A finite-difference scheme for mixed boundary value problems of arbitrary-shaped elastic bodies

This paper presents a program based on a finite-difference technique, which solves plane stress and plane strain problems of arbitrary shaped elastic bodies with mixed boundary conditions. A new formulation of governing equations in terms of the displacement potential function ψ, as introduced by Uddin (Finite difference solution of two-dimensional elastic problems with mixed boundary conditions, MSc Thesis, Carleton University, Canada, 1966), has been used. This formulation has the capability to handle problems of mixed boundary condition, which is beyond the ability of the conventional formulations in terms of Airy's stress function φ. Results found with this program for classical problems are in very good agreement with known solutions. This program can handle practical boundary conditions very efficiently.     

Finite element formulations for transient dynamic problems in solids using explicit time integration

This paper presents the displacement, mixed and stress formulations of the finite element method when applied to transient dynamic problems of solids. The formulations are chosen so that explicit time integration may be used. Large deformations are considered for these formulations, and infinitesimal strain assumptions are employed with the stress formulation. Displacement formulations are well-known, but the mixed formulations presented provide a viable alternative. The stress formulation has not proven successful for the large deformation problem, but when infinitesimal strains are assumed, the formulation is attractive. A problem of an internally pressurized ring is solved in order to evaluate the different proposed formulations.     

A simple alternative formulation for structural optimisation with dynamic and buckling objectives

Structural topology optimisation has mainly been applied to strength and stiffness objectives, due to the ease of calculating the sensitivities for such problems. In contrast, dynamic and buckling objectives require time consuming central difference schemes, or inefficient non-gradient algorithms, for calculation of the sensitivities. Further, soft-kill algorithms suffer from numerous numerical issues, such as localised artificial modes and mode switching. This has resulted in little focus on structural topology optimisation for dynamic and buckling objectives. In this work it is found that nominal stress contours can be derived from applying the vibration and buckling mode shapes as displacement fields, defined as the dynamic and buckling von Mises stress, respectively. This paper shows that there is an equivalence between the dynamic von Mises stress and the frequency sensitivity numbers for element removal and addition in bidirectional evolutionary structural optimisation. Likewise, it was found that the contours of buckling von Mises stress and buckling sensitivity numbers are analogous; therefore, an equivalence is shown for element removal and addition. The examples demonstrate consistent resulting topologies from the two different formulations for both dynamic and buckling criteria. This article aims to develop a simple alternative, based on visual correlation with a mathematical verification, for topology optimisation with dynamic and buckling criteria.     

Mixed finite element models for plate bending analysis theory

The theoretical background of mixed finite element models, in general for nonlinear problems, is briefly reexamined. In the first part of the paper, several alternative “mixed” formulations for 3-D continua undergoing large elastic deformations under the action of time dependent external loading are outlined and are examined incisively. It is concluded that mixed finite element formulations, wherein the interpolants for the stress field satisfy only a part of the domain equilibrium equations, are not only consistent from a theoretical standpoint but are also preferable from an implementation point of view. In the second part of the paper, alternative variational bases for the development of thin-plate elements are presented and discussed in detail. In light of this discussion, it is concluded that the “bad press” generated in the past concerning the practical relevance of the so-called assumed stress hybrid finite element model is not justified. Moreover, the advantages of this type of elements as compared with the “assumed displacement” or alternative mixed elements are outlined.     

Variational Space–Time Methods for the Wave Equation

In this work we present some new variational space–time discretisations for the scalar-valued acoustic wave equation as a prototype model for the vector-valued elastic wave equation. The second-order hyperbolic equation is rewritten as a first-order in time system of equations for the displacement and velocity field. For the discretisation in time we apply continuous Galerkin–Petrov and discontinuous Galerkin methods, and for the discretisation in space we apply the symmetric interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin method. The resulting algebraic system of equations exhibits a block structure. First, it is simplified by some calculations to a linear system for one of the variables and a vector update for the other variable. Using the block diagonal structure of the mass matrix from the discontinuous Galerkin discretisation in space, the reduced system can be condensed further such that the overall linear system can be solved efficiently. The convergence behaviour of the presented schemes is studied carefully by numerical experiments. Moreover, the performance and stability properties of the schemes are illustrated by a more sophisticated problem with complex wave propagation phenomena in heterogeneous media.     

