Self-adaptive one-dimensional nonlinear finite element method based on element energy projection method

The element energy projection （EEP） method for computation of super- convergent resulting in a one-dimensional finite element method （FEM） is successfully used to self-adaptive FEM analysis of various linear problems, based on which this paper presents a substantial extension of the whole set of technology to nonlinear problems. The main idea behind the technology transfer from linear analysis to nonlinear analysis is to use Newton＇s method to linearize nonlinear problems into a series of linear problems so that the EEP formulation and the corresponding adaptive strategy can be directly used without the need for specific super-convergence formulation for nonlinear FEM. As a re- sult, a unified and general self-adaptive algorithm for nonlinear FEM analysis is formed. The proposed algorithm is found to be able to produce satisfactory finite element results with accuracy satisfying the user-preset error tolerances by maximum norm anywhere on the mesh. Taking the nonlinear ordinary differential equation （ODE） of second-order as the model problem, this paper describes the related fundamental idea, the imple- mentation strategy, and the computational algorithm. Representative numerical exam- ples are given to show the efficiency, stability, versatility, and reliability of the proposed approach.

Self-adaptive strategy for one-dimensional finite element method based on EEP method with optimal super-convergence order

Based on the newly-developed element energy projection （EEP） method with optimal super-convergence order for computation of super-convergent results, an improved self-adaptive strategy for one-dimensional finite element method （FEM） is proposed. In the strategy, a posteriori errors are estimated by comparing FEM solutions to EEP super-convergent solutions with optimal order of super-convergence, meshes are refined by using the error-averaging method. Quasi-FEM solutions are used to replace the true FEM solutions in the adaptive process. This strategy has been found to be simple, clear, efficient and reliable. For most problems, only one adaptive step is needed to produce the required FEM solutions which pointwise satisfy the user specified error tolerances in the max-norm. Taking the elliptical ordinary differential equation of the second order as the model problem, this paper describes the fundamental idea, implementation strategy and computational algorithm and representative numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed approach.

SELF-ADAPTIVE STRATEGY FOR ONE-DIMENSIONAL FINITE ELEMENT METHOD BASED ON ELEMENT ENERGY PROJECTION METHOD

Based on the newly-developed element energy projection （EEP） method for computation of super-convergent results in one-dimensional finite element method （FEM）, the task of self-adaptive FEM analysis was converted into the task of adaptive piecewise polynomial interpolation. As a result, a satisfactory FEM mesh can be obtained, and further FEM analysis on this mesh would immediately produce an FEM solution which usually satisfies the user specified error tolerance. Even though the error tolerance was not completely satisfied, one or two steps of further local refinements would be sufficient. This strategy was found to be very simple, rapid, cheap and efficient. Taking the elliptical ordinary differential equation of second order as the model problem, the fundamental idea, implementation strategy and detailed algorithm are described. Representative numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed approach.

Parametric study on single shot peening by dimensional analysis method incorporated with finite element method

Shot peening is a widely used surface treatment method by generating compressive residual stress near the surface of metallic materials to increase fatigue life and re- sistance to corrosion fatigue, cracking, etc. Compressive re- sidual stress and dent profile are important factors to eval- uate the effectiveness of shot peening process. In this pa- per, the influence of dimensionless parameters on maximum compressive residual stress and maximum depth of the dent were investigated. Firstly, dimensionless relations of pro- cessing parameters that affect the maximum compressive residual stress and the maximum depth of the dent were de- duced by dimensional analysis method. Secondly, the in- fluence of each dimensionless parameter on dimensionless variables was investigated by the finite element method. Fur- thermore, related empirical formulas were given for each di- mensionless parameter based on the simulation results. Fi- nally, comparison was made and good agreement was found between the simulation results and the empirical formula, which shows that a useful approach is provided in this pa- per for analyzing the influence of each individual parameter.

