A discontinuous‐Galerkin‐based immersed boundary method

A numerical method to approximate partial differential equations on meshes that do not conform to the domain boundaries is introduced. The proposed method is conceptually simple and free of user‐defined parameters. Starting with a conforming finite element mesh, the key ingredient is to switch those elements intersected by the Dirichlet boundary to a discontinuous‐Galerkin approximation and impose the Dirichlet boundary conditions strongly. By virtue of relaxing the continuity constraint at those elements, boundary locking is avoided and optimal‐order convergence is achieved. This is shown through numerical experiments in reaction–diffusion problems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Methods for connecting dissimilar three‐dimensional finite element meshes

Two methods are presented for connecting dissimilar three‐dimensional finite element meshes. The first method combines the concept of master and slave surfaces with the uniform strain approach for finite elements. By modifying the boundaries of elements on a slave surface, corrections are made to element formulations such that first‐order patch tests are passed. The second method is based entirely on constraint equations, but only passes a weaker form of the patch test for non‐planar surfaces. Both methods can be used to connect meshes with different element types. In addition, master and slave surfaces can be designated independently of relative mesh resolutions. Example problems in three‐dimensional linear elasticity are presented. Published in 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three‐dimensional finite element calculations in acoustic scattering using arbitrarily shaped convex artificial boundaries

We report on a generalization of the Bayliss–Gunzburger–Turkel non‐reflecting boundary conditions to arbitrarily shaped convex artificial boundaries. For elongated scatterers such as submarines, we show that this generalization can improve significantly the computational efficiency of finite element methods applied to the solution of three‐dimensional acoustic scattering problems. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three-dimensional immersed finite-element method for anisotropic magnetostatic/electrostatic interface problems with nonhomogeneous flux jump

Anisotropic diffusion is important to many different types of common materials and media. Based on structured Cartesian meshes, we develop a three-dimensional (3D) nonhomogeneous immersed finite-element (IFE) method for the interface problem of anisotropic diffusion, which is characterized by an anisotropic elliptic equation with discontinuous tensor coefficient and nonhomogeneous flux jump. We first construct the 3D linear IFE space for the anisotropic nonhomogeneous jump conditions. Then we present the IFE Galerkin method for the anisotropic elliptic equation. Since this method can efficiently solve interface problems on structured Cartesian meshes, it provides a promising tool to solve the physical models with complex geometries of different materials, hence can serve as an efficient field solver in a simulation on Cartesian meshes for related problems, such as the particle-in-cell simulation. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the features of the proposed method.     

Universal meshes: A method for triangulating planar curved domains immersed in nonconforming meshes

We introduce a new method to triangulate planar, curved domains that transforms a specific collection of triangles in a background mesh to conform to the boundary. In the process, no new vertices are introduced, and connectivities of triangles are left unaltered. The method relies on a novel way of parameterizing an immersed boundary over a collection of nearby edges with its closest point projection. To guarantee its robustness, we require that the domain be C²‐regular, the background mesh be sufficiently refined near the boundary, and that specific angles in triangles near the boundary be strictly acute. The method can render both straight‐edged and curvilinear triangulations for the immersed domain. The latter includes curved triangles that conform exactly to the immersed boundary, and ones constructed with isoparametric mappings to interpolate the boundary at select points. High‐order finite elements constructed over these curved triangles achieve optimal accuracy, which has customarily proven difficult in numerical schemes that adopt nonconforming meshes. Aside from serving as a quick and simple tool for meshing planar curved domains with complex shapes, the method provides significant advantages for simulating problems with moving boundaries and in numerical schemes that require iterating over the geometry of domains. With no conformity requirements, the same background mesh can be adopted to triangulate a large family of domains immersed in it, including ones realized over several updates during the coarse of simulating problems with moving boundaries. We term such a background mesh as a universal mesh for the family of domains it can be used to triangulate. Universal meshes hence facilitate a framework for finite element calculations over evolving domains while using only fixed background meshes. Furthermore, because the evolving geometry can be approximated with any desired order, numerical solutions can be computed with high‐order accuracy. We present demonstrative examples using universal meshes to simulate the interaction of rigid bodies with Stokesian fluids. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three‐dimensional finite element solution of gas‐assisted injection moulding

