A semi‐analytic collocation technique for steady‐state strongly nonlinear advection‐diffusion‐reaction equations with variable coefficients

The aim of this paper is to present a new semi‐analytic numerical method for strongly nonlinear steady‐state advection‐diffusion‐reaction equation (ADRE) in arbitrary 2‐D domains. The key idea of the method is the use of the basis functions which satisfy the homogeneous boundary conditions of the problem. Each basis function used in the algorithm is a sum of an analytic basis function and a special correcting function which is chosen to satisfy the homogeneous boundary conditions of the problem. The polynomials, trigonometric functions, conical radial basis functions, and the multiquadric radial basis functions are used in approximation of the ADRE. This allows us to seek an approximate solution in the analytic form which satisfies the boundary conditions of the initial problem with any choice of free parameters. As a result, we separate the approximation of the boundary conditions and the approximation of the ADRE inside the solution domain. The numerical examples confirm the high accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method in solving strongly nonlinear equations in an arbitrary domain.     

High‐order space‐time finite element schemes for acoustic and viscodynamic wave equations with temporal decoupling

We revisit a method originally introduced by Werder et al. (in Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg., 190:6685–6708, 2001) for temporally discontinuous Galerkin FEMs applied to a parabolic partial differential equation. In that approach, block systems arise because of the coupling of the spatial systems through inner products of the temporal basis functions. If the spatial finite element space is of dimension D and polynomials of degree r are used in time, the block system has dimension (r + 1)D and is usually regarded as being too large when r > 1. Werder et al. found that the space‐time coupling matrices are diagonalizable over for r ?100, and this means that the time‐coupled computations within a time step can actually be decoupled. By using either continuous Galerkin or spectral element methods in space, we apply this DG‐in‐time methodology, for the first time, to second‐order wave equations including elastodynamics with and without Kelvin–Voigt and Maxwell–Zener viscoelasticity. An example set of numerical results is given to demonstrate the favourable effect on error and computational work of the moderately high‐order (up to degree 7) temporal and spatio‐temporal approximations, and we also touch on an application of this method to an ambitious problem related to the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering published by 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.     

Solving the advection–diffusion equation on unstructured meshes with discontinuous/mixed finite elements and a local time stepping procedure

Explicit schemes are known to provide less numerical diffusion in solving the advection–diffusion equation, especially for advection‐dominated problems. Traditional explicit schemes use fixed time steps restricted by the global CFL condition in order to guarantee stability. This is known to slow down the computation especially for heterogeneous domains and/or unstructured meshes. To avoid this problem, local time stepping procedures where the time step is allowed to vary spatially in order to satisfy a local CFL condition have been developed. In this paper, a local time stepping approach is used with a numerical model based on discontinuous Galerkin/mixed finite element methods to solve the advection–diffusion equation. The developments are detailed for general unstructured triangular meshes. Numerical experiments are performed to show the efficiency of the numerical model for the simulation of (i) the transport of a solute on highly unstructured meshes and (ii) density‐driven flow, where the velocity field changes at each time step. The model gives stable results with significant reduction of the computational cost especially for the non‐linear problem. Moreover, numerical diffusion is also reduced for highly advective problems. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A discontinuous Galerkin method for a hyperbolic model for convection–diffusion problems in CFD

This paper proposes a hyperbolic model for convection–diffusion transport problems in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The hyperbolic model is based on the so‐called Cattaneo's law. This is a time‐dependent generalization of Fick's and Fourier's laws that was originally proposed to solve pure‐diffusive heat transfer problems. We show that the proposed model avoids the infinite speed paradox that is inherent in the standard parabolic model. A high‐order upwind discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is developed and applied to classic convection‐dominated test problems. The quality of the numerical results is remarkable, since the discontinuities are very well captured without the appearance of spurious oscillations. These results are compared with those obtained by using the standard parabolic model and the local DG (LDG) method and with those given by the parabolic model and the Bassi–Rebay scheme. Finally, the applicability of the proposed methodology is demonstrated by solving a practical case in engineering. We simulate the evolution of pollutant being spilled in the harbour of A Coruña (northwest of Spain, EU). Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A full‐discontinuous Galerkin formulation of nonlinear Kirchhoff–Love shells: elasto‐plastic finite deformations,parallel computation,and fracture applications

Because of its ability to take into account discontinuities, the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method presents some advantages for modeling cracks initiation and propagation. This concept has been recently applied to three‐dimensional simulations and to elastic thin bodies. In this last case, the assumption of small elastic deformations before cracks initiation or propagation reduces drastically the applicability of the framework to a reduced number of materials. To remove this limitation, a full‐DG formulation of nonlinear Kirchhoff–Love shells is presented and is used in combination with an elasto‐plastic finite deformations model. The results obtained by this new formulation are in agreement with other continuum elasto‐plastic shell formulations. Then, this full‐DG formulation of Kirchhoff–Love shells is coupled with the cohesive zone model to perform thin body fracture simulations. As this method considers elasto‐plastic constitutive laws in combination with the cohesive model, accurate results compared with the experiments are found. In particular, the crack path and propagation rate of a blasted cylinder are shown to match experimental results. One of the main advantages of this framework is its ability to run in parallel with a high speed‐up factor, allowing the simulation of ultra fine meshes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A continuation method for rigid‐cohesive fracture in a discontinuous Galerkin finite element setting

