Multi‐model Arlequin method for transient structural dynamics with explicit time integration

This paper addresses the explicit time integration for solving multi‐model structural dynamics by the Arlequin method. Our study focuses on the stability of the central difference scheme in the Arlequin framework. Although the Arlequin coupling matrices can introduce a weak instability, the time integrator remains stable as long as the initial kinematic conditions of both models agree on the coupling zone. After showing that the Arlequin weights have an adverse impact on the critical time step, we present two approaches to circumvent this issue. Computational tests confirm that the two approaches effectively preserve a feasible critical time step and show the efficiency of the Arlequin method for structural explicit dynamic simulations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of explicit and semi‐explicit classes of model‐based algorithms for direct integration in structural dynamics

The ‘model‐based’ algorithms available in the literature are primarily developed for the direct integration of the equations of motion for hybrid simulation in earthquake engineering, an experimental method where the system response is simulated by dividing it into a physical and an analytical domain. The term ‘model‐based’ indicates that the algorithmic parameters are functions of the complete model of the system to enable unconditional stability to be achieved within the framework of an explicit formulation. These two features make the model‐based algorithms also potential candidates for computations in structural dynamics. Based on the algorithmic difference equations, these algorithms can be classified as either explicit or semi‐explicit, where the former refers to the algorithms with explicit difference equations for both displacement and velocity, while the latter for displacement only. The algorithms pertaining to each class are reviewed, and a new family of second‐order unconditionally stable parametrically dissipative semi‐explicit algorithms is presented. Numerical characteristics of these two classes of algorithms are assessed under linear and nonlinear structural behavior. Representative numerical examples are presented to complement the analytical findings. The analysis and numerical examples demonstrate the advantages and limitations of these two classes of model‐based algorithms for applications in structural dynamics. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An explicit time integration technique for dynamic analyses

A simple explicit solution technique for problems in structural dynamics, based on a Modified Trapezoidal rule Method (MTM) approximation of the governing ordinary differential equations, is developed. The resulting conditionally stable explicit method (MTM) can be easily implemented and is extremely simple to use. Particular attention is focused herein on the concept of numerical stability of the proposed method for a free-vibrational response of a linear undamped Single-Degree-Of-Freedom system (SDOF). To examine the effectiveness, strengths, and limitations of MTM, error analyses for the natural period, the displacement, the velocity and the associated phase angle for a free undamped simple mass–spring system are derived and compared with Modified Euler Method (MEM) and the well-known Newmark Beta Method (NBM). Numerical examples for a SDOF system and a Multi-Degree-Of-Freedom (MDOF) system are presented to illustrate the strengths and the limitations of the proposed method.     

Enhancement of the material point method using B‐spline basis functions

The material point method (MPM) enhanced with B‐spline basis functions, referred to as B‐spline MPM (BSMPM), is developed and demonstrated using representative quasi‐static and dynamic example problems. Smooth B‐spline basis functions could significantly reduce the cell‐crossing error as known for the original MPM. A Gauss quadrature scheme is designed and shown to be able to diminish the quadrature error in the BSMPM analysis of large‐deformation problems for the improved accuracy and convergence, especially with the quadratic B‐splines. Moreover, the increase in the order of the B‐spline basis function is also found to be an effective way to reduce the quadrature error and to improve accuracy and convergence. For plate impact examples, it is demonstrated that the BSMPM outperforms the generalized interpolation material point (GIMP) and convected particle domain interpolation (CPDI) methods in term of the accuracy of representing stress waves. Thus, the BSMPM could become a promising alternative to the MPM, GIMP, and CPDI in solving certain types of transient problems.     

A simple explicit single step time integration algorithm for structural dynamics

In this article, a new single-step explicit time integration method is developed based on the Newmark approximations for the analysis of various dynamic problems. The newly proposed method is second-order accurate and able to control numerical dissipation through the parameters of the Newmark approximations. Explicitness and order of accuracy of the proposed method are not affected in velocity-dependent problems. Illustrative linear and nonlinear examples are used to verify performances of the proposed method.     

