Numerical solution of nonlinear quasi-stationary magnetic fields

The problem of quasi-stationary nonlinear magnetic fields is formulated in a variational form. A Galerkin finite element solution is constructed. Discretization in time is carried out by means of one- and two-step linear A-stable schemes. The resulting system of nonlinear equations is solved by Newton's method. A numerical example is given.     

An algorithm to solve coupled 2D rolling contact problems

This work presents a new approach to the steady‐state rolling contact problem for two‐dimensional elastic bodies, with and without force transmission. The problem solution is achieved by minimizing a general function representing the equilibrium equation and the contact restrictions. The boundary element method is used to compute the elastic influence coefficients of the surface points involved in the contact (equilibrium equations); while the contact conditions are represented with the help of variational inequalities and projection functions. Finally, the minimization problem is solved by the Generalized Newton's Method with line search. Four classic rolling problems are also solved and commented on. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solving 2D transient rolling contact problems using the BEM and mathematical programming techniques

This work presents a new approach to the transient rolling contact of two‐dimensional elastic bodies. A solution will be obtained by minimizing a general B‐differentiable function representing the equilibrium equations and the contact conditions at each time step. Inertial effects are not taken into account and the boundary element method is used to compute the elastic influence coefficients of the surface points involved in contact (equilibrium equations). The contact conditions are represented with the help of variational inequalities and projection functions. Finally, the minimization problem is solved using the Generalized Newton's Method with line search. The results are compared with some example problems and the influence of discretization and integration time step on the results is discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Non‐convex dual forms based on exponential intervening variables,with application to weight minimization

We study the weight minimization problem in a dual setting. We propose new dual formulations for non‐linear multipoint approximations with diagonal approximate Hessian matrices, which derive from separable series expansions in terms of exponential intervening variables. These, generally, nonconvex approximations are formulated in terms of intervening variables with negative exponents, and are therefore applicable to the solution of the weight minimization problem in a sequential approximate optimization (SAO) framework. Problems in structural optimization are traditionally solved using SAO algorithms, like the method of moving asymptotes, which require the approximate subproblems to be strictly convex. Hence, during solution, the nonconvex problems are approximated using convex functions, and this process may in general be inefficient. We argue, based on Falk's definition of the dual, that it is possible to base the dual formulation on nonconvex approximations. To this end we reintroduce a nonconvex approach to the weight minimization problem originally due to Fleury, and we explore certain convex and nonconvex forms for subproblems derived from the exponential approximations by the application of various methods of mixed variables. We show in each case that the dual is well defined for the form concerned, which may consequently be of use to the future code developers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pseudo‐transient continuation for nonlinear transient elasticity

This paper demonstrates how pseudo‐transient continuation improves the efficiency and robustness of a Newton iteration within a non‐linear transient elasticity simulation. Pseudo‐transient continuation improves efficiency by enabling larger time steps than possible with a Newton iteration. Robustness improves because pseudo‐transient continuation recovers the convergence of Newton's method when the initial iterate is not within the region of local convergence. We illustrate the benefits of pseudo‐transient continuation on a non‐linear transient simulation of a buckling cylinder, including a comparison with a line search‐based Newton iteration. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A robust non‐linear mixed hybrid quadrilateral shell element

In the paper a non‐linear quadrilateral shell element for the analysis of thin structures is presented. The variational formulation is based on a Hu–Washizu functional with independent displacement, stress and strain fields. The interpolation matrices for the mid‐surface displacements and rotations as well as for the stress resultants and strains are specified. Restrictions on the interpolation functions concerning fulfillment of the patch test and stability are derived. The developed mixed hybrid shell element possesses the correct rank and fulfills the in‐plane and bending patch test. Using Newton's method the finite element approximation of the stationary condition is iteratively solved. Our formulation can accommodate arbitrary non‐linear material models for finite deformations. In the examples we present results for isotropic plasticity at finite rotations and small strains as well as bifurcation problems and post‐buckling response. The essential feature of the new element is the robustness in the equilibrium iterations. It allows very large load steps in comparison to other element formulations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Material nonlinear topology optimization considering the von Mises criterion through an asymptotic approach: Max strain energy and max load factor formulations

This paper addresses material nonlinear topology optimization considering the von Mises criterion by means of an asymptotic analysis using a fictitious nonlinear elastic model. In this context, we consider the topology optimization problem subjected to prescribed energy, which leads to robust convergence in nonlinear problems. Two nested formulations are considered. In the first, the objective is to maximize the strain energy of the system in equilibrium, and in the second, the objective is to maximize the load factor. In both cases, a volume constraint is imposed. The sensitivity analysis is quite effective and efficient in the sense that there is no extra adjoint equation. In addition, the nonlinear structural equilibrium problem is solved using direct minimization of the structural strain energy using Newton's method with an inexact line-search strategy. Four numerical examples demonstrate the features of the proposed material nonlinear topology optimization framework for approximating standard von Mises plasticity.     

