Hypersingular boundary integral equations and the approximation of the stress tensor

The present work deals with the application of the traction hypersingular boundary integral equation to approximate the stress tensor along the boundary, by making use of unit vectors that differ from the normal at the boundary. It is proved that special care is required in the evaluation of the free terms, in order to avoid insidious and unexpected errors. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dual boundary integral equations for exterior problems

A dual integral formulation for the interior problem of the Laplace equation with a smooth boundary is extended to the exterior problem. Two regularized versions are proposed and compared with the interior problem. It is found that an additional free term is present in the second regularized version of the exterior problem. An analytical solution for a benchmark example in ISBE is derived by two methods, conformal mapping and the Poisson integral formula using symbolic software. The potential gradient on the boundary is calculated by using the hypersingular integral equation except on the two singular points where the potential is discontinuous instead of failure in ISBE benchmarks. Based on the matrix relations between the interior and exterior problems, the BEPO2D program for the interior problem can be easily reintegrated. This benchmark example was used to check the validity of the dual integral formulation, and the numerical results match the exact solution well.     

Multinode finite element based on boundary integral equations

A finite element constructed on the basis of boundary integral equations is proposed. This element has a flexible shape and arbitrary number of nodes. It also has good approximation properties. A procedure of constructing an element stiffness matrix is demonstrated first for one-dimensional case and then for two-dimensional steady-state heat conduction problem. Numerical examples demonstrate applicability and advantages of the method. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Circulant preconditioners for ill-conditioned boundary integral equations from potential equations

In this paper, we consider solving potential equations by the boundary integral equation approach. The equations so derived are Fredholm integral equations of the first kind and are known to be ill-conditioned. Their discretized matrices are dense and have condition numbers growing like O(n) where n is the matrix size. We propose to solve the equations by the preconditioned conjugate gradient method with circulant integral operators as preconditioners. These are convolution operators with periodic kernels and hence can be inverted efficiently by using fast Fourier transforms. We prove that the preconditioned systems are well conditioned, and hence the convergence rate of the method is linear. Numerical results for two types of regions are given to illustrate the fast convergence. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of the tangent derivative boundary integral equations for the efficient computation of stresses and error indicators

In this work, a new global reanalysis technique for the efficient computation of stresses and error indicators in two‐dimensional elastostatic problems is presented. In the context of the boundary element method, the global reanalysis technique can be viewed as a post‐processing activity that is carried out once an analysis using Lagrangian elements has been performed. To do the reanalysis, the functional representation for the displacements is changed from Lagrangian to Hermite, introducing the nodal values of the tangential derivatives of those quantities as additional degrees of freedom. Next, assuming that the nodal values of the displacements and the tractions remain practically unchanged from the ones obtained in the analysis using Lagrangian elements, the tangent derivative boundary integral equations are collocated at each functional node in order to determine the additional degrees of freedom that were introduced. Under this scheme, a second system of equations is generated and, once it is solved, the nodal values of the tangential derivatives of the displacements are obtained. This approach gives more accurate results for the stresses at the nodes since it avoids the need to differentiate the shape functions in order to obtain the normal strain in the tangential direction. When compared with the use of Hermite elements, the global reanalysis technique has the attraction that the user does not have to give as input data the additional information required by this type of elements. Another important feature of the proposed approach is that an efficient error indicator for the values of the stresses can also be obtained comparing the values for the stresses obtained through the use of Lagrangian elements and the global reanalysis technique. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solution of non‐linear boundary integral equations in complex geometries with auxiliary integral subtraction

The boundary integral equation that results from the application of the reciprocity theorem to non‐linear or non‐homogeneous differential equations generally contains a domain integral. While methods exist for the meshless evaluation of these integrals, mesh‐based domain integration is generally more accurate and can be performed more quickly with the application of fast multipole methods. However, polygonalization of complex multiply‐connected geometries can become a costly task, especially in three‐dimensional analyses. In this paper, a method that allows a mesh‐based integration in complex domains, while retaining a simple mesh structure, is described. Although the technique is intended for the numerical solution of more complex differential equations, such as the Navier–Stokes equations, for simplicity the method is applied to the solution of a Poisson equation, in domains of varying complexity. It is shown that the error introduced by the auxiliary domain subtraction method is comparable to the discretization error, while the complexity of the mesh is significantly reduced. The behaviour of the error in the boundary solution observed with the application of the new method is analogous to the behaviour observed with conventional cell‐based domain integration. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Iterative solution of systems of equations in the dual reciprocity boundary element method for the diffusion equation

