Local RBF-based differential quadrature collocation method for the boundary layer problems

In this article, the local RBF-based differential quadrature (LRBFDQ) collocation method is presented for the boundary layer problems, i.e., the singularly perturbed two-point boundary value problems. This novel method has an advantage over the globally supported RBF collocation method because it approximates the derivatives by RBF interpolation using a small set of nodes in the neighborhood of any collocation node. So it needs much less computational work than the globally supported RBF collocation method. It also could easily use the nodes in local support domain on the upwind side to obtain the non-oscillatory solution of boundary layer problems. Numerical examples are made by the multiquadric (MQ) RBF. Compared with the globally supported RBF collocation method and the finite difference method, numerical results demonstrate the accuracy and easy implementation of the LRBFDQ collocation method, even for the extremely thin layers in the boundary layer problems.     

弹性地基板弯曲的杂交边界点法

基于双参数Pasternak弹性地基模型,将杂交边界点法与双互易法结合,用于弹性地基板弯曲问题的分析。将地基反力与横向载荷一起作为非齐次项,利用径向基函数插值得到特解,而齐次方程的通解则使用杂交边界点法求解。该方法无论插值还是积分都不需要网格,域内点仅用来插值非齐次项,因而仍是一种边界类型的无网格方法。数值算例表明:该文方法在分析弹性地基板弯曲问题时,具有计算精度高和收敛速度快等优点。     

A solution to linear elasticity using locally supported RBF collocation in a generalised finite-difference mode

This work presents a novel meshless numerical approach for the solution of linear elasticity problems, using locally supported RBF collocation. The Kansa (unsymmetric) RBF collocation method is used to form local collocation systems, which enforce the PDE governing and boundary operators. With the displacement values acting as the unknowns in the system, a sparse global system is formed. This global matrix is formed in a manner analogous to a finite difference method, with the displacement values at each internal node defined in terms of the displacements at other nodes within the local stencil.In contrast to traditional finite difference methods, here the RBF collocation assumes the role traditionally played by polynomial interpolants. The RBF collocation does itself satisfy the governing PDE operator at some collocation points, and therefore allows for a significantly more accurate reconstruction than is found from simple polynomial interpolants. In addition, the boundary operators (for applied displacement and applied surface traction) are enforced directly within the local RBF collocation systems, rather than being enforced at the global matrix. In contrast to traditional finite difference methods based on polynomial interpolation, the RBF collocation does not require a regular arrangement of nodes. Therefore, the proposed numerical method is directly applicable to unstructured datasets.     

A meshless hybrid boundary-node method for Helmholtz problems

By coupling the moving least squares (MLS) approximation with a modified functional, the hybrid boundary node-method (hybrid BNM) is a boundary-only, truly meshless method. Like boundary element method (BEM), an initial restriction of the present method is that non-homogeneous terms accounting for effects such as distributed loads are included in the formulation by means of domain integrals, and thus make the technique lose the attraction of its ‘boundary-only’ character.This paper presents a new boundary-type meshless method dual reciprocity-hybrid boundary node method (DR-HBNM), which is combined the hybrid BNM with the dual reciprocity method (DRM) for solving Helmholtz problems. In this method, the solution of Helmholtz problem is divided into two parts, i.e. the complementary solution and the particular solution. The complementary solution is solved by means of hybrid BNM and the particular one is obtained by DRM. The modified variational formulation is applied to form the discrete equations of hybrid BNM. The MLS is employed to approximate the boundary variables, while the domain variables are interpolated by fundamental solutions. The domain integration is interpolated by radial basis function (RBF). The proposed method in the paper retains the characteristics of the meshless method and BEM, which only requires discrete nodes constructed on the boundary of a domain, several nodes in the domain are needed just for the RBF interpolation. The parameters that influence the performance of this method are studied through numerical examples and known analytical fields. Numerical results for the solution of Helmholtz equation show that high convergence rates and high accuracy are achievable.     