Overlapping Schwarz and Spectral Element Methods for Linear Elasticity and Elastic Waves

The classical overlapping Schwarz algorithm is here extended to the spectral element discretization of linear elastic problems, for both homogeneous and heterogeneous compressible materials. The algorithm solves iteratively the resulting preconditioned system of linear equations by the conjugate gradient or GMRES methods. The overlapping Schwarz preconditioned technique is then applied to the numerical approximation of elastic waves with spectral elements methods in space and implicit Newmark time advancing schemes. The results of several numerical experiments, for both elastostatic and elastodynamic problems, show that the convergence rate of the proposed preconditioning algorithm is independent of the number of spectral elements (scalability), is independent of the spectral degree in case of generous overlap, otherwise it depends inversely on the overlap size. Some results on the convergence properties of the spectral element approximation combined with Newmark schemes for elastic waves are also presented.     

The use of optimization techniques in the analysis of cracked members by the finite element displacement and stress methods

Mathematical programming is applied to the two-dimensional stationary crack problem of a body composed of nonlinear elastic incompressible material. Fully admissible displacement as well as stress formulations are used to discretize the problem. Crack tip singularity is introduced in the displacement formulation by enriched elements for plane stress and, in certain cases, by superposition for plane strain. Pointwise incompressibility is obtained through constrained displacement functions. For three crack geometries Rice's J integral is evaluated by the energy difference method for different values of the hardening index. The numerical results, which are also applicable to secondary creep problems, appear to suggest a bounding character.     

A unified family of generalized integration operators [GInO] for non-linear structural dynamics: implementation aspects

The present paper proposes recent developments in theoretical and implementation aspects including parallel computations via a single analysis code of a unified family of generalized integration operators [GInO] in time with particular emphasis on non-linear structural dynamics. The focus of this research is on the implementation aspects including the development of coarse-grained parallel computational models for such generalized time integration operators that be can readily ported to a wide range of parallel architectures via a message-passing paradigm (using MPI) and domain decomposition techniques. The implementation aspects are first described followed by an evaluation for a range of problems which exhibit large deformation, elastic, elastic–plastic dynamic behavior. For geometric non-linearity a total Lagrangian formulation and for material non-linearity elasto-plastic formulations are employed. Serial and parallel performance issues on the SGI Origin 2000 system are discussed and analyzed for illustration for selected schemes. For illustration, particular forms of [GInO] are investigated and a complete development via a single analysis code is currently underway. Nevertheless, this is the first time that such a capability is plausible and the developments further enhance computational structural dynamics areas.     

Mixed-form extremum problem statements for small-deformation elastostatics

In situations outside those identified with routine elastic structural analysis, there is often a need for formulation in mixed form. Small-deformation elastostatics, expressed in terms of stress, strain, and displacement, is described here in the form of either of two complementary constrained-extremum problems. The set of governing equations and boundary conditions of elastostatics are obtained by an interpretation of the generalized necessary conditions for each of these fully mixed variational formulations. While the objectives in the problem statements are bilinear and therefore nonconvex, a simple proof is available to confirm that the solution to these conditions is an extremizer. Extensions of the basic formulation, obtained by the introduction of constraints or optimal relaxations, simulate constitutively nonlinear systems. The mixed formulations also provide a convenient representation of the mechanics requirements in connection with structural optimization.     

Compatibility Condition in Theory of Solid Mechanics (Elasticity,Structures, and Design Optimization)

The strain formulation in elasticity and the compatibility condition in structural mechanics have neither been understood nor have they been utilized. This shortcoming prevented the formulation of a direct method to calculate stress and strain, which are currently obtained indirectly by differentiating the displacement. We have researched and understood the compatibility condition for linear problems in elasticity and in finite element structural analysis. This has lead to the completion of the “method of force” with stress (or stress resultant) as the primary unknown. The method in elasticity is referred to as the completed Beltrami-Michell formulation (CBMF), and it is the integrated force method (IFM) in the finite element analysis. The dual integrated force method (IFMD) with displacement as the primary unknown had been formulated. Both the IFM and IFMD produce identical responses. The IFMD can utilize the equation solver of the traditional stiffness method. The variational derivation of the CBMF produced the existing sets of elasticity equations along with the new boundary compatibility conditions, which were missed since the time of Saint-Venant, who formulated the field equations about 1860. The CBMF, which can be used to solve stress, displacement, and mixed boundary value problems, has eliminated the restriction of the classical method that was applicable only to stress boundary value problem. The IFM in structures produced high-fidelity response even with a modest finite element model. Because structural design is stress driven, the IFM has influenced it considerably. A fully utilized design method for strength and stiffness limitation was developed via the IFM analysis tool. The method has identified the singularity condition in structural optimization and furnished a strategy that alleviated the limitation and reduced substantially the computation time to reach the optimum solution. The CBMF and IFM tensorial approaches are robust formulations because both methods simultaneously emphasize the equilibrium equation and the compatibility condition. The vectorial displacement method emphasized the equilibrium, while the compatibility condition became the basis of the scalar stress-function approach. The tensorial approach can be transformed to obtain the vector and the scalar methods, but the reverse course cannot be followed. The tensorial approach outperformed other methods as expected. This paper introduces the new concepts in elasticity, in finite element analysis, and in design optimization with numerical illustrations.     

