mesh-moving methods. The r-adaptivity approach presented is governed by energy minimisation and therefore is called energy-based. It is built upon a variational Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (vALE) formulation whereby the potential energy is varied with respect to spatial and material coordinates. However, even for simple problems the Hessian is likely to be singular or indefinite. This complicates the application of solution schemes based on Newton's method. Motivated by the approaches of [1–4], we try to find appropriate numeric methods for r-adaptivity. For this purpose, we study the numerical performance of a primal barrier scheme, of an augmented Lagrange barrier scheme and the primal-dual interior point package IPOPT. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Plateau regularization method for structural shape optimization and geometric mesh control

Within this contribution the algorithmic treatment of the inverse problem of finding mechanically motivated membrane shapes is discussed and the key point, that the corresponding numerical methods have a broader spectrum of applications which enables their adoption to similar problems from other disciplines, is highlighted. The presented adaptive scheme is the Updated Reference Strategy (URS) enhanced by a newly derived “element distortion control”. The key feature is the ability of the proposed stabilized scheme to overcome the singular problem of finding equilibrium shapes of prestressed membranes which is due to the non–uniqueness of nodal positions in the finite element mesh and the purposeful adjustment of the underlying stress state based on a local geometrical criterion in case of incompatible stress states. Therefore, the derived methodology is –beside the mere computation of equilibrium configurations– able to distribute (probably very local) deformations of the mesh in a smooth way to the whole domain by at the same time conserving specific mesh characteristics which guarantees regular meshes with high quality concerning the element shape. This results in robust computations even for complex and problematic geometrical situations. Due to the effective mesh control of this approach a transfer of the developed methodology to other fields of application like e.g. mesh smoothing, large displacement mesh moving problems and stabilized CAD–free shape optimization of shells is promising and therefore accomplished. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The solution of unconfined seepage problem using Natural Element Method (NEM) coupled with Genetic Algorithm (GA)

Phreatic line detection is a major challenge in seepage problems which should be solved by iterative solving procedures. In conventional methods such as finite element method (FEM), an updating mesh is needed in each iteration where the qualities of the mesh and the nodal connectivity have significant impact on the results. The main aim of this study is to use a method not to be sensitive to mesh generation.     

High-resolution simulation of microstructures in dual-phase steel

Modern dual-phase (DP) steels are widely used in industry due to their favorable material behavior based on the complex microstructure. In the presented work, a microstructure based FEM model for the elasto-plastic deformation of DP steels is developed in order to accomplish a deeper understanding of the structure-property correlation. The underlying microstructure is obtained by serial section tomography. The following contribution deals with a comparison of different approaches to build a FE mesh, which is based on such microstructures. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A new third order exponentially fitted discretization for the solution of non-linear two point boundary value problems on a graded mesh

This paper puts forward a novel graded mesh implicit scheme resting upon full step discretization of order three for computation of non-linear two point boundary value problems. The suggested method is compact and employs three nodal points for the unknown function $u(x)$ in spatial axis. We have also performed error analysis of the cited method. The given method was tried (implemented) upon multiple problems in Cartesian and Polar coordinates with extremely favorable outcomes. This method, though meant for scalar equations, was further extended to compute the vector equations of two point nonlinear boundary value problems. To check the validity of the proposed scheme, we applied it to multiple problems and obtained supporting numerical computations.     

A stress recovery procedure for solving geometrically non-linear problems in the mechanics of a deformable solid by the finite element method

A stress recovery procedure is presented for non-linear and linearized problems, based on the determination of the forces at the mesh points using a stiffness matrix obtained by the finite element method for the Lagrange variational equation written in the initial configuration using an asymmetric Piola–Kirchhoff stress tensor. Vectors of the forces reduced to the mesh points are constructed using the displacements at the mesh points found by solving this equation and for the known stiffness matrices of the elements. On the other hand, these forces at the mesh points are defined in terms of unknown forces distributed over the surface of an element and given shape functions. As a result, a system of Fredholm integral equations of the first kind is obtained, the solution of which gives these distributed forces. The values of the Piola–Kirchhoff stress tensor of the first kind at the mesh points are determined using the values found for the distributed forces on the surfaces of the finite element mesh (including at the mesh points) using the Cauchy relations for the initial configuration. The linearized representation of this tensor enables all the derivatives of the increment in the strain vector with respect to the coordinates to be found without invoking the operation of differentiation. The particular features of the use of the stress recovery procedure are demonstrated for a plane problem in the non-linear theory of elasticity.     