This paper presents a finite element algorithm for solving gas‐assisted injection moulding problems. The filling material is considered incompressible and has temperature and shear rate dependent viscosity. The solution of the three‐dimensional (3D) equations modelling the momentum, mass and energy conservation is coupled with two front‐tracking equations, which are solved for the polymer/air and gas/polymer interfaces. The performances of the proposed procedure are quantified by solving the gas‐assisted injection problem on a thin plate with a flow channel. Solutions are shown for different polymer/gas ratios injected. The effect of the melt temperature, gas pressure and gas injection delay, on the solution behaviour is also investigated. The approach is then applied to a thick 3D part. Published in 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three‐dimensional finite element implementation of the nonuniform transformation field analysis

In this paper aspects of the nonuniform transformation field analysis (NTFA) introduced by Michel and Suquet (Int. J. Solids Struct. 2003; 40 :6937–6955) are investigated for materials with three‐dimensional microtopology. A novel implementation of the NTFA into the finite element method (FEM) is described in detail, whereas the NTFA was originally used in combination with the fast Fourier transformation (FFT). In particular, the discrete equivalents of the averaging operators required for the preprocessing steps and an algorithm for the implicit time integration and linearization of the constitutive equations of the homogenized material are provided. To the authors knowledge this is the first implementation of the method for three‐dimensional problems. Further, an alternative mode identification strategy is proposed with the aim of small computational cost in combination with good efficiency. The new identification strategy is applied to three‐dimensional metal matrix composites in order to investigate its effective non‐linear behaviour. The homogenized material model is implemented into ABAQUS/STANDARD. Numerical examples at integration point level and in terms of structural problems highlight the efficiency of the method for three‐dimensional problems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An optimally convergent discontinuous Galerkin‐based extended finite element method for fracture mechanics

The extended finite element method (XFEM) enables the representation of cracks in arbitrary locations of a mesh. We introduce here a variant of the XFEM rendering an optimally convergent scheme. Its distinguishing features are as follows: (a) the introduction of singular asymptotic crack tip fields with support on only a small region around the crack tip (the enrichment region), (b) only one and two enrichment functions are added for anti‐plane shear and planar problems, respectively and (c) the relaxation of the continuity between the enrichment region and the rest of the domain, and the adoption of a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method therein. The method is provably stable for any positive value of a stabilization parameter, and by weakly enforcing the continuity between the two regions it eliminates ‘blending elements’ partly responsible for the suboptimal convergence of some early XFEMs. Moreover, the particular choice of enrichment functions results in a surprisingly sparse stiffness matrix that remains reasonably conditioned as the mesh is refined. More importantly, the stress intensity factors can be extracted with a satisfactory accuracy as primary unknowns. Quadrature strategies required for the optimal convergence are also discussed. Finally, the DG method was modified to retain stability based on an inf‐sup condition. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structured extended finite element methods for solids defined by implicit surfaces

A paradigm is developed for generating structured finite element models from solid models by means of implicit surface definitions. The implicit surfaces are defined by radial basis functions. Internal features, such as material interfaces, sliding interfaces and cracks are treated by enrichment techniques developed in the extended finite element method. Methods for integrating the weak form for such models are proposed. These methods simplify the generation of finite element models. Results presented for several examples show that the accuracy of this method is comparable to standard unstructured finite element methods. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A coupled hp‐finite element scheme for the solution of two‐dimensional electrostrictive materials