Weighted least-squares finite element methods for the linearized Navier–Stokes equations

We implemented weighted least-squares finite element methods for the linearized Navier-Stokes equations based on the velocity–pressure–stress and the velocity–vorticity–pressure formulations. The least-squares functionals involve the L²-norms of the residuals of each equation multiplied by the appropriate weighting functions. The weights included a mass conservation constant, a mesh-dependent weight, a nonlinear weighting function, and Reynolds numbers. A feature of this approach is that the linearized system creates a symmetric and positive-definite linear algebra problem at each Newton iteration. We can prove that least-squares approximations converge with the linearized version solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations at the optimal convergence rate. Model problems considered in this study were the flow past a planar channel and 4-to-1 contraction problems. We presented approximate solutions of the Navier–Stokes problems by solving a sequence of the linearized Navier–Stokes problems arising from Newton iterations, revealing the convergence rates of the proposed schemes, and investigated Reynolds number effects.     

A priori and a posteriori error analysis of an augmented mixed finite element method for incompressible fluid flows

In this paper we extend recent results on the a priori and a posteriori error analysis of an augmented mixed finite element method for the linear elasticity problem, to the case of incompressible fluid flows with symmetric stress tensor. Similarly as before, the present approach is based on the introduction of the Galerkin least-squares type terms arising from the constitutive and equilibrium equations, and from the relations defining the pressure in terms of the stress tensor and the rotation in terms of the displacement, all of them multiplied by stabilization parameters. We show that these parameters can be suitably chosen so that the resulting augmented variational formulation is defined by a strongly coercive bilinear form, whence the associated Galerkin scheme becomes well-posed for any choice of finite element subspaces. Next, we present a reliable and efficient residual-based a posteriori error estimator for the augmented mixed finite element scheme. Finally, several numerical results confirming the theoretical properties of this estimator, and illustrating the capability of the corresponding adaptive algorithm to localize the singularities and the large stress regions of the solution, are reported.     

Boundary Element Simulation of Thermal Waves

In this paper we survey computational techniques based on boundary integral formulations for the simulation of thermal waves. Time-harmonic solutions to diffusion problems appear in many physical situations of interest and give rise to many interesting problems related to material characterization, parameter assessment or detection of defects. We review the main direct, indirect and mixed integral numerical methods for a model of scattering of thermal waves by many obstacles and discuss how multiple scattering techniques and other physical tools can be understood as iterative methods or used as preconditioners. We also deal with some transient problems that can be solved with boundary element methods using the Laplace transform and with coupled finite and boundary element schemes for non-homogeneous obstacles.     

An efficient scheduling scheme using estimated execution time for heterogeneous computing systems

Computing systems should be designed to exploit parallelism in order to improve performance. In general, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) can provide more parallelism than a CPU (Central Processing Unit), resulting in the wide usage of heterogeneous computing systems that utilize both the CPU and the GPU together. In the heterogeneous computing systems, the efficiency of the scheduling scheme, which selects the device to execute the application between the CPU and the GPU, is one of the most critical factors in determining the performance. This paper proposes a dynamic scheduling scheme for the selection of the device between the CPU and the GPU to execute the application based on the estimated-execution-time information. The proposed scheduling scheme enables the selection between the CPU and the GPU to minimize the completion time, resulting in a better system performance, even though it requires the training period to collect the execution history. According to our simulations, the proposed estimated-execution-time scheduling can improve the utilization of the CPU and the GPU compared to existing scheduling schemes, resulting in reduced execution time and enhanced energy efficiency of heterogeneous computing systems.     

