Boundary Conditions and Multi-Patch Connections in Isogeometric Analysis

Isogeometric analysis is a high-continuity alternative to the standard finite element method. However, for practical application several issues remain to be addressed. This contribution discusses the imposition of Dirichlet boundary conditions as well as the connection between multiple patches. In particular necessary manipulations of the geometrical input data are provided. Dirichlet boundary conditions can be imposed in weak or in strong form. Due to the non-interpolatory characteristics of NURBS surfaces weak imposition of Dirichlet conditions is a viable option which avoids local transformations. The connection of multiple patches can be realized in a weak manner by adding additional terms to the variational equations, for example by the Lagrange multiplier method or the perturbed Lagrangian method. Both base on the idea of multiplying the mutual deformations with an additional unknown to force the deformations on shared edges to be equal. The numerical treatment leads to different sets of equations. In contrast to strong inter-patch connections, where coinciding control points share the same degrees of freedom, weak imposition allows for hanging nodes and therefore local refinement. The theoretical background and issues of implementation are given. Some numerical examples compare error norms for all mentioned methods and demonstrate that in particular cases a reduction of continuity leads to more accurate results. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Dynamic responses of Euler–Bernoulli beam subjected to moving vehicles using isogeometric approach

Dynamic analysis of beam structures subjected to moving vehicles using an isogeometric Euler–Bernoulli formulation is presented in this paper. The method utilizes B-Splines or Non-Uniform Rational–Splines (NURBS) as the basis functions for both geometric and analysis implementation. The rotation-free technique has been incorporated into the formulation by using only one deflection variable with excluding the rotational degrees of freedom adopted for each control point. Then, it enables to use a few degrees of freedom (Dofs) to achieve a highly accurate solution. The validations of the proposed method included a complicated moving vehicle and rough pavement effects are compared to the precisely analytical results. Compared with most existing methods of finite element method (FEM) and readily analytical solutions, the present technique indicated the effectiveness of present isogeometric method and its well accurate prediction for suitable simulating the interaction model of the bridge structures and complicated vehicles.     

A mixed hybrid formulation based on oscillated finite element polynomials for solving Helmholtz problems

A mixed-hybrid-type formulation is proposed for solving Helmholtz problems. This method is based on (a) a local approximation of the solution by oscillated finite element polynomials and (b) the use of Lagrange multipliers to “weakly” enforce the continuity across element boundaries. The computational complexity of the proposed discretization method is determined mainly by the total number of Lagrange multiplier degrees of freedom introduced at the interior edges of the finite element mesh, and the sparsity pattern of the corresponding system matrix. Preliminary numerical results are reported to illustrate the potential of the proposed solution methodology for solving efficiently Helmholtz problems in the mid- and high-frequency regimes.     

Patch coupling with the isogeometric dual mortar approach

The use of a common set of basis functions for design and analysis is the main paradigm of isogeometric analysis. The characteristics of the commonly used non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) surfaces require methods to handle non-conforming meshes to attain an efficient computational framework. The isogeometric mortar method uses constrained approximation spaces to enforce a coupling of deformations at the interface between patches in a weak manner. This method neither requires additional degrees of freedom nor the choice of empirical parameters. The main drawback of the standard isogeometric mortar approach is the non-local support of the mortar basis functions along the interface. This yields a large number of nodes per element for elements adjacent to the interface. Thus, the computational costs increase significantly for mesh refinement. This issue is remedied by the use of dual basis functions for the mortar method, which is referred to as dual mortar method. In this contribution several choices for the dual basis functions for B-splines are proposed and compared. A special focus is set on the support of the dual basis functions and on the support of the resulting mortar basis functions. Numerical examples show the influence of the choice for the dual basis functions on the accuracy of the global stress distribution, on the fulfillment of the interface conditions and on numerical efficiency. The use of approximate dual basis functions is shown to be competitive to computations of conforming meshes in terms of accuracy and efficiency. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A surface oriented solid formulation based on a hybrid Galerkin-collocation method

The contribution is concerned with a numerical method to analyze the mechanical behavior of 3D solids. The method employs directly the geometry defined by the boundary representation modeling technique, which is frequently used in CAD to define solids. It combines the benefits of the isogeometric analysis methodology with the scaled boundary finite element method. In the present approach, only the boundary surfaces of the solid are discretized. No tensor-product structure of three-dimensional objects is exploited to parametrize the physical domain. The weak form is applied only on the boundary surfaces. The governing partial differential equations of elasticity are transformed to an ordinary differential equation (ODE) of Euler type. The isogeometric Galerkin approach is employed to approximate the displacement response at the boundary surfaces. It exploits the two-dimensional NURBS objects to parametrize the boundary surfaces. To solve the Euler type ODE, the NURBS based collocation approach is applied. The accuracy of the method is validated against the analytical solutions. The presented method is able to analyze solids, which are bounded by an arbitrary number of surfaces. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A hybridized weak Galerkin finite element scheme for the Stokes equations

