A stabilized conforming nodal integration for Galerkin mesh‐free methods

Domain integration by Gauss quadrature in the Galerkin mesh‐free methods adds considerable complexity to solution procedures. Direct nodal integration, on the other hand, leads to a numerical instability due to under integration and vanishing derivatives of shape functions at the nodes. A strain smoothing stabilization for nodal integration is proposed to eliminate spatial instability in nodal integration. For convergence, an integration constraint (IC) is introduced as a necessary condition for a linear exactness in the mesh‐free Galerkin approximation. The gradient matrix of strain smoothing is shown to satisfy IC using a divergence theorem. No numerical control parameter is involved in the proposed strain smoothing stabilization. The numerical results show that the accuracy and convergent rates in the mesh‐free method with a direct nodal integration are improved considerably by the proposed stabilized conforming nodal integration method. It is also demonstrated that the Gauss integration method fails to meet IC in mesh‐free discretization. For this reason the proposed method provides even better accuracy than Gauss integration for Galerkin mesh‐free method as presented in several numerical examples. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new support integration scheme for the weakform in mesh‐free methods

A new support integration technique is proposed, which is similar to those used in truly mesh‐free methods. The contribution of this paper is to exploit the divergence‐free condition for the support integrals to construct quadrature formulas that only require three integration points per particle in two dimensions. Numerical examples show that the proposed integration method can achieve results that agree with manufactured closed‐form solutions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical implementation of a shape memory alloy thermomechanical constitutive model using return mapping algorithms

Previous studies by the authors and their co‐workers show that the structure of equations representing shape Memory Alloy (SMA) constitutive behaviour can be very similar to those of rate‐independent plasticity models. For example, the Boyd–Lagoudas polynomial hardening model has a stress‐elastic strain constitutive relation that includes the transformation strain as an internal state variable, a transformation function determining the onset of phase transformation, and an evolution equation for the transformation strain. Such a structure allows techniques used in rate‐independent elastoplastic behaviour to be directly applicable to SMAs. In this paper, a comprehensive study on the numerical implementation of SMA thermomechanical constitutive response using return mapping (elastic predictor‐transformation corrector) algorithms is presented. The closest point projection return mapping algorithm which is an implicit scheme is given special attention together with the convex cutting plane return mapping algorithm, an explicit scheme already presented in an earlier work. The closest point algorithm involves relatively large number of tensorial operations than the cutting plane algorithm besides the evaluation of the gradient of the transformation tensor in the flow rule and the inversion of the algorithmic tangent tensor. A unified thermomechanical constitutive model, which does not take into account reorientation of martensitic variants but unifies several of the existing SMA constitutive models, is used for implementation. Remarks on numerical accuracy of both algorithms are given, and it is concluded that both algorithms are applicable for this class of SMA constitutive models and preference can only be given based on the computational cost. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Non‐linear version of stabilized conforming nodal integration for Galerkin mesh‐free methods

A stabilized conforming (SC) nodal integration, which meets the integration constraint in the Galerkin mesh‐free approximation, is generalized for non‐linear problems. Using a Lagrangian discretization, the integration constraints for SC nodal integration are imposed in the undeformed configuration. This is accomplished by introducing a Lagrangian strain smoothing to the deformation gradient, and by performing a nodal integration in the undeformed configuration. The proposed method is independent to the path dependency of the materials. An assumed strain method is employed to formulate the discrete equilibrium equations, and the smoothed deformation gradient serves as the stabilization mechanism in the nodally integrated variational equation. Eigenvalue analysis demonstrated that the proposed strain smoothing provides a stabilization to the nodally integrated discrete equations. By employing Lagrangian shape functions, the computation of smoothed gradient matrix for deformation gradient is only necessary in the initial stage, and it can be stored and reused in the subsequent load steps. A significant gain in computational efficiency is achieved, as well as enhanced accuracy, in comparison with the mesh‐free solution using Gauss integration. The performance of the proposed method is shown to be quite robust in dealing with non‐uniform discretization. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adaptive crack propagation analysis with the element‐free Galerkin method