Solving constraint optimization problems from CLP-stylespecifications using heuristic search techniques

Presents a framework for efficiently solving logic formulations of combinatorial optimization problems using heuristic search techniques. In order to integrate cost, lower-bound and upper-bound specifications with conventional logic programming languages, we augment a constraint logic programming (CLP) language with embedded constructs for specifying the cost function and with a few higher-order predicates for specifying the lower and upper bound functions. We illustrate how this simple extension vastly enhances the ease with which optimization problems involving combinations of Min and Max can be specified in the extended language CLP* and we show that CSLDNF (Constraint SLD resolution with Negation as Failure) resolution schemes are not efficient for solving optimization problems specified in this language. Therefore, we describe how any problem specified using CLP* can be converted into an implicit AND/OR graph, and present an algorithm called GenSolve which can branch-and-bound using upper and lower bound estimates, thus exploiting the full pruning power of heuristic search techniques. A technical analysis of GenSolve is provided. We also provide experimental results comparing various control strategies for solving CLP* programs     

Adaptive finite volume methods for displacement problems in porous media

In this paper we consider adaptive numerical simulation of miscible and immiscible displacement problems in porous media, which are modeled by single and two phase flow equations. Using the IMPES formulation of the two phase flow equation both problems can be treated in the same numerical framework. We discretise the equations by an operator splitting technique where the flow equation is approximated by Raviart-Thomas mixed finite elements and the saturation or concentration equation by vertex centered finite volume methods. Using a posteriori error estimates for both approximation schemes we deduce an adaptive solution algorithm for the system of equations and show the applicability in several examples.     

Investigation of the potential of asymptotic homogenization for elastic composites via a three-dimensional computational study

Asymptotic homogenization is employed assuming a sharp length scale separation between the periodic structure (fine scale) and the whole composite (coarse scale). A classical approach yields the linear elastic-type coarse scale model, where the effective elastic coefficients are computed solving fine scale periodic cell problems. We generalize the existing results by considering an arbitrary number of subphases and general periodic cell shapes. We focus on the stress jump conditions arising in the cell problems and explicitly compute the corresponding interface loads. The latter represent a key driving force to obtain nontrivial cell problems solutions whenever discontinuities of the coefficients between the host medium (matrix) and the subphases occur. The numerical simulations illustrate the geometrically induced anisotropy and foster the comparison between asymptotic homogenization and well established Eshelby based techniques. We show that the method can be routinely implemented in three dimensions and should be applied to hierarchical hard tissues whenever the precise shape and arrangement of the subphases cannot be ignored. Our numerical results are benchmarked exploiting the semi-analytical solution which holds for cylindrical aligned fibers.     

Enriched finite element subspaces for dual–dual mixed formulations in fluid mechanics and elasticity

In this paper we unify the derivation of finite element subspaces guaranteeing unique solvability and stability of the Galerkin schemes for a new class of dual-mixed variational formulations. The approach, which has been applied to several linear and nonlinear boundary value problems, is based on the introduction of additional unknowns given by the flux and the gradient of velocity, and by the stress and strain tensors and rotations, for fluid mechanics and elasticity problems, respectively. In this way, the procedure yields twofold saddle point operator equations as the resulting weak formulations (also named dual–dual ones), which are analyzed by means of a slight generalization of the well known Babuška–Brezzi theory. Then, in order to introduce well posed Galerkin schemes, we extend the arguments used in the continuous case to the discrete one, and show that some usual finite elements need to be suitably enriched, depending on the nature of the problem. This leads to piecewise constant functions, Raviart–Thomas of lowest order, PEERS elements, and the deviators of them, as the appropriate subspaces.     

Comparison of models for finite plasticity: A numerical study

We introduce a general framework for the numerical approximation of finite multiplicative plasticity. The method is based on a fully implicit discretization in time which results in an iteratively evaluated stress response; the arising nonlinear problem is then solved by a Newton method where the linear subproblems are solved with a parallel multigrid method. The procedure is applied to models with different elastic free energy functionals and a plastic flow rule of von Mises type. In addition these models are compared to a recently derived frame indifferent approximation of finite multiplicative plasticity valid for small elastic strains which leads to linear balance equations. Rate independent and rate dependent realizations of the former models are considered. We demonstrate by various 3D simulations that the choice of the elastic free energy is not essential (for material parameters representative for metals) and that the new model gives the same response quantitatively and qualitatively as the standard models.