Convergence analysis of a parallel interfield method for heterogeneous simulations with dynamic substructuring

In order to predict the dynamic response of a complex system decomposed by computational or physical considerations, partitioned procedures of coupled dynamical systems are needed. This paper presents the convergence analysis of a novel parallel interfield procedure for time‐integrating heterogeneous (numerical/physical) subsystems typical of hardware‐in‐the‐loop and pseudo‐dynamic tests. The partitioned method is an extension of the method originally proposed by Gravouil and Combescure which utilizes a domain decomposition enforcing the continuity of the velocity at interfaces. In particular, the merits of the new method which can couple arbitrary Newmark schemes with different time steps in different subdomains and advance all the substructure states simultaneously are analysed in terms of accuracy and stability. All theoretical results are derived for single‐ and two‐degrees‐of‐freedom systems, as a multi‐degree‐of‐freedom system is too difficult to analyse mathematically. However, the insight gained from the analysis of these coupled problems and the conclusions drawn are confirmed by means of the numerical simulation on a four‐degrees‐of‐freedom system. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.