An explicit discontinuous Galerkin method for non‐linear solid dynamics: Formulation,parallel implementation and scalability properties

An explicit‐dynamics spatially discontinuous Galerkin (DG) formulation for non‐linear solid dynamics is proposed and implemented for parallel computation. DG methods have particular appeal in problems involving complex material response, e.g. non‐local behavior and failure, as, even in the presence of discontinuities, they provide a rigorous means of ensuring both consistency and stability. In the proposed method, these are guaranteed: the former by the use of average numerical fluxes and the latter by the introduction of appropriate quadratic terms in the weak formulation. The semi‐discrete system of ordinary differential equations is integrated in time using a conventional second‐order central‐difference explicit scheme. A stability criterion for the time integration algorithm, accounting for the influence of the DG discretization stability, is derived for the equivalent linearized system. This approach naturally lends itself to efficient parallel implementation. The resulting DG computational framework is implemented in three dimensions via specialized interface elements. The versatility, robustness and scalability of the overall computational approach are all demonstrated in problems involving stress‐wave propagation and large plastic deformations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large-step explicit time integration via mass matrix tailoring

A method for tailoring mass matrices that allows large time-step explicit transient analysis is presented. It is shown that the accuracy of the present tailored mass matrix preserves the low-frequency contents while effectively replacing the unwanted higher mesh frequencies by a user-desired cutoff frequency. The proposed mass tailoring methods are applicable to elemental, substructural as well as global systems, requiring no modifications of finite element generation routines. It becomes most computationally attractive when used in conjunction with partitioned formulation as the number of higher (or lower) modes to be filtered out (or retained) are significantly reduced. Numerical experiments with the proposed method demonstrate that they are effective in filtering out higher modes in bars, beams, plain stress, and plate bending problems while preserving the dominant low-frequency contents.     

Efficient explicit time stepping for the eXtended Finite Element Method (X‐FEM)

This paper focuses on the introduction of a lumped mass matrix for enriched elements, which enables one to use a pure explicit formulation in X‐FEM applications. A proof of stability for the 1D and 2D cases is given. We show that if one uses this technique, the critical time step does not tend to zero as the support of the discontinuity reaches the boundaries of the elements. We also show that the X‐FEM element's critical time step is of the same order as that of the corresponding element without extended degrees of freedom. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of element shape on the critical time step in explicit time integrators for elasto‐dynamics

In this paper, the effects of element shape on the critical time step are investigated. The common rule‐of‐thumb, used in practice, is that the critical time step is set by the shortest distance within an element divided by the dilatational (compressive) wave speed, with a modest safety factor. For regularly shaped elements, many analytical solutions for the critical time step are available, but this paper focusses on distorted element shapes. The main purpose is to verify whether element distortion adversely affects the critical time step or not. Two types of element distortion will be considered, namely aspect ratio distortion and angular distortion, and two particular elements will be studied: four‐noded bilinear quadrilaterals and three‐noded linear triangles. The maximum eigenfrequencies of the distorted elements are determined and compared to those of the corresponding undistorted elements. The critical time steps obtained from single element calculations are also compared to those from calculations based on finite element patches with multiple elements. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mechanically based models: Adaptive refinement for B‐spline finite element

This article presents two new methods for adaptive refinement of a B‐spline finite element solution within an integrated mechanically based computer aided engineering system. The proposed techniques for adaptively refining a B‐spline finite element solution are a local variant of np‐refinement and a local variant of h‐refinement. The key component in the np‐refinement is the linear co‐ordinate transformation introduced into the refined element. The transformation is constructed in such a way that the transformed nodal configuration of the refined element is identical to the nodal configuration of the neighbour elements. Therefore, the assembly proceeds as with classic finite elements, while the solution approximation conforms exactly along the inter‐element boundaries. For the h‐refinement, this transformation is introduced into a construction that merges the super element from the finite element world with the hierarchical B‐spline representation from the computational geometry. In the scope of developing sculptured surfaces, the proposed approach supports C⁰ as well as the Hermite B‐spline C¹ continuous shapes. For sculptured solids, C⁰ continuity only is considered in this article. The feasibility of the proposed methods in the scope of the geometric design is demonstrated by several examples of creating sculptured surfaces and volumetric solids. Numerical performance of the methods is demonstrated for a test case of the two‐dimensional Poisson equation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

B‐spline Based Multi‐organ Detection in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