Three-dimensional analysis of elastic stress distribution of indented ceramic surface by finite element method

The three-dimensional stress distributions in the area surrounding indentation pattern for three different materials, Al2O3, Si3N4 and SiC were analyzed by finite element method(FEM). Those theoretical results were also compared with the experimental ones by Rockwell hardness test. The effect of loading stress on the plastic deformation in specimens, surface was investigated on the assumption of shear strain energy theory by Huber-Mises when the materials were indented. The distributions of nomal stress, shear stress, and Mises stress were analysed with variations of loading conditions. It is clear that the analytical results for the stress distributions, the crack length and its density of probability are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Alternating Direction Finite Volume Element Methods for Three-Dimensional Parabolic Equations

This paper presents alternating direction finite volume element methods for three-dimensional parabolic partial differential equations and gives four computational schemes, one is analogous to Douglas finite difference scheme with second-order splitting error, the other two schemes have third-order splitting error, and the last one is an extended LOD scheme. The L2 norm and H1 semi-norm error estimates are obtained for the first scheme and second one, respectively. Finally, two numerical examples are provided to illustrate the efficiency and accuracy of the methods.

Three-Dimensional Thermo-Elastic-Plastic Finite Element Method Modeling for Predicting Weld-Induced Residual Stresses and Distortions in Steel Stiffened-Plate Structures

The objective of the present paper is to develop nonlinear finite element method models for predicting the weld-induced initial deflection and residual stress of plating in steel stiffened-plate structures. For this purpose, three-dimensional thermo-elastic-plastic finite element method computations are performed with varying plate thickness and weld bead length (leg length) in welded plate panels, the latter being associated with weld heat input. The finite element models are verified by a comparison with experimental database which was obtained by the authors in separate studies with full scale measurements. It is concluded that the nonlinear finite element method models developed in the present paper are very accurate in terms of predicting the weld-induced initial imperfections of steel stiffened plate structures. Details of the numerical computations together with test database are documented.

Semi-analytical finite element method applied for characterizing micropolar fibrous composites

A semi-analytical finite element method(SAFEM),based on the two-scale asymptotic homogenization method(AHM)and the finite element method(FEM),is implemented to obtain the effective properties of two-phase fiber-reinforced composites(FRCs).The fibers are periodically distributed and unidirectionally aligned in a homogeneous matrix.This framework addresses the static linear elastic micropolar problem through partial differential equations,subject to boundary conditions and perfect interface contact conditions.The mathematical formulation of the local problems and the effective coefficients are presented by the AHM.The local problems obtained from the AHM are solved by the FEM,which is denoted as the SAFEM.The numerical results are provided,and the accuracy of the solutions is analyzed,indicating that the formulas and results obtained with the SAFEM may serve as the reference points for validating the outcomes of experimental and numerical computations.

Validation and application of three-dimensional discontinuous deformation analysis with tetrahedron finite element meshed block

In the last decade, three dimensional discontin- uous deformation analyses （3D DDA） has attracted more and more attention of researchers and geotechnical engineers worldwide. The original DDA formulation utilizes a linear displacement function to describe the block movement and deformation, which would cause block expansion under rigid body rotation and thus limit its capability to model block de- formation. In this paper, 3D DDA is coupled with tetrahe- dron finite elements to tackle these two problems. Tetrahe- dron is the simplest in the 3D domain and makes it easy to implement automatic discretization, even for complex topol- ogy shape. Furthermore, element faces will remain planar and element edges will remain straight after deformation for tetrahedron finite elements and polyhedral contact detection schemes can be used directly. The matrices of equilibrium equations for this coupled method are given in detail and an effective contact searching algorithm is suggested. Valida- tion is conducted by comparing the results of the proposed coupled method with that of physical model tests using one of the most common failure modes, i.e., wedge failure. Most of the failure modes predicted by the coupled method agree with the physical model results except for 4 cases out of the total 65 cases. Finally, a complex rockslide example demon- strates the robustness and versatility of the coupled method.

THE CLOSED-FORM SOLUTION OF VECTOR FINITE ELEMENT INTEGRAL EQUATIONS FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL ELECTROMAGNETIC ANALYSIS

In this paper,a set of closed-form formulas for vector Finite Element Method(FEM) to analyze three dimensional electromagnetic problems is presented on the basis of Gaussian quadrature integration scheme.By analyzing the open region problems,the first-order Absorbing Boundary Condition(ABC) is considered as the truncation boundary condition and the equation is carried out in a closed-form.Based on the formulas,the hybrid Expanded Cholesky Method(ECM) and MultiFrontal algorithm(MF) is applied to solve finite element equations.Using the closed-form solution,the elec-tromagnetic field of three dimensional targets can be studied sententiously and accurately.Simulation results show that the presented formulas are successfully and concise,which can be easily used to analyze three dimensional electromagnetic problems.