A local Heaviside weighted meshless method for two-dimensional solids using radial basis functions

 A meshless method is developed for the stress analysis of two-dimensional solids, based on a local weighted residual method with the Heaviside step function as the weighting function over a local subdomain. Trial functions are constructed using radial basis functions (RBF). The present method is a truly meshless method based only on a number of randomly located nodes. No domain integration is needed, no element matrix assembly is required and no special treatment is needed to impose the essential boundary conditions. Effects of the sizes of local subdomain and interpolation domain on the performance of the present method are investigated. The behaviour of shape parameters of multiquadrics (MQ) has been systematically studied. Example problems in elastostatics are presented and compared with closed-form solutions and show that the proposed method is highly accurate and possesses no numerical difficulties. Received: 10 November 2002 / Accepted: 5 March 2003     

A domain-type boundary-integral-equation method for two-dimensional biharmonic Dirichlet problem

This paper reports a new boundary-integral-equation method (BIEM) for numerically solving biharmonic problems with Dirichlet boundary conditions. For the solution of these problems in convex polygons, it was found that the accuracy of the conventional BIEM is significantly reduced, and spurious oscillatory behaviour is often observed in the boundary solutions especially for areas near corners (Mai-Duy N, Tanner RI. An effective high order interpolation scheme in BIEM for biharmonic boundary value problems. Eng Anal Bound Elem 2005;29:210–23). In this study, a new treatment for these difficulties is proposed. The unknown functions in boundary integrals are approximated using a domain-type interpolation scheme rather than traditional boundary-type interpolation schemes. Two test problems are considered to validate the formulation and to demonstrate the attractiveness of the proposed method.     

Analysis of functionally graded plates by meshless method: A purely analytical formulation

Functionally graded plates under static and dynamic loads are investigated by the local integral equation method (LIEM) in this paper. Plate bending problem is described by the Reissner moderate thick plate theory. The governing equations for the functionally graded material with respect to the neutral plane are presented in the Laplace transform domain and therefore the in-plane and bending problems are uncoupled. Both isotropic and orthotropic material properties are considered. The local integral equation method is developed with the locally supported radial basis function (RBF) interpolation. As the closed forms of the local boundary integrals are obtained, there are no domain or boundary integrals to be calculated numerically in this approach. The solutions of the nodal values for the entire plate are obtained by solving a set of linear algebraic equation system with certain boundary conditions. Details of numerical procedures are presented and the accuracy and convergence characteristics of the method are examined. Several examples are presented for the functionally graded plates under static and dynamic loads and the accuracy for proposed method has been observed compared with 3D analytical solutions.     

Comparing RBF‐FD approximations based on stabilized Gaussians and on polyharmonic splines with polynomials

In this work, we are concerned with radial basis function–generated finite difference (RBF‐FD) approximations. Numerical error estimates are presented for stabilized flat Gaussians (RBF(SGA)‐FD) and polyharmonic splines with supplementary polynomials (RBF(PHS)‐FD) using some analytical solutions of the Poisson equation in a square domain. Both structured and unstructured point clouds are employed for evaluating the influence of cloud refinement, size of local supports, and maximal permissible degree of the polynomials in RBF(PHS)‐FD. High order of accuracy was attained with both RBF(SGA)‐FD and RBF(PHS)‐FD especially for unstructured clouds. Absolute errors in the first and second derivatives were also estimated at all points of the domain using one of the analytical solutions. For RBF(SGA)‐FD, this test showed the occurrence of improprieties of some decentered supports localized on boundary neighborhoods. This phenomenon was not observed with RBF(PHS)‐FD.     

Shape variable radial basis function and its application in dual reciprocity boundary face method

The radial basis functions (RBFs) is an efficient tool in multivariate approximation, but it usually suffers from an ill-conditioned interpolation matrix when interpolation points are very dense or irregularly spaced. The RBFs with variable shape parameters can usually improve the interpolation matrix condition number. In this paper a new shape parameter variation scheme is implemented. Comparison studies with the constant shaped RBF on convergence and stability are made. Results show that under the same accuracy level, the interpolation matrix condition number by our scheme grows much slower than that of the constant shaped RBF interpolation matrix with increase in the number of interpolation points. As an application example, the dual reciprocity method equipped with the new RBF is combined with the boundary face method to solve boundary value problems governed by Poisson equations. Numerical results further demonstrate the robustness and better stability of the new RBF.     

Development of a meshless hybrid boundary node method for Stokes flows

The meshless hybrid boundary node method (HBNM) is a promising method for solving boundary value problems, and is further developed and numerically implemented for incompressible 2D and 3D Stokes flows in this paper. In this approach, a new modified variational formulation using a hybrid functional is presented. The formulation is expressed in terms of domain and boundary variables. The moving least-squares (MLS) method is employed to approximate the boundary variables whereas the domain variables are interpolated by the fundamental solutions of Stokes equation, i.e. Stokeslets. The present method only requires scatter nodes on the surface, and is a truly boundary type meshless method as it does not require the ‘boundary element mesh’, either for the purpose of interpolation of the variables or the integration of ‘energy’. Moreover, since the primitive variables, i.e., velocity vector and pressure, are employed in this approach, the problem of finding the velocity is separated from that of finding pressure. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the implementation and performance of the present method. It is shown that the high convergence rates and accuracy can be achieved with a small number of nodes.     