In the context of the female pelvic medicine, non‐invasive magnetic resonance imaging is widely used for the diagnosis of pelvic floor disorders. Nowadays, in the clinical routine, diagnoses rely largely on human interpretation of medical images, on the experience of physicians, with sometimes subjective interpretations. Hence, image correlation methods would be an alternative way to assist physicians to provide more objective analyses with standard procedures and parametrisation for patient‐specific cases. Moreover, the main symptoms of pelvic system pathologies are abnormal mobilities. The finite element model simulation is a powerful tool for understanding such mobilities. Both the patient‐specific simulation and the image analysis require accurate and smooth geometries of the pelvic organs. This paper introduces a new method that can be classified as a model‐to‐image correlation approach. The method performs fast semi‐automatic detection of the bladder, vagina and rectum from magnetic resonance images for geometries reconstruction and further study of the mobilities. The approach consists of fitting a B‐spline model to the organ shapes in real images via a generated virtual image. We provided efficient, adaptive and consistent segmentation on a dataset of 19 patient images (healthy and pathological).     

Estimating the critical time‐step in explicit dynamics using the Lanczos method

The goal of our paper is to demonstrate the cost‐effective use of the Lanczos method for estimating the critical time step in an explicit, transient dynamics code. The Lanczos method can provide a significantly larger estimate for the critical time‐step than an element‐based method (the typical scheme). However, the Lanczos method represents a more expensive method for calculating a critical time‐step than element‐based methods. Our paper shows how the additional cost of the Lanczos method can be amortized over a number of time steps and lead to an overall decrease in run‐time for an explicit, transient dynamics code. We present an adaptive hybrid scheme that synthesizes the Lanczos‐based and element‐based estimates and allows us to run near the critical time‐step estimate provided by the Lanczos method. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Implicit boundary method for analysis using uniform B‐spline basis and structured grid

Several analysis techniques such as extended finite element method (X‐FEM) have been developed recently, which use structured grid for the analysis. Implicit boundary method uses implicit equations of the boundary to apply boundary conditions in X‐FEM framework using structured grids. Solution structures for test and trial functions are constructed using implicit equations such that the boundary conditions are satisfied even if there are no nodes on the boundary. In this paper, this method is applied for analysis using uniform B‐spline basis defined over a structured grid. Solution structures that are C¹ or C² continuous throughout the analysis domain can be constructed using B‐spline basis functions. As a structured grid does not conform to the geometry of the analysis domain, the boundaries of the analysis domain are defined independently using equations of the boundary curves/surfaces. Compared with conforming mesh, it is easier to generate structured grids that overlap the geometry and the elements in the grid are regular shaped and undistorted. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of these B‐spline elements. The results are compared with analytical solutions as well as with traditional finite element solutions. Convergence studies for several examples show that B‐spline elements provide accurate solutions with fewer elements and nodes compared with traditional FEM. They also provide continuous stress and strain in the analysis domain, thus eliminating the need for smoothing stress/strain results. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stability of an explicit high‐order spectral element method for acoustics in heterogeneous media based on local element stability criteria

This paper considers the stability of an explicit leapfrog time marching scheme for the simulation of acoustic wave propagation in heterogeneous media with high‐order spectral elements. The global stability criterion is taken as a minimum over local element stability criteria, obtained through the solution of element‐borne eigenvalue problems. First, an explicit stability criterion is obtained for the particular case of a strongly heterogeneous and/or rapidly fluctuating medium using asymptotic analysis. This criterion is only dependent upon the maximum velocity at the vertices of the mesh elements, and not on the velocity at the interior nodes of the high‐order elements. Second, in a more general setting, bounds are derived using statistics of the coefficients of the elemental dispersion matrices. Different bounds are presented, discussed, and compared. Several numerical experiments show the accuracy of the proposed criteria in one‐dimensional test cases as well as in more realistic large‐scale three‐dimensional problems.     

A-stable two-step time integration methods with controllable numerical dissipation for structural dynamics

A comprehensive study of A-stable linear two-step time integration methods for structural dynamics analysis is presented in this paper. An optimal A-stable linear two-step (OALTS) time integration method is revealed with desirable performance on low-frequency accuracy and high-frequency numerical dissipation properties. The OALTS time integration method is implemented in a direct integration manner for the second-order equations of structural dynamics; is implicit, A-stable, and second-order accurate in displacement, velocity, and acceleration, simultaneously; is easily started; and is numerical dissipation controllable. The OALTS time integration method shows desirable performance on spectral radius distribution, dissipation and dispersion errors, and overshooting behavior, where the results of some typical algorithms in the literature are also compared. Benchmark examples with/without physical damping are performed to validate the accuracy, stability, and efficiency of the OALTS time integration method.     