In this paper the diffusion equation is solved in two-dimensional geometry by the dual reciprocity boundary element method (DRBEM). It is structured by fully implicit discretization over time and by weighting with the fundamental solution of the Laplace equation. The resulting domain integral of the diffusive term is transformed into two boundary integrals by using Green's second identity, and the domain integral of the transience term is converted into a finite series of boundary integrals by using dual reciprocity interpolation based on scaled augmented thin plate spline global approximation functions. Straight line geometry and constant field shape functions for boundary discretization are employed. The described procedure results in systems of equations with fully populated unsymmetric matrices. In the case of solving large problems, the solution of these systems by direct methods may be very time consuming. The present study investigates the possibility of using iterative methods for solving these systems of equations. It was demonstrated that Krylov-type methods like CGS and GMRES with simple Jacobi preconditioning appeared to be efficient and robust with respect to the problem size and time step magnitude. This paper can be considered as a logical starting point for research of iterative solutions to DRBEM systems of equations. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Symmetric Galerkin boundary integral formulation for interface and multi-zone problems

Domains containing an ‘internal boundary’, such as a bi-material interface, arise in many applications, e.g. composite materials and geophysical simulations. This paper presents a symmetric Galerkin boundary integral method for this important class of problems. In this situation, the physical quantities are known to satisfy continuity conditions across the interface, but no boundary conditions are specified. The algorithm described herein achieves a symmetric matrix of reduced size. Moreover, the symmetry can also be invoked to lessen the numerical work involved in constructing the system of equations, and thus the method is computationally very efficient. A prototype numerical example, with several variations in the boundary conditions and material properties, is employed to validate the formulation and corresponding numerical procedure. The boundary element results are compared with analytical solutions and with numerical results obtained with the finite element method. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical solution of the variation boundary integral equation for inverse problems

In this paper a procedure to solve the identification inverse problems for two‐dimensional potential fields is presented. The procedure relies on a boundary integral equation (BIE) for the variations of the potential, flux, and geometry. This equation is a linearization of the regular BIE for small changes in the geometry. The aim in the identification inverse problems is to find an unknown part of the boundary of the domain, usually an internal flaw, using experimental measurements as additional information. In this paper this problem is solved without resorting to a minimization of a functional, but by an iterative algorithm which alternately solves the regular BIE and the variation BIE. The variation of the geometry of the flaw is modelled by a virtual strainfield, which allows for greater flexibility in the shape of the assumed flaw. Several numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparison of domain integral evaluation techniques for boundary element methods

In many cases, boundary integral equations contain a domain integral. This can be evaluated by discretization of the domain into domain elements. Historically, this was seen as going against the spirit of boundary element methods, and several methods were developed to avoid this discretization, notably dual and multiple reciprocity methods and particular solution methods. These involved the representation of the interior function with a set of basis functions, generally of the radial type. In this study, meshless methods (dual reciprocity and particular solution) are compared to the direct domain integration methods. The domain integrals are evaluated using traditional methods and also with multipole acceleration. It is found that the direct integration always results in better accuracy, as well as smaller computation times. In addition, the multipole method further improves on the computation times, in particular where multiple evaluations of the integral are required, as when iterative solvers are used. The additional error produced by the multipole acceleration is negligible. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Galerkin boundary integral analysis for the axisymmetric Laplace equation

The boundary integral equation for the axisymmetric Laplace equation is solved by employing modified Galerkin weight functions. The alternative weights smooth out the singularity of the Green's function at the symmetry axis, and restore symmetry to the formulation. As a consequence, special treatment of the axis equations is avoided, and a symmetric‐Galerkin formulation would be possible. For the singular integration, the integrals containing a logarithmic singularity are converted to a non‐singular form and evaluated partially analytically and partially numerically. The modified weight functions, together with a boundary limit definition, also result in a simple algorithm for the post‐processing of the surface gradient. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cell‐based volume integration for boundary integral analysis

The evaluation of volume integrals that arise in boundary integral formulations for non‐homogeneous problems was considered. Using the “Galerkin vector” to represent the Green's function, the volume integral was decomposed into a boundary integral, together with a volume integral wherein the source function was everywhere zero on the boundary. This new volume integral can be evaluated using a regular grid of cells covering the domain, with all cell integrals, including partial cells at the boundary, evaluated by simple linear interpolation of vertex values. For grid vertices that lie close to the boundary, the near‐singular integrals were handled by partial analytic integration. The method employed a Galerkin approximation and was presented in terms of the three‐dimensional Poisson problem. An axisymmetric formulation was also presented, and in this setting, the solution of a nonlinear problem was considered. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A direct approach for boundary integral equations with high‐order singularities