As part of the ongoing research within the field of computational analysis for the coupled electro‐magneto‐mechanical response of smart materials, the problem of linearised electrostriction is revisited and analysed for the first time using the framework of hp‐finite elements. The governing equations modelling the physics of the dielectric are suitably modified by introducing a new total Cauchy stress tensor (A. Dorfmann and R.W. Ogden. Nonlinear electroelasticity. Acta Mechanica, 174:167–183, 2005), which includes the electrostrictive effect and a staggered partitioned scheme for the numerical solution of the coupling phenomena. With the purpose of benchmarking numerical results, the problem of an infinite electrostrictive plate with a circular/elliptical dielectric insert is revisited. The presented analytical solution is based on the theoretical framework for two‐dimensional electrostriction proposed by Knops (R.J. Knops. Two‐dimensional electrostriction. Quarterly Journal of Mechanics and Applied Mathematics, 16:377–388, 1963) and uses classical techniques of complex variable analysis. Our presentation, to the best of our knowledge, provides the first correct closed form expression for the solution to the infinite electrostrictive plate with a circular/elliptical dielectric insert, correcting the errors made in previous presentations of this problem. We use this analytical solution to assess the accuracy, efficiency and robustness of the hp‐formulation in the case of nearly incompressible electrostrictive materials. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The extended finite element method for fracture in composite materials

Methods for treating fracture in composite material by the extended finite element method with meshes that are independent of matrix/fiber interfaces and crack morphology are described. All discontinuities and near‐tip enrichments are modeled using the framework of local partition of unity. Level sets are used to describe the geometry of the interfaces and cracks so that no explicit representation of either the cracks or the material interfaces are needed. Both full 12 function enrichments and approximate enrichments for bimaterial crack tips are employed. A technique to correct the approximation in blending elements is used to improve the accuracy. Several numerical results for both two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional examples illustrate the versatility of the technique. The results clearly demonstrate that interface enrichment is sufficient to model the correct mechanics of an interface crack. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Explicit finite element perfectly matched layer for transient three‐dimensional elastic waves

The use of a perfectly matched layer (PML) model is an efficient approach toward the bounded‐domain modelling of wave propagation on unbounded domains. This paper formulates a three‐dimensional PML for elastic waves by building upon previous work by the author and implements it in a displacement‐based finite element setting. The novel contribution of this paper over the previous work is in making this finite element implementation suitable for explicit time integration, thus making it practicable for use in large‐scale three‐dimensional dynamic analyses. An efficient method of calculating the strain terms in the PML is developed in order to take advantage of the lack of the overhead of solving equations at each time step. The PML formulation is studied and validated first for a semi‐infinite bar and then for the classical soil–structure interaction problems of a square flexible footing on a (i) half‐space, (ii) layer on a half‐space and (iii) layer on a rigid base. Numerical results for these problems demonstrate that the PML models produce highly accurate results with small bounded domains and at low computational cost and that these models are long‐time stable, with critical time step sizes similar to those of corresponding fully elastic models. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parameterization of planar curves immersed in triangulations with application to finite elements

We construct a method for the parameterization of a class of planar piecewise C²‐curves over a collection of edges in an ambient triangulation. The map from the collection of edges to the curve is the closest‐point projection. A distinguishing feature of the method is that edges in the ambient triangulation need not interpolate the curve. We formulate conditions on the ambient triangulations so that the resulting parameterization over its selected edges is (i) bijective, (ii) maps simple, connected collection of edges to simple, connected components of the curve, and (iii) is C¹ within each edge of the collection. These properties of the parameterization make it particularly useful in the construction of high‐order finite element approximation spaces on planar curves immersed in triangulations. We discuss this application and illustrate it with numerical examples. The parameterization method applies to a large class of planar curves, including most ones of interest in engineering and computer graphics applications, and to a large family of triangulations, including acute‐angled triangulations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Immersed smoothed finite element method for two dimensional fluid–structure interaction problems

A novel method called immersed smoothed FEM using three‐node triangular element is proposed for two‐dimensional fluid–structure interaction (FSI) problems with largely deformable nonlinear solids placed within incompressible viscous fluid. The fluid flows are solved using the semi‐implicit characteristic‐based split method. Smoothed FEMs are employed to calculate the transient responses of solids based on explicit time integration. The fictitious fluid with two assumptions is introduced to achieve the continuous form of the FSI conditions. The discrete formulations to calculate the FSI forces are obtained in terms of the characteristic‐based split scheme, and the algorithm based on a set of fictitious fluid mesh is proposed for evaluating the FSI force exerted on the solid. The accuracy, stability, and convergence properties of immersed smoothed FEM are verified by numerical examples. Investigations on the mesh size ratio indicate that the stability is fairly independent of the wide range of the mesh size ratio. No additional volume correction is required to satisfy the incompressible constraints. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An hp‐adaptive finite element method for electromagnetics. Part 3: A three‐dimensional infinite element for Maxwell's equations