In this paper a hybridized weak Galerkin(HWG) finite element method for solving the Stokes equations in the primary velocity-pressure formulation is introduced.The WG method uses weak functions and their weak derivatives which are defined as distributions.Weak functions and weak derivatives can be approximated by piecewise polynomials with various degrees.Different combination of polynomial spaces leads to different WG finite element methods,which makes WG methods highly flexible and efficient in practical computation.A Lagrange multiplier is introduced to provide a numerical approximation for certain derivatives of the exact solution.With this new feature,the HWG method can be used to deal with jumps of the functions and their flux easily.Optimal order error estimates are established for the corresponding HWG finite element approximations for both primal variables and the Lagrange multiplier.A Schur complement formulation of the HWG method is derived for implementation purpose.The validity of the theoretical results is demonstrated in numerical tests.     

An improved isogeometrical analysis approach to functionally graded plane elasticity problems

The isogeometric analysis method is extended for addressing the plane elasticity problems with functionally graded materials. The proposed method which employs an improved form of the isogeometric analysis approach allows gradation of material properties through the patches and is given the name Generalized Iso-Geometrical Analysis (GIGA). The gradations of materials, which are considered as imaginary surfaces over the computational domain, are defined in a fully isoparametric formulation by using the same NURBS basis functions employed for the construction of the geometry and the approximation of the solution. The basic concept of the developed approach is concisely explained and its relation to the standard isogeometric analysis method is pointed out. It is shown that the difficulties encountered in the finite element analysis of the functionally graded materials are alleviated to a large degree by employing the mentioned method. Different numerical examples are presented and compared with available analytical solutions as well as the conventional and graded finite element methods to demonstrate the performance and accuracy of the proposed approach. The presented procedure can also be employed for solving other partial differential equations with non-constant coefficients.     

Polynomial shape functions on the logarithmic space: the LogFE method

We extend the Logarithmic finite element method, a novel finite element approach for solving boundary-value problems proposed in [1], to a complete set of degrees of freedom, i.e. translational and rotational degrees of freedom in three dimensions. In contrast to the standard Ritz-Galerkin formulation, the shape functions are given on the logarithmic space of the deformation function. Unlike existing formulations based on Lie groups, they may include polynomial functions of arbitrary degree. The method focuses on reducing the low-frequency components in the error, while minimizing spurious high-frequency deformations, a characteristic that is particularly advantageous in the context of a multigrid algorithm, in which the method may be used to construct an approximation for the coarse grid. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the convergence of a dual-primal substructuring method

Summary.   In the Dual-Primal FETI method, introduced by Farhat et al. [5], the domain is decomposed into non-overlapping subdomains, but the degrees of freedom on crosspoints remain common to all subdomains adjacent to the crosspoint. The continuity of the remaining degrees of freedom on subdomain interfaces is enforced by Lagrange multipliers and all degrees of freedom are eliminated. The resulting dual problem is solved by preconditioned conjugate gradients. We give an algebraic bound on the condition number, assuming only a single inequality in discrete norms, and use the algebraic bound to show that the condition number is bounded by for both second and fourth order elliptic selfadjoint problems discretized by conforming finite elements, as well as for a wide class of finite elements for the Reissner-Mindlin plate model. Received January 20, 2000 / Revised version received April 25, 2000 / Published online December 19, 2000     

半解析法及其误差估计

解析法是求解偏微分方程最古老的方法,在电子计算机出现以前,它是解微分方程最主要的方法.所有微分方程的经典教科书都讲述这一方法.电子计算机的出现,引起了数值计算方法的发展,解偏微分方程的直接数值方法——差分法和有限元法,渐渐取代了     

求解流固耦合问题的一种四步分裂有限元算法

基于arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) 有限元方法,发展了一种求解流固耦合问题的弱耦合算法．将半隐式四步分裂有限元格式推广至求解ALE描述下的Navier-Stokes（N-S）方程,并在动量方程中引入迎风流线（streamline upwind/Petrov-Galerkin, SUPG）稳定项以消除对流引发的速度场数值振荡;采用Newmark-β法对结构方程进行时间离散;运用经典的Galerkin有限元法求解修正的Laplace方程以实现网格更新,每个计算步施加网格总变形量防止结构长时间、大位移运动时的网格质量恶化．运用上述算法对弹性支撑刚性圆柱体的流致振动问题进行了数值模拟,计算结果与已有结果相吻合,初步验证了该算法的正确性和有效性．     

求解Brinkman方程的修正弱有限元方法

本文针对Brinkman方程引入了一种修正弱Galerkin(MWG)有限元方法.我们通过具有两个离散弱梯度算子的变分形式来逼近模型. 在MWG方法中, 分别用次数为$k$和$k-1$的不连续分段多项式来近似速度函数$u$和压力函数$p$. MWG方法的主要思想是用内部函数的平均值代替边界函数. 因此, 与WG方法相比, MWG方法在不降低准确性的同时, 具有更少的自由度, 对于任意次数不超过$k-1$ 的多项式,MWG方法均可以满足稳定性条件. MWG 方法具有高度的灵活性, 它允许在具有一定形状正则性的任意多边形或多面体上使用不连续函数. 针对$H^1$和$L^22$范数下的速度和压力近似解, 建立了最优阶误差估计. 数值算例表明了该方法的准确性, 收敛性和稳定性.     