In this paper, an adaptive analysis of crack propagation based on the error estimation by the element‐free Galerkin (EFG) method is presented. The adaptivity analysis in quasi‐static crack propagation is achieved by adding and/or removing the nodes along the background integration cells, those are refined or recovered according to the estimated errors. These errors are obtained basically by calculating the difference between the values of the projected stresses and original EFG stresses. To evaluate the performance of the proposed adaptive procedure, the crack propagation behaviour is investigated for several examples. The results of these examples show the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed scheme in crack propagation analysis. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A robust model of pseudoelasticity in shape memory alloys

A model of pseudoelasticity in shape memory alloys is developed within the incremental energy minimization framework. Three constitutive functions are involved: the Helmholtz free energy and rate‐independent dissipation that enter incrementally the minimized energy function, and the constraint function that defines the limit transformation strains. The proposed implementation is based on a unified augmented Lagrangian treatment of both the constitutive constraints and nonsmooth dissipation function. A methodology for easy reformulation of the model from the small‐strain to finite‐deformation regime is presented. Finite element computations demonstrate robustness of the finite‐strain version of the model and illustrate the effects of tension–compression asymmetry and transversal isotropy of the surface of limit transformation strains. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A discontinuous Galerkin formulation of non‐linear Kirchhoff–Love shells

Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods provide a means of weakly enforcing the continuity of the unknown‐field derivatives and have particular appeal in problems involving high‐order derivatives. This feature has previously been successfully exploited (Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng. 2008; 197 :2901–2929) to develop a formulation of linear Kirchhoff–Love shells considering only the membrane and bending responses. In this proposed one‐field method—the displacements are the only unknowns, while the displacement field is continuous, the continuity in the displacement derivative between two elements is weakly enforced by recourse to a DG formulation. It is the purpose of the present paper to extend this formulation to finite deformations and non‐linear elastic behaviors. While the initial linear formulation was relying on the direct linear computation of the effective membrane stress and effective bending couple‐stress from the displacement field at the mid‐surface of the shell, the non‐linear formulation considered implies the evaluation of the general stress tensor across the shell thickness, leading to a reformulation of the internal forces of the shell. Nevertheless, since the interface terms resulting from the discontinuous Galerkin method involve only the resultant couple‐stress at the edges of the shells, the extension to non‐linear deformations is straightforward. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A quadtree data structure for the coupled finite‐element/element‐free Galerkin method

In the present paper, we derive an efficient data structure for the organization of the nodes in the coupled finite element/element‐free Galerkin method. With respect to its implementation, we compare various approaches of recursive spatial discretizations that facilitate most flexible handling of the nodes. The goal of the paper is to refine the implementation issues of the data structure which is fundamental to the element‐free Galerkin method and thus to speed‐up this otherwise computationally rather expensive meshfree method. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Convergence analysis of a hierarchical enrichment of Dirichlet boundary conditions in a mesh‐free method

Implementation of Dirichlet boundary conditions in mesh‐free methods is problematic. In Wagner and Liu (International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering 2001; 50 :507), a hierarchical enrichment technique is introduced that allows a simple implementation of the Dirichlet boundary conditions. In this paper, we provide some error analysis for the hierarchical enrichment mesh‐free technique. We derive optimal order error estimates for the hierarchical enrichment mesh‐free interpolants. For one‐dimensional elliptic boundary value problems, we can directly apply the interpolation error estimates to obtain error estimates for the mesh‐free solutions. For higher‐dimensional problems, derivation of error estimates for the mesh‐free solutions depends on the availability of an inverse inequality. Numerical examples in 1D and 2D are included showing the convergence behaviour of mesh‐free interpolants and mesh‐free solutions when the hierarchical enrichment mesh‐free technique is employed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

形状记忆合金-玻璃纤维/环氧树脂复合材料在振动边界条件下的低速冲击数值模拟

采用有限元方法（FEM）研究了振动边界条件对形状记忆合金（SMA）-玻璃纤维/环氧树脂复合材料的抗低速冲击性能的影响。在数值模拟过程中,将改进的三维Hashin失效准则和Brinson模型分别应用于玻璃纤维/环氧树脂复合材料层合板和SMA,以表征其本构关系。首先通过与固定边界条件下的SMA-玻璃纤维/环氧树脂复合材料板低速冲击实验进行比较,验证了数值模拟过程中所用模型及材料参数的准确性。其次,在模拟过程中,应用了包含不同振幅的一系列振动边界条件,对其进行模拟,揭示了振动边界条件对其抗低速冲击性能的影响。数值模拟结果表明,在大振幅条件下,无SMA复合材料的抗冲击性能比小振幅条件下弱;在相同振动边界条件下,SMA-玻璃纤维/环氧树脂复合材料与无SMA复合材料相比,其抗低速冲击性能提高。      