Radial basis functions and level set method for structural topology optimization

Level set methods have become an attractive design tool in shape and topology optimization for obtaining lighter and more efficient structures. In this paper, the popular radial basis functions (RBFs) in scattered data fitting and function approximation are incorporated into the conventional level set methods to construct a more efficient approach for structural topology optimization. RBF implicit modelling with multiquadric (MQ) splines is developed to define the implicit level set function with a high level of accuracy and smoothness. A RBF–level set optimization method is proposed to transform the Hamilton–Jacobi partial differential equation (PDE) into a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) over the entire design domain by using a collocation formulation of the method of lines. With the mathematical convenience, the original time dependent initial value problem is changed to an interpolation problem for the initial values of the generalized expansion coefficients. A physically meaningful and efficient extension velocity method is presented to avoid possible problems without reinitialization in the level set methods. The proposed method is implemented in the framework of minimum compliance design that has been extensively studied in topology optimization and its efficiency and accuracy over the conventional level set methods are highlighted. Numerical examples show the success of the present RBF–level set method in the accuracy, convergence speed and insensitivity to initial designs in topology optimization of two‐dimensional (2D) structures. It is suggested that the introduction of the radial basis functions to the level set methods can be promising in structural topology optimization. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A scalable and implicit meshless RBF method for the 3D unsteady nonlinear Richards equation with single and multi‐zone domains

The Local Hermitian Interpolation (LHI) method is a strong‐form meshless numerical technique which uses Radial Basis Function (RBF) interpolants to satisfy linear and nonlinear governing equations and boundary operators. Recent developments have shown that, for linear transport problems, applying the PDE governing equation directly to the basis functions can greatly improve the accuracy and stability of the resulting solutions. In this work, the LHI formulation with local PDE‐interpolation is extended to the nonlinear gravity‐driven Richards equation, in order to solve unsteady problems involving flow in unsaturated porous media. The application of the linearised PDE‐operator to the basis functions incorporates information, such as the effective velocity field, directly into the solution construction. This results in a form of ‘analytical upwinding’ which helps to stabilise the solution. In addition, the local interpolation itself satisfies the linearised governing equation, allowing for more accurate reconstruction of partial derivatives, and hence a more accurate solution. The procedure is tested using a 3D infiltration problem with a known analytical solution. The performance of the LHI method, both with and without local PDE interpolation, is compared to the Finite Element method via the FEMWATER software. The LHI formulation with PDE data centres shows consistent improvement over the FEMWATER solutions, reducing errors by several orders of magnitude. In addition, a procedure is introduced to model strongly heterogeneous and layered soils. The physically correct matching conditions are applied over layer interfaces, i.e. continuity of pressure and mass flux. The ‘double collocation’ property of the Hermitian RBF method is exploited to enforce both matching conditions at the same set of locations on the layer interface. This procedure allows the accurate capture of solutions across such interfaces, replicating the required discontinuities in the first derivatives of the pressure profile. The multi‐layer formulation is validated using a transient two‐layer infiltration problem, with the analytical solution replicated to a high precision in a variety of configurations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An improved hybrid boundary node method for solving steady fluid flow problems

This paper describes the application of an improved hybrid boundary node method (hybrid BNM) for solving steady fluid flow problems. The hybrid BNM is a boundary type meshless method, which combined the moving least squares (MLS) approximation and the modified variational principle. It only requires nodes constructed on the boundary of the domain, and does not require any ‘mesh’ neither for the interpolation of variables nor for the integration. As the variables inside the domain are interpolated by the fundamental solutions, the accuracy of the hybrid BNM is rather high. However, shape functions for the classical MLS approximation lack the delta function property. Thus in this method, the boundary condition cannot be enforced easily and directly, and its computational cost is high for the inevitable transformation strategy of boundary condition. In the method we proposed, a regularized weight function is adopted, which leads to the MLS shape functions fulfilling the interpolation condition exactly, which enables a direct application of essential boundary conditions without additional numerical effort. The improved hybrid BNM has successfully implemented in solving steady fluid flow problems. The numerical examples show the excellent characteristics of this method, and the computation results obtained by this method are in a well agreement with the analytical solutions, which indicate that the method we introduced in this paper can be implemented to other problems.     