A weak Galerkin finite element method for the Oseen equations

In this paper, a weak Galerkin finite element method for the Oseen equations of incompressible fluid flow is proposed and investigated. This method is based on weak gradient and divergence operators which are designed for the finite element discontinuous functions. Moreover, by choosing the usual polynomials of degree i ≥ 1 for the velocity and polynomials of degree i ? 1 for the pressure and enhancing the polynomials of degree i ? 1 on the interface of a finite element partition for the velocity, this new method has a lot of attractive computational features: more general finite element partitions of arbitrary polygons or polyhedra with certain shape regularity, fewer degrees of freedom and parameter free. Stability and error estimates of optimal order are obtained by defining a weak convection term. Finally, a series of numerical experiments are given to show that this method has good stability and accuracy for the Oseen problem.     

Método de elementos de borde jerárquico basado en el árbol de Barnes-Hut aplicado a flujo reptante exterior

In this work, a hierarchical variant of a boundary element method and its use in Stokes flow around three-dimensional rigid bodies in steady regime is presented. The proposal is based on the descending hierarchical low-order and self-adaptive algorithm of Barnes-Hut, and it is used in conjunction with an indirect boundary integral formulation of second class, whose source term is a function of the undisturbed velocity. The solution field is the double layer surface density, which is modified in order to complete the eigenvalue spectrum of the integral operator. In this way, the rigid modes are eliminated and both a non-zero force and a non-null torque on the body could be calculated. The elements are low order flat triangles, and an iterative solution by generalized minimal residual (GMRES) is used. Numerical examples include cases with analytical solutions, bodies with edges and vertices, or with intricate shapes. The main advantage of the presented technique is the possibility of considering a greater number of degrees of freedom regarding traditional collocation methods, due to the decreased demand of main memory and the reduction in the computation times.     

Pre-Tensioned Belts Overhanging Elastic Rollers

Subject of this paper are deformation mechanisms in pre-tensioned elastic belts, which are wrapped around rollers carrying elastic layers that support the belts over part of their width. By means of analytical models and the finite element method the corresponding deformations of the belts are predicted. Special emphasis is put on the effects of the nonlinear (contact) boundary conditions in the vicinity of the lateral edges of the roller. The continuum finite element simulations provide reference solutions, and, furthermore, serve as an accurate means for predicting the contact stress distribution, whereas the semi-analytical solutions allow for an inexpensive and quick investigation of several parameter combinations. The high quality of the semi-analytical model can be judged by the excellent agreement of the obtained results with the reference finite element results. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Contact formulation of non-linear problems in the mechanics of shells with their end sections connected by a plane curvilinear rod

Starting from the consistent version of the geometrically non-linear equations of the theory of elasticity for small deformations and arbitrary displacements, a Timoshenko-type model that takes account of shear and compression deformations and also an extended variational Lagrange principle, an improved geometrically non-linear theory of static deformation is constructed for reinforced thin-walled structures with shell elements, the end sections of which are connected by a rod. It is based on the introduction into the treatment of contact forces and torques as unknowns on the lines joining the shells to the rods and it enables all classical and non-classical forms of loss of stability in structures of the class considered to be investigated. An analytical solution of the problem of the stability of a rectangular plate, that is under compression in one direction, supported by a hinge along two opposite edges and joined by a hinge with an elastic rod on one of the other two edges, is found using a simplified version of the linearized equations.     

Determining knots by optimizing the bending and stretching energies

For a given set of data points in the plane, a new method is presented for computing a parameter value (knot) for each data point. Associated with each data point, a quadratic polynomial curve passing through three adjacent consecutive data points is constructed. The curve has one degree of freedom which can be used to optimize the shape of the curve. To obtain a better shape of the curve, the degree of freedom is determined by optimizing the bending and stretching energies of the curve so that variation of the curve is as small as possible. Between each pair of adjacent data points, two local knot intervals are constructed, and the final knot interval corresponding to these two points is determined by a combination of the two local knot intervals. Experiments show that the curves constructed using the knots by the new method generally have better interpolation precision than the ones constructed using the knots by the existing local methods.