A linear finite element approach to the solution of the variational inequalities arising in contact problems of structural dynamics

The present paper deals with the theoretical and numerical treatment of dynamic unilateral problems. The governing equations are formulated as an equivalent variational inequality expressing D' Alembert's principle in its inequality form. The discretization with respect to time and space leads to a static nonlinear programming problem which is solved by an appropriate algorithm. Some properties of dynamic unilateral problems are outlined and the influence of several parameters on the solution is investigated by means of numerical examples.     

The monomial method: Extensions,variations, and performance issues

The monomial method solves systems of non-linear algebraic equations by constructing a sequence of approximating monomial (single-term polynomial) systems, much as Newton's method generates a sequence of linear systems to do this. Since the monomial system becomes linear through a logarithmic transformation of variables, the monomial method can be considered to be an alternative linearization scheme. Although the monomial method is closely related to Newton's method, it exhibits many special invariance properties not shared by Newton's method that enhance performance. This paper first briefly reviews the monomial method and its special properties. Two new versions of the algorithm are presented, both of which, are simplified and computationally more efficient to implement in comparison to the original algorithm. The monomial method is also extended to apply to certain non-algebraic systems. Since the monomial method can be interpreted as Newton's method applied to a three-part reformulation of the algebraic system, graphical experiments are presented which investigate the role that each part of the reformulation plays in contributing to the enchanced performance. Finally, instances in which difficulties have arisen using the monomial method are discussed.     

A mixed finite element for the nonlinear analysis of in-plane loaded masonry walls

A mixed membrane eight-node quadrilateral finite element for the analysis of masonry walls is presented. Assuming that a nonlinear and history-dependent 2D stress-strain constitutive law is used to model masonry material, the element derivation is based on a Hu-Washizu variational statement, involving displacement, strain, and stress fields as primary variables. As the behavior of masonry structures is often characterized by strain localization phenomena, due to strain softening at material level, a discontinuous, piecewise constant interpolation of the strain field is considered at element level, to capture highly nonlinear strain spatial distributions also within finite elements. Newton's method of solution is adopted for the element state determination problem. For avoiding pathological sensitivity to the finite element mesh, a novel algorithm is proposed to perform an integral-type nonlocal regularization of the constitutive equations in the present mixed formulation. By the comparison with competing serendipity displacement-based formulation, numerical simulations prove high performances of the proposed finite element, especially when coarse meshes are adopted.     

A non‐linear programming method approach for upper bound limit analysis

This paper presents a finite element model based on mathematical non‐linear programming in order to determine upper bounds of colapse loads of a mechanical structure. The proposed formulation is derived within a kinematical approach framework, employing two simultaneous and independent field approximations for the velocity and strain rate fields. The augmented Lagrangian is used to establish the compatibility between these two fields. In this model, only continuous velocity fields are used. Uzawa's minimization algorithm is applied to determine the optimal kinematical field that minimizes the difference between external and dissipated work rate. The use of this technique allows to bypass the complexity of the non‐linear aspects of the problem, since non‐linearity is addressed as a set of small local subproblems of optimization for each finite element. The obtained model is quite versatile and suitable for solving a wide range of collapse problems. This paper studies 3D strut‐and‐tie structures, 2D plane strain/stress and 3D solid problems. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical method for non‐linear wave and diffusion equations by the variational iteration method

This paper applies He's variational iteration to the wave equations in an infinite one‐dimensional medium and some non‐linear diffusion equations. A suitable choice of an initial solution can lead to the needed exact solution by a few iterations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

‘s Gravesande's Appropriation of Newton's Natural Philosophy,Part I: Epistemological and Theological Issues

In this essay I reassess Willem Jacob ‘s Gravesande's Newtonianism. I draw attention to ‘s Gravesande's a‐causal rendering of physics which went against Newton's causal understanding of natural philosophy and to his attempt to establish a solid foundation for the certainty of Newton's natural philosophy, which he considered as a powerful antidote against the theological aberrations of Descartes and especially Spinoza. I argue that, although ‘s Gravesande clearly took inspiration from Newton's natural philosophy, he was running his own scientific and intellectual agenda and that he was combining Newtonian and non‐Newtonian elements.     