Cubic spline boundary elements

The boundary integral method is formulated and applied using cubic spline interpolation along the boundary for both the geometry and the primary variables. The cubic spline interpolation has continuous first and second derivatives between elements, thus allowing the accurate calculation of derivative dependent functions (on the boundary) such as velocity in potential flow. The spline functions also smooth the geometry and can represent curved sections with fewer nodes. The results of numerical experiments indicate that the accuracy of the boundary integral equation method is improved for a given number of elements by using cubic spline interpolation. It is, however, necessary to use numerical quadrature. The quadrature slows calculation and/or degrades the accuracy. The numerical experiments indicate that most problems run faster for a given accuracy using linear interpolation. There seems to be a class of problems, however, which requires higher order interpolation and/or continuous derivatives for which the cubic spline interpolation works much better than linear interpolation.     

Combination of Newmark method and natural element method for elastodynamics

The natural element method (NEM) is a meshless method. The trial and test functions of the NEM are constructed using natural neighbor interpolations which are based on the Voronoi tessellation of a set of nodes. The NEM interpolation is linear between adjacent nodes on the boundary of the convex hull, which makes imposition of essential boundary conditions easy to implement. We investigate the performance of the NEM combined with the Newmark method for problems of elastodynamics in this article. Applications are considered for a cantilever beam with different initial load conditions. The NEM numerical results are compared with the finite element method. NEM shows promise for these applications.     

Boundary element formulation for the coupled stretching-bending analysis of thin laminated plates

The boundary integral equations for the coupled stretching-bending analysis of thin laminated plates involve an integral which will be singular when the field point approaches the source point. To avoid the singular problem occurring in the numerical programming, the boundary integral equations are modified in which the integrals of singular part are integrated analytically. The analytical solutions for the free term coefficients and singular integrals are obtained in explicit closed-form. By dividing the boundary into elements and using suitable interpolation polynomials for basic functions, the set of equations necessary for boundary element programming are written explicitly for regular nodes and corner nodes. The equations for the determination of displacements and stresses at internal points are also presented in this paper.     

A three-dimensional BEM solution for plasticity using regression interpolation within the plastic field

This paper presents an improved solution of three-dimensional plasticity problems using the boundary element method (BEM). The BEM formulation for plasticity requires volume as well as boundary discretizations. An initial stress formulation is used to satisfy the material non-linearity. Conventionally, the plastic field in the volume element (or cell) is interpolated based on the value of plastic stress at the nodes of the cell. In this paper, the distribution of the plastic field in the cell is based on a number of points interior to the cell. The plastic field is described using regression interpolation polynomials through these interior points. The constitutive relation is satisfied at each interior point. The number of points can be varied in each cell, thus allowing for adaptive volume cells. The plastic stresses are computed at the interior points only, therefore, the need for surface stress computation (which uses numerical derivatives at the surface) is completely eliminated. Three-dimensional applications are used to compare the present regression interpolation procedure with the conventional method for elasto-plasticity problems. In all variations of the applications studied regression interpolation based on interior points provided superior results to those determined via the conventional nodal interpolation method.     

Application of local boundary integral equation method into micropolar elasticity

A new meshless method for solving boundary value problems in micropolar elasticity is presented. The method is based on the local boundary integral equation (LBIE) method with the moving least squares approximation of physical quantities. Randomly scattered nodes are utilized for interpolation of field data. Every node is surrounded by a simple surface centered at the collocation point in the LBIE method. On the surface of subdomains the LBIEs are written. Fundamental solutions corresponding to uncoupled governing equations are derived. To eliminate the traction vector in the LBIE, the modified fundamental solution is introduced.     

Analytical elements of time domain bem for two-dimensional scalar wave problems

An accurate and efficient time domain BEM for 2-D scalar wave problems is presented. Emphasis is on developing analytical boundary elements (explicit solutions of the element matrices). The solutions are obtained under the condition of straight line elements and by bringing the problem to a simple and genral form of double convolution equation which is then solved by the Cagniard–De Hoop method. Six kinds of elements for any combination of the spatial interpolation functions of order 0, 1, 2 with the temporal interpolation functions of order 0, 1 are given in a compact form. It is pointed out that if the order of temporal interpolation function is higher than 1, or if the continuity of velocity or acceleration is required, the time-stepping technique will face difficulty. A method to solve this problem is also presented. Advantages of using the analytical elements instead of a numerical integral procedure are apparent. Problems with such things as singular integrals, accuracy and stability are solved. Methodology and solutions are demonstrated by a comparative study of two example problems. Numerical solutions reveal that the computation is efficient, accurate and stable.