An improved crack analysis technique by element‐free Galerkin method with auxiliary supports

In this study, an improved crack analysis technique by element‐free Galerkin method (EFGM) with auxiliary supports is proposed. To efficiently model the singularity and the discontinuity of the crack, a singular basis function which varies only on the auxiliary supports is added to enrich the standard EFG approximation and the discontinuous shape function is used in the vicinity of the crack surface. The proposed technique improves the accuracy in the near tip field, by using only an initial node arrangement without any modification until the completion of an analysis. A parametric study, which can guide the analyst on the reasonable choice for the formulation and modelling parameters to be used in the technique, is performed on a relative stress norm error and stress intensity factor. In addition, some numerical examples are analysed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed technique for a crack problem. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An element‐free Galerkin method for 3D crack propagation simulation under complicated stress conditions

This study develops an element‐free Galerkin method based on the moving least‐squares approximation to trace three‐dimensional crack propagation under complicated stress conditions. The crack surfaces are modelled by a collection of planar triangles that are added when cracks propagate. The visibility criterion is adopted to treat the screening effect of the cracks on the influenced domain of a Gaussian point. Cracks are assumed to propagate in the perpendicular planes at crack front points when the strain energy release rates reach the material fracture toughness. This method is unique in that it uses a nonlinear contact iterative algorithm to consider contributions of crack surface interaction to the global equilibrium equations, so that crack opening, sliding and closing under complicated stress states can be efficiently modelled. Two numerical examples of three‐dimensional quasi‐static crack propagation were modelled with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Moving kriging interpolation and element‐free Galerkin method

A new formulation of the element‐free Galerkin (EFG) method is presented in this paper. EFG has been extensively popularized in the literature in recent years due to its flexibility and high convergence rate in solving boundary value problems. However, accurate imposition of essential boundary conditions in the EFG method often presents difficulties because the Kronecker delta property, which is satisfied by finite element shape functions, does not necessarily hold for the EFG shape function. The proposed new formulation of EFG eliminates this shortcoming through the moving kriging (MK) interpolation. Two major properties of the MK interpolation: the Kronecker delta property (?_I( s _J)=δ_IJ) and the consistency property (∑_Iⁿ?_I( x )=1 and ∑_Iⁿ?_I( x )x_Ii=x_i) are proved. Some preliminary numerical results are given. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

One‐dimensional dispersion analysis for the element‐free Galerkin method for the Helmholtz equation

The standard finite element method (FEM) is unreliable to compute approximate solutions of the Helmholtz equation for high wave numbers due to the dispersion, unless highly refined meshes are used, leading to unacceptable resolution times. The paper presents an application of the element‐free Galerkin method (EFG) and focuses on the dispersion analysis in one dimension. It shows that, if the basis contains the solution of the homogenized Helmholtz equation, it is possible to eliminate the dispersion in a very natural way while it is not the case for the finite element methods. For the general case, it also shows that it is possible to choose the parameters of the method in order to minimize the dispersion. Finally, theoretical developments are validated by numerical experiments showing that, for the same distribution of nodes, the element‐free Galerkin method solution is much more accurate than the finite element one. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of the higher‐order Cauchy–Born rule in mesh‐free continuum and multiscale simulation of carbon nanotubes

This paper investigates the application of a recently proposed higher‐order Cauchy–Born rule in the continuum simulation and multiscale analysis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). A mesh‐free computational framework is developed to implement the numerical computation of the hyper‐elastic constitutive model that is derived from the higher‐order Cauchy–Born rule. The numerical computation reveals that the buckling pattern of a single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) can be accurately displayed by taking into consideration the second‐order deformation gradient, and fewer mesh‐free nodes can provide a good simulation of homogeneous deformation. The bridging domain method is employed to couple the developed mesh‐free method and the atomistic simulation. The coupling method is used to simulate the bending buckling of an SWCNT and the tensile failure of an SWCNT with a single‐atom vacancy defect, and good computational results are obtained. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A gradient‐based adaptation procedure and its implementation in the element‐free Galerkin method