A novel non‐linearly explicit second‐order accurate L‐stable methodology for finite deformation: hypoelastic/hypoelasto‐plastic structural dynamics problems

A novel non‐linearly explicit second‐order accurate L‐stable computational methodology for integrating the non‐linear equations of motion without non‐linear iterations during each time step, and the underlying implementation procedure is described. Emphasis is placed on illustrative non‐linear structural dynamics problems employing both total/updated Lagrangian formulations to handle finite deformation hypoelasticity/hypoelasto‐plasticity models in conjunction with a new explicit exact integration procedure for a particular rate form constitutive equation. Illustrative numerical examples are shown to demonstrate the robustness of the overall developments for non‐linear structural dynamics applications. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An explicit family of time marching procedures with adaptive dissipation control

In this work, an explicit family of time marching procedures with adaptive dissipation control is introduced. The proposed technique is conditionally stable, second‐order accurate, and has controllable algorithm dissipation, which adapts according to the properties of the governing system of equations. Thus, spurious modes can be more effectively dissipated and accuracy is improved. Because this is an explicit time integration technique, the new family is quite efficient, requiring no system of equations to be dealt with at each time step. Moreover, the technique is simple and very easy to implement. Numerical results are presented along the paper, illustrating the good performance of the proposed method, as well as its potentialities. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reliable second‐order hexahedral elements for explicit methods in nonlinear solid dynamics

Second‐order hexahedral elements are common in static and implicit dynamic finite element codes for nonlinear solid mechanics. Although probably not as popular as first‐order elements, they can perform better in many circumstances, particularly for modeling curved shapes and bending without artificial hourglass control or incompatible modes. Nevertheless, second‐order brick elements are not contained in typical explicit solid dynamic programs and unsuccessful attempts to develop reliable ones have been reported. In this paper, 27‐node formulations, one for compressible and one for nearly incompressible materials, are presented and evaluated using non‐uniform row summation mass lumping in a wide range of nonlinear example problems. The performance is assessed in standard benchmark problems and in large practical applications using various hyperelastic and inelastic material models and involving very large strains/deformations, severe distortions, and contact‐impact. Comparisons are also made with several first‐order elements and other second‐order hexahedral formulations. The offered elements are the only second‐order ones that performed satisfactorily in all examples, and performed generally at least as well as mass lumped first‐order bricks. It is shown that the row summation lumping is vital for robust performance and selection of Lagrange over serendipity elements and high‐order quadrature rules are more crucial with explicit than with static/implicit methods. Whereas the reliable performance is frequently attained at significant computational expense compared with some first‐order brick types, these elements are shown to be computationally competitive in flexure and with other first‐order elements. These second‐order elements are shown to be viable for large practical applications, especially using today's parallel computers. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Binary spatial partitioning of the central‐difference time integration scheme for explicit fast transient dynamics

This paper proposes a generalization of the explicit central‐difference time integration scheme, using a time step variable not only in time but also in space. The solution at each element/node is advanced in time following local rather than global stability limitations. This allows substantial saving of computer time in realistic applications with non‐uniform meshes, especially in multi‐field problems like fluid–structure interactions. A binary scheme in space is used: time steps are not completely arbitrary, but stay in a constant ratio of two when passing from one partition level to the next one. This choice greatly facilitates implementation (via an integer‐based logic), ensures inherent synchronization and avoids any interpolations, necessary in other partitioning schemes in the literature, but which may reduce numerical stability. The mesh partition is automatically built up and continuously updated by simple spatial adjacency considerations. The resulting algorithm deals automatically with large variations in time of stability limits. The paper introduces the core spatial partitioning technique in the Lagrangian formulation. Some academic numerical examples allow a detailed comparison with the standard, spatially uniform algorithm. A final more realistic example shows the application of partitioning in simulations with arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian formulation and fully‐coupled boundary conditions (fluid–structure interaction). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.