A convergent adaptive finite element method for the primal problem of elastoplasticity

The boundary value problem representing one time step of the primal formulation of elastoplasticity with positive hardening leads to a variational inequality of the second kind with some nondifferentiable functional. This paper establishes an adaptive finite element algorithm for the solution of this variational inequality that yields the energy reduction and, up to higher order terms, the R‐linear convergence of the stresses with respect to the number of loops. Applications include several plasticity models: linear isotropic‐kinematic hardening, linear kinematic hardening, and multisurface plasticity as model for nonlinear hardening laws. For perfect plasticity, the adaptive algorithm yields strong convergence of the stresses. Numerical examples confirm an improved linear convergence rate and study the performance of the algorithm in comparison with the more frequently applied maximum refinement rule. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical solution of non‐linear Klein–Gordon equations by variational iteration method

In this paper, numerical solution of non‐linear Klein–Gordon equations with power law non‐linearities are obtained by the new application of He's variational iteration method. Numerical illustrations that include non‐linear Klein–Gordon equations and non‐linear partial differential equations are investigated to show the pertinent features of the technique. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the elastodynamic solution of frictional contact problems using variational inequalities

This article is concerned with the development, implementation and application of variational inequalities to treat the general elastodynamic contact problem. The solution strategy is based upon the iterative use of two subproblems. Quadratic programming and Lagrange multipliers are used to solve the respective first and second subproblems and to identify the candidate contact surface and contact stresses. This approach guarantees the imposition of the active kinematic contact constraints, avoids the use of special contact elements and the interference of the user in dictating the accuracy of the solution. A modified Newmark formulation is developed to integrate the resulting time‐dependent variational inequality. This newly devised implicit time integration scheme is unconditionally stable, second‐order accurate, avoids numerical oscillations present in the traditional Newmark method, and does not cause numerical dissipation. To demonstrate the versatility and accuracy of the newly proposed algorithm, several examples are examined and compared with existing solutions where the penalty method has been employed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the equivalence of optimality criterion and sequential approximate optimization methods in the classical topology layout problem

We study the ‘classical’ topology optimization problem, in which minimum compliance is sought, subject to linear constraints. Using a dual statement, we propose two separable and strictly convex subproblems for use in sequential approximate optimization (SAO) algorithms. Respectively, the subproblems use reciprocal and exponential intermediate variables in approximating the non‐linear compliance objective function. Any number of linear constraints (or linearly approximated constraints) are provided for. The relationships between the primal variables and the dual variables are found in analytical form. For the special case when only a single linear constraint on volume is present, we note that application of the ever‐popular optimality criterion (OC) method to the topology optimization problem, combined with arbitrary values for the heuristic numerical damping factor η proposed by Bendsøe, results in an updating scheme for the design variables that is identical to the application of a rudimentary dual SAO algorithm, in which the subproblems are based on exponential intermediate variables. What is more, we show that the popular choice for the damping factor η=0.5 is identical to the use of SAO with reciprocal intervening variables. Finally, computational experiments reveal that subproblems based on exponential intervening variables result in improved efficiency and accuracy, when compared to SAO subproblems based on reciprocal intermediate variables (and hence, the heuristic topology OC method hitherto used). This is attributed to the fact that a different exponent is computed for each design variable in the two‐point exponential approximation we have used, using gradient information at the previously visited point. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Designing experiments for nonlinear models—an introduction

We illustrate the construction of Bayesian D‐optimal designs for nonlinear models and compare the relative efficiency of standard designs with these designs for several models and prior distributions on the parameters. Through a relative efficiency analysis, we show that standard designs can perform well in situations where the nonlinear model is intrinsically linear. However, if the model is nonlinear and its expectation function cannot be linearized by simple transformations, the nonlinear optimal design is considerably more efficient than the standard design. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An upwind method for solving transport–diffusion–reaction systems

A combination of the characteristics method and finite elements techniques is applied to solve a coupled heat transfer–chemical reaction system in the stationary case. The solution of the non-linear discretized system is obtained by using Newton's algorithm. Finally, numerical results for several problems are presented to test the accuracy and stability of the method.     

Numerical solution of a parabolic system with coupled nonlinear boundary conditions

A numerical technique has been developed to solve a system that consists of m linear parabolic differential equations with coupled nonlinear boundary conditions. Such a system may represent chemical reactions, chemical lasers and diffusion problems. An implicit finite difference scheme is adopted to discretize the problem, and the resulting system of equations is solved by a novel technique that is a modification of the cyclic odd–even reduction and factorization (CORF) algorithm. At each time level, the system of equations is first reduced to m nonlinear algebraic equations that involve only the m unknown grid points on the nonlinear boundary. Newton's method is used to determine these m unknowns, and the corresponding Jacobian matrix can be computed and updated easily. After convergence is achieved, the remaining unknowns are solved directly. The efficiency of this technique is illustrated by the numerical computations of two examples previously solved by the cubic spline Galerkin method.