Boundary integral equations with extremely singular (i.e., more than hypersingular) kernels would be useful in several fields of applied mechanics, particularly when second‐ and third‐order derivatives of the primary variable are required. However, their definition and numerical treatment pose several problems. In this paper, it is shown how to obtain these boundary integral equations with still unnamed singularities and, moreover, how to efficiently and reliably compute all the singular integrals. This is done by extending in full generality the so‐called direct approach. Only for definiteness, the method is presented for the analysis of the deflection of thin elastic plates. Numerical results concerning integrals with singularities up to order r⁻⁴ are presented to validate the proposed algorithm. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transient pressure solution for a horizontal well in a petroleum reservoir by boundary integral methods

A novel application of the boundary integral method to horizontal well analysis in the field of petroleum engineering is presented. The transient pressure satisfies the heat equation, non‐local and non‐linear boundary conditions. The turbulent flow inside the well is modelled by considering a pressure gradient along the well. The heat potential is used and Chebyshev collocation along with a time discretization is employed. Some numerical results are presented to show the features of this new approach. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Axisymmetric and three-dimensional boundary integral simulations of bubble growth from an underwater orifice

The formation of bubbles from an underwater orifice is studied by means of a boundary integral method. Since the bubble process is highly transient the flow field is assumed to be irrotational. A potential-flow boundary-integral formulation is employed to simulate the growth of a bubble from a needle in an unbounded domain and in a tube. The geometry of the problem is axisymmetric in these cases. A good agreement is found between the simulations and the experiment for air bubbles of radii ranging from a few hundred microns to several millimeters in water. A three-dimensional boundary integral method is developed to simulate bubble detachment from a non-vertical needle in an unbounded domain. Numerical instabilities commonly associated with the boundary integral technique are found to be even more severe for the three dimensional case and therefore an artificial damping term is introduced to eliminate these instabilities. Even though the simulations often fail just before the pinchoff point, the results compare favorably with the experiment.     

On the implementation of 3D Galerkin boundary integral equations

In this article, a reverse contribution technique is proposed to accelerate the construction of the dense influence matrices associated with a Galerkin approximation of hypersingular boundary integral equations of mixed-type in potential theory. In addition, a general-purpose sparse preconditioner for boundary element methods has also been developed to successfully deal with ill-conditioned linear systems arising from the discretization of mixed boundary-value problems on non-smooth surfaces. The proposed preconditioner, which originates from the precorrected-FFT method, is sparse, easy to generate and apply in a Krylov subspace iterative solution of discretized boundary integral equations. Moreover, an approximate inverse of the preconditioner is implicitly built by employing an incomplete LU factorization. Numerical experiments involving mixed boundary-value problems for the Laplace equation are included to illustrate the performance and validity of the proposed techniques.     

Galerkin formulation and singularity subtraction for spectral solutions of boundary integral equations

A new spectral Galerkin formulation is presented for the solution of boundary integral equations. The formulation is carried out with an exact singularity subtraction procedure based on analytical integrations, which provides a fast and precise way to evaluate the coefficient matrices. The new Galerkin formulation is based on the exact geometry of the problem boundaries and leads to a non-element method that is completely free of mesh generation. The numerical behaviour of the method is very similar to the collocation method; for Dirichlet problems, however, it leads to a symmetric coefficient matrix and therefore requires half the solution time of the collocation method. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the Cauchy principal value of the surface integral in the boundary integral equation of 3D elasticity

A simple demonstration of the existence of the Cauchy principal value (CPV) of the strongly singular surface integral in the Somigliana Identity at a non-smooth boundary point is presented. First a regularization of the strongly singular integral by analytical integration of the singular term in the radial direction in pre-image planes of smooth surface patches is carried out. Then it is shown that the sum of the angular integrals of the characteristic of the tractions of the Kelvin fundamental solution is zero, a formula for the transformation of angles between the tangent plane of a suface patch and the pre-image plane at smooth mapping of the surface patch being derived for this purpose.     

The computation of the J integral with the traction boundary integral equation

The solutions of the displacement boundary integral equation (BIE) are not uniquely determined in certain types of boundary conditions. Traction boundary integral equations that have unique solutions in these traction and mixed boundary cases are established. For two‐dimensional linear elasticity problems, the divergence‐free property of the traction boundary integral equation is established. By applying Stokes' theorem, unknown tractions or displacements can be reduced to computation of traction integral potential functions at the boundary points. The same is true of the J integral: it is divergence‐free and the evaluation of the J integral can be inverted into the computation of the J integral potential functions at the boundary points of the cracked body. The J integral can be expressed as the linear combination of the tractions and displacements from the traction BIE on the boundary of the cracked body. Numerical integrals are not needed at all. Selected examples are presented to demonstrate the validity of the traction boundary integral and J integral. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.