A spatial shear deformable beam finite element based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation

In the present paper a three-dimensional beam finite element undergoing large deformations is proposed. Since the definition of the proposed finite element is based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF), no rotational coordinates occur in the formulation. In the current approach, the orientation of the cross section is parameterized by means of slope vectors. Since those are no unit vectors, the cross-section can deform, similar to existing thick beam and shell elements. The nodal displacements and the directional derivatives of the displacements are chosen as nodal coordinates, but in contrast to standard ANCF elements, the proposed formulation is based on the two transversal slope vectors per node only. Different approaches for the virtual work of elastic forces are presented: a continuum mechanics based formulation, as well as a structural mechanics based formulation, which is in accordance with classical nonlinear beam finite elements. Since different interpolation functions as in standard ANCF elements are used, a much better convergence rate (up to order four) can be obtained. Therefore, the present element has high potential for application in geometrically nonlinear problems. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Three-dimensional data transfer operators in large plasticity deformations using modified-SPR technique

In this paper, the data transfer operators are developed in 3D large plasticity deformations using superconvergent patch recovery (SPR) method. The history-dependent nature of plasticity problems necessitates the transfer of all relevant variables from the old mesh to new one, which is performed in three main stages. In the first step, the history-dependent internal variables are transferred from the Gauss points of old mesh to nodal points. The variables are then transferred from nodal points of old mesh to nodal points of new mesh. Finally, the values are computed at the Gauss points of new mesh using their values at nodal points. As the solution procedure, in general, cannot be re-computed from the initial configuration, it is continued from the previously computed state. In particular, the transfer operators are defined for mapping of the state and internal variables between different meshes. Aspects of the transfer operators are presented by fitting the best polynomial function with the C₀, C₁ and C₂ continuity in 3D superconvergent patch recovery technique. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed model and computational algorithms is demonstrated through numerical examples.     

About the stress-strain state of growing viscoelastic systems

A problem of calculation of the stress-strain state of viscoelastic heterogeneously ageing growing systems at the various moments of time is considered. The efficient numerical technique based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) is suggested. The constitutive equation between stresses and strains in the viscoelastic growing solid is corresponded with the Maslov-Arutyunyan theory. The general system of equations of the FEM-based technique is being formed for nodal displacement increments on the basis of variation of the total energy functional by components of the vector of nodal displacement increments. The numerical technique allows to take into account linear and nonlinear creep of the material, shrinkage (if it is necessary) and the instantly-elastic modulus time-dependence. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Mesh‐centered finite differences from unconventional mixed‐hybrid nodal finite elements

It is shown how mesh‐centered finite differences can be obtained from unconventional mixed‐hybrid nodal finite elements. The classical Raviart‐Thomas schemes of index k (RTk) are based on interpolation parameters that are cell and/or edge moments. For the unconventional form (URTk), they become point values at Gaussian points. In particular, the scheme URT1 is fully described. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2006     

The Boundary Finite Element Method for the Efficient Computation of Orders and Modes of Three-Dimensional Stress Singularities

In this contribution the B oundary F inite E lement M ethod (BFEM) is employed for the computation of the orders of stress singularities for several three-dimensional stress concentration problems in linear elastic fracture mechanics. The BFEM combines the advantages of both the FEM and the BEM: while only a discretization on a structural boundary is required, the actual surface mesh consists of standard displacement based finite elements. In contrast to the BEM, no fundamental solution is required. The BFEM is an ef.cient analysis tool which leads to highly accurate results with significantly lesser computational effort when compared to e.g. standard FEM procedures. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)