An energy minimization formulation of initially rigid cohesive fracture is introduced within a discontinuous Galerkin finite element setting with Nitsche flux. The finite element discretization is directly applied to an energy functional, whose term representing the energy stored in the interfaces is nondifferentiable at the origin. Unlike finite element implementations of extrinsic cohesive models that do not operate directly on the energy potential, activation of interfaces happens automatically when a certain level of stress encoded in the interface potential is reached. Thus, numerical issues associated with an external activation criterion observed in the previous literature are effectively avoided. Use of the Nitsche flux avoids the introduction of Lagrange multipliers as additional unknowns. Implicit time stepping is performed using the Newmark scheme, for which a dynamic potential is developed to properly incorporate momentum. A continuation strategy is employed for the treatment of nondifferentiability and the resulting sequence of smooth nonconvex problems is solved using the trust region minimization algorithm. Robustness of the proposed method and its capabilities in modeling quasistatic and dynamic problems are shown through several numerical examples.     

On a two‐level finite element method for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations

We consider the Galerkin finite element method for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations in two dimensions, where the finite‐dimensional space(s) employed consist of piecewise polynomials enriched with residual‐free bubble functions. To find the bubble part of the solution, a two‐level finite element method (TLFEM) is described and its application to the Navier–Stokes equation is displayed. Numerical solutions employing the TLFEM are presented for three benchmark problems. We compare the numerical solutions using the TLFEM with the numerical solutions using a stabilized method. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of two‐grid methods for reaction‐diffusion equations by expanded mixed finite element methods

We present two efficient methods of two‐grid scheme for the approximation of two‐dimensional semi‐linear reaction‐diffusion equations using an expanded mixed finite element method. To linearize the discretized equations, we use two Newton iterations on the fine grid in our methods. Firstly, we solve an original non‐linear problem on the coarse grid. Then we use twice Newton iterations on the fine grid in our first method, and while in second method we make a correction on the coarse grid between two Newton iterations on the fine grid. These two‐grid ideas are from Xu's work (SIAM J. Sci. Comput. 1994; 15 :231–237; SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 1996; 33 :1759–1777) on standard finite element method. We extend the ideas to the mixed finite element method. Moreover, we obtain the error estimates for two algorithms of two‐grid method. It is showed that coarse space can be extremely coarse and we achieve asymptotically optimal approximation as long as the mesh sizes satisfy H =??(h^¼) in the first algorithm and H =??(h^?) in second algorithm. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Frequency‐domain analysis of time‐integration methods for semidiscrete finite element equations—part II: Hyperbolic and parabolic–hyperbolic problems

Time‐integration methods for semidiscrete finite element equations of hyperbolic and parabolic– hyperbolic types are analysed in the frequency domain. The discrete‐time transfer functions of six popular methods are derived, and subsequently the forced response characteristics of single modes are studied in the frequency domain. Three characteristic numbers are derived which eliminate the parameter dependence of the frequency responses. Frequency responses and L₂‐norms of the phase and magnitude errors are calculated, and comparisons are given of the methods. As shown; the frequency‐domain analysis explains all time‐domain properties of the methods, and gives more insight into the subject. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A 3D beam‐to‐beam contact finite element for coupled electric–mechanical fields

In this paper the formulation of an electric–mechanical beam‐to‐beam contact element is presented. Beams with circular cross‐sections are assumed to get in contact in a point‐wise manner and with clean metallic surfaces. The voltage distribution is influenced by the contact mechanics, since the current flow is constricted to small contacting spots. Therefore, the solution is governed by the contacting areas and hence by the contact forces. As a consequence the problem is semi‐coupled with the mechanical field influencing the electric one. The electric–mechanical contact constraints are enforced with the penalty method within the finite element technique. The virtual work equations for the mechanical and electric fields are written and consistently linearized to achieve a good level of computational efficiency with the finite element method. The set of equations is solved with a monolithic approach. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A semi‐Lagrangean time‐integration approach for extended finite element methods