A gradient‐based adaptation procedure is proposed in this paper. The relative error in the total strain energy from two adjacent adaptation stages is used as a stop‐criterion. The refinement–coarsening process is guided by the gradient of strain energy density, based on the assumption: a larger gradient needs a richer mesh and vice versa. The procedure is then implemented in the element‐free Galerkin method for linear elasto‐static problems. Numerical examples are presented to show the performance of the proposed procedure. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Meshless approach to shape optimization of linear thermoelastic solids

This paper presents a formulation for shape optimization in thermoelasticity using a meshless method, namely the element‐free Galerkin method. Two examples are treated in detail and comparisons with previously published finite element analysis results demonstrate the excellent opportunities the EFG offers for solving these types of problems. Smoother stresses, no remeshing, and better accuracy than finite element solutions, permit answers to shape optimization problems in thermoelasticity that are practically unattainable with the classical FEM without remeshing. For the thermal fin example, the EFG finds finger shapes that are missed by the FEM analysis, and the objective value is greatly improved compared to the FEM solution. A study of the influence of the number of design parameters is performed and it is observed that the EFG can give better results with a smaller number of design parameters than is possible with traditional methods. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On elimination of shear locking in the element‐free Galerkin method

In this study, a method for completely eliminating the presence of transverse shear locking in the application of the element‐free Galerkin method (EFGM) to shear‐deformable beams and plates is presented. The matching approximation fields concept of Donning and Liu has shown that shear locking effects may be prevented if the approximate rotation fields are constructed with the innate ability to match the approximate slope (first derivative of displacement) fields and is adopted. Implementation of the matching fields concept requires the computation of the second derivative of the shape functions. Thus, the shape functions for displacement fields, and therefore the moving least‐squares (MLS) weight function, must be at least C¹ continuous. Additionally, the MLS weight functions must be chosen such that successive derivatives of the MLS shape function have the ability to exactly reproduce the functions from which they were derived. To satisfy these requirements, the quartic spline weight function possessing C² continuity is used in this study. To our knowledge, this work is the first attempt to address the root cause of shear locking phenomenon within the framework of the element‐free Galerkin method. Several numerical examples confirm that bending analyses of thick and thin beams and plates, based on the matching approximation fields concept, do not exhibit shear locking and provide a high degree of accuracy for both displacement and stress fields. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An enriched meshless method for non‐linear fracture mechanics

This paper presents an enriched meshless method for fracture analysis of cracks in homogeneous, isotropic, non‐linear‐elastic, two‐dimensional solids, subject to mode‐I loading conditions. The method involves an element‐free Galerkin formulation and two new enriched basis functions (Types I and II) to capture the Hutchinson–Rice–Rosengren singularity field in non‐linear fracture mechanics. The Type I enriched basis function can be viewed as a generalized enriched basis function, which degenerates to the linear‐elastic basis function when the material hardening exponent is unity. The Type II enriched basis function entails further improvements of the Type I basis function by adding trigonometric functions. Four numerical examples are presented to illustrate the proposed method. The boundary layer analysis indicates that the crack‐tip field predicted by using the proposed basis functions matches with the theoretical solution very well in the whole region considered, whether for the near‐tip asymptotic field or for the far‐tip elastic field. Numerical analyses of standard fracture specimens by the proposed meshless method also yield accurate estimates of the J‐integral for the applied load intensities and material properties considered. Also, the crack‐mouth opening displacement evaluated by the proposed meshless method is in good agreement with finite element results. Furthermore, the meshless results show excellent agreement with the experimental measurements, indicating that the new basis functions are also capable of capturing elastic–plastic deformations at a stress concentration effectively. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aspects of the use of orthogonal basis functions in the element‐free Galerkin method

The element‐free Galerkin (EFG) method is probably the most widely used meshless method at present. In the EFG method, shape functions are derived from a moving least‐squares approximation using a polynomial basis, a calculation involving the inversion of a small matrix. A new implementation of the EFG method was published soon after the original where an alternative approach using an orthogonal basis was proposed to avoid matrix inversion in the formulation of the shape functions. In this paper we revisit this topic and show that the difficulties associated with the use of a polynomial basis remain present in the orthogonal case. We also show that certain terms in the derivative expressions are omitted in the new implementation of the EFG, which can lead to errors. Finally, we propose a new approach that avoids inversion while maintaining accuracy. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.