This paper is a continuation of Reference [26] (Cecot, Demkowicz and Rachowicz, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 2000; 188 : 625–643) and describes an implementation of the infinite element for three‐dimensional, time harmonic Maxwell's equations, proposed in Reference [15] (Demkowicz and Pal, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 1998; 164 : 77–94). The element is compatible with the hp finite element discretizations for Maxwell's equations in bounded domains reported in References [16–18] (Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 1998; 152 : 103–124, 1999; 169 : 331–344, 2000; 187 : 307–337). Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Unstructured,curved elements for the two‐dimensional high order discontinuous control‐volume/finite‐element method

Quadrilateral and triangular elements with curved edges are developed in the framework of spectral, discontinuous, hybrid control‐volume/finite‐element method for elliptic problems. In order to accommodate hybrid meshes, encompassing both triangular and quadrilateral elements, one single mapping is used. The scheme is applied to two‐dimensional problems with discontinuous, anisotropic diffusion coefficients, and the exponential convergence of the method is verified in the presence of curved geometries. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A numerical strategy for finite element analysis of no‐tension materials

We present an algorithmic procedure for the finite element solution of structural problems for no‐tension materials. The approach is based upon a suitable modification of the tangent strategy which is shown to be computationally superior to conventional procedures for non‐linear material models, namely the tangent strategy enhanced with line searches and the tangent‐secant approach. The solution of the constitutive problem for no‐tension materials is derived by an original path of reasoning and its formulation in a strain‐driven format, directly amenable to a computer implementation, is presented. For completeness the existing expressions of the tangent and secant operators for the no‐tension model are briefly recalled and an original formula for the secant operator derived. The robustness of the proposed strategy is exemplified by the numerical results obtained for a masonry panel with openings. Remarkably, the solution is achieved by assigning a single load step and an asymptotically quadratic convergence rate is attained. Further, the numerical properties of the proposed solution strategy are practically unaffected by the adopted discretization. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new finite element approach for solving three‐dimensional problems using trimmed hexahedral elements

In this paper, a novel finite element approach is presented to solve three‐dimensional problems using trimmed hexahedral elements generated by cutting a simple block consisting of regular hexahedral elements with a computer‐aided design (CAD) surface. Trimmed hexahedral elements, which are polyhedral elements with curved faces, are placed at the boundaries of finite element models, and regular hexahedral elements remain in the interior regions. Shape functions for trimmed hexahedral elements are developed by using moving least square approximation with harmonic weight functions based on an extension of Wachspress coordinates to curved faces. A subdivision of polyhedral domains into tetrahedral sub‐domains is performed to construct shape functions for trimmed hexahedral elements, and numerical integration of the weak form can be carried out consistently over the tetrahedral sub‐domains. Trimmed hexahedral elements have similar properties to conventional finite elements regarding the continuity, the completeness, the node–element connectivity, and the inter‐element compatibility. Numerical examples for three‐dimensional linear elastic problems with complex geometries show the efficiency and effectiveness of the present method. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three‐dimensional meshfree‐enriched finite element formulation for micromechanical hyperelastic modeling of particulate rubber composites

A three‐dimensional microstructure‐based finite element framework is presented for modeling the mechanical response of rubber composites in the microscopic level. This framework introduces a novel finite element formulation, the meshfree‐enriched FEM, to overcome the volumetric locking and pressure oscillation problems that normally arise in the numerical simulation of rubber composites using conventional displacement‐based FEM. The three‐dimensional meshfree‐enriched FEM is composed of five‐noded tetrahedral elements with a volume‐weighted smoothing of deformation gradient between neighboring elements. The L₂‐orthogonality property of the smoothing operator enables the employed Hu–Washizu–de Veubeke functional to be degenerated to an assumed strain method, which leads to a displacement‐based formulation that is easily incorporated with the periodic boundary conditions imposed on the unit cell. Two numerical examples are analyzed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.