Many computational problems incorporate discontinuities that evolve in time. The eXtendend Finite Element Method (XFEM) is able to represent discontinuities sharply on fixed arbitrary meshes, but numerical difficulties arise if these discontinuities move in time. We point out that this issue is crucial for interface problems with strongly discontinuous fields on fixed grids. A method using semi‐Lagrangean techniques is proposed to adequately handle time integration based on finite difference schemes in the context of the XFEM. The basic idea is to adapt previous numerical solutions to the current interface position by tracking back virtual Lagrangean particles to their previous positions, where an appropriate solution can be extrapolated from a smooth field. Convergence properties of the proposed method in time and space are thoroughly studied for two one‐dimensional model problems. Finally, the method is applied to the particularly challenging problem of premixed combustion, where the discontinuity appears at the flame front separating the burnt from the unburnt gases. A two‐dimensional and a three‐dimensional expanding flame demonstrates that the method is sufficiently accurate to retain the properties of the overall Nitsche‐type formulation for interface problems with embedded strong discontinuities. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A fracture framework for Euler–Bernoulli beams based on a full discontinuous Galerkin formulation/extrinsic cohesive law combination

A new full Discontinuous Galerkin discretization of Euler–Bernoulli beam is presented. The main interest of this framework is its ability to simulate fracture problems by inserting a cohesive zone model in the formulation. With a classical Continuous Galerkin method, the use of the cohesive zone model is difficult because inserting a cohesive element between bulk elements is not straightforward. On one hand if the cohesive element is inserted at the beginning of the simulation, there is a modification of the structure stiffness and on the other hand inserting the cohesive element during the simulation requires modification of the mesh during computation. These drawbacks are avoided with the presented formulation as the structure is discretized in a stable and consistent way with full discontinuous elements and inserting cohesive elements during the simulation becomes straightforward. A new cohesive law based on the resultant stresses (bending moment and membrane) of the thin structure discretization is also presented. This model allows propagating fracture while avoiding through‐the‐thickness integration of the cohesive law. Tests are performed to show that the proposed model releases, during the fracture process, an energy quantity equal to the fracture energy for any combination of tension‐bending loadings. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A two‐grid method for expanded mixed finite‐element solution of semilinear reaction–diffusion equations

We present a scheme for solving two‐dimensional semilinear reaction–diffusion equations using an expanded mixed finite element method. To linearize the mixed‐method equations, we use a two‐grid algorithm based on the Newton iteration method. The solution of a non‐linear system on the fine space is reduced to the solution of two small (one linear and one non‐linear) systems on the coarse space and a linear system on the fine space. It is shown that the coarse grid can be much coarser than the fine grid and achieve asymptotically optimal approximation as long as the mesh sizes satisfy H=O(h^1/3). As a result, solving such a large class of non‐linear equation will not be much more difficult than solving one single linearized equation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A framework for coupled deformation–diffusion analysis with application to degradation/healing

This paper deals with the formulation and numerical implementation of a fully coupled continuum model for deformation–diffusion in linearized elastic solids. The mathematical model takes into account the effect of the deformation on the diffusion process, and the affect of the transport of an inert chemical species on the deformation of the solid. We then present a robust computational framework for solving the proposed mathematical model, which consists of coupled non‐linear partial differential equations. It should be noted that many popular numerical formulations may produce unphysical negative values for the concentration, particularly, when the diffusion process is anisotropic. The violation of the non‐negative constraint by these numerical formulations is not mere numerical noise. In the proposed computational framework, we employ a novel numerical formulation that will ensure that the concentration of the diffusant be always snon‐negative, which is one of the main contributions of this paper. Representative numerical examples are presented to show the robustness, convergence, and performance of the proposed computational framework. Another contribution of this paper is to systematically study the affect of transport of the diffusant on the deformation of the solid and vice versa, and their implication in modeling degradation/healing of materials. We show that the coupled response is both qualitatively and quantitatively different from the uncoupled response. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance of a Petrov–Galerkin algebraic multilevel preconditioner for finite element modeling of the semiconductor device drift‐diffusion equations

This study compares the performance of a relatively new Petrov–Galerkin smoothed aggregation (PGSA) multilevel preconditioner with a nonsmoothed aggregation (NSA) multilevel preconditioner to accelerate the convergence of Krylov solvers on systems arising from a drift‐diffusion model for semiconductor devices. PGSA is designed for nonsymmetric linear systems, Ax=b, and has two main differences with smoothed aggregation. Damping parameters for smoothing interpolation basis functions are now calculated locally and restriction is no longer the transpose of interpolation but instead corresponds to applying the interpolation algorithm to A^T and then transposing the result. The drift‐diffusion system consists of a Poisson equation for the electrostatic potential and two convection–diffusion‐reaction‐type equations for the electron and hole concentration. This system is discretized in space with a stabilized finite element method and the discrete solution is obtained by using a fully coupled preconditioned Newton–Krylov solver. The results demonstrate that the PGSA preconditioner scales significantly better than the NSA preconditioner, and can reduce the solution time by more than a factor of two for a problem with 110 million unknowns on 4000 processors. The solution of a 1B unknown problem on 24 000 processor cores of a Cray XT3/4 machine was obtained using the PGSA preconditioner. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.