An Efficient Multiple-Dimensional Finite Element Solution for Water Flow in Variably Saturated Soils

Multiple-dimensional water flow in variably saturated soils plays an important role in ecological systems such as irrigation and water uptake by plant roots; its quantitative description is usually based on the Richards＇ equation. Because of the nonlinearity of the Richards＇ equation and the complexity of natural soils, most practical simulations rely on numerical solutions with the nonlinearity solved by iterations. The commonly used iterations for solving the nonlinearity are Picard and Newton methods with the former converging at first-order rate and the later at second-order rate. A recent theoretical analysis by the authors, however, revealed that for solving the diffusive flow, the classical Picard method is actually a chord-Newton method, converging at a rate faster than first order; its linear convergence rate is due to the treatment of the gravity term. To improve computational efficiency, a similar chord-Newton method as for solving the diffusive term was proposed to solve the gravity term. Testing examples for one-dimensional flow showed significant improvement. The core of this method is to produce a diagonally dominant matrix in the linear system so as to improve the iteration-toiteration stability and hence the convergence. In this paper, we develop a similar method for multiple-dimensional flow and compare its performance with the classical Picard and Newton methods for water flow in soils characterised by a wide range of van Genuchten parameters.

Stability assessment of landslide-prone road cut rock slopes in Himalayan terrain:A finite element method based approach

Large-scale slope destabilization could be aggravated due to swift urbanization and ever-rising demands of geoengineering projects such as dams,tunnels,bridges and widening roads.National Highway-58 connects Delhi to Badrinath in India,which passes through complex geomorphological and geological terrain and often encounters cut slopes susceptible to slope failures.In the present investigation,a detailed geotechnical appraisal is conducted along the road cut slopes from Rishikesh to Devprayag in the Himalayas.Twenty vulnerable road cut slopes were demarcated for detailed slope stability analysis using Phase2D finite element modeling simulator.Nonlinear generalized Hoek-Brown(GHB)criterion was adopted for stability analyses.Out of 20 slopes,five slopes(S6,S7,S18,S19 and S20)are unstable with factor of safety(FoS)less than or equal to 1,and thus needs immediate attention.The FoS values of four slopes(S2,S9,S13 and S17)lie between 1 and 1.3,i.e.marginally stable,and slopes S1,S3,S4,S5,S8,S10,Sll,S12,S14,S15 and S16 are stable.Mohr-Coulomb(MC)criterion was also adopted to compare the slope stability analysis with GHB criterion.The FoS calculated from GHB criterion is close to that using MC criterion for lower values of FoS whereas for higher values,the difference is marked.For the jointed rock in the Himalayan region,the nonlinear GHB criterion gives better results as compared to MC criterion and matches with the prevailing field conditions.Accordingly,some suggestions are proposed to strengthen the stability of cut slopes.

Three Dimension Rigid-plastic Finite Element Simulation for Two-Roll Cross-wedge Rolling Process

Cross-wedge rolling (CWR) is a metal process of ro ta ry forming. To produce a part, one cylindrical billet should be placed between t wo counterrotating and wedge-shape dies, which move tangentially relative each other. The billet suffers plastic deformation (essentially, localized compressio n) during its rotation between the rotating dies. Compared to other numerical si mulation methods, the finite element method (FEM) has advantages in solving gene ral problems with complex shapes of the formed parts. In cross-wedge rolling, t here are four stages in the workpiece deformation process, namely knifing, guidi ng, stretching and sizing stage. It is time-consuming and expensive to design t he CWR process by trial and error method. The application of numerical simul ation for the CWR process will help engineers to efficiently improve the process development. Tselikov, Hayama, Jain and Kobayashi, and Higashimo applied the sl ip-line theory in study of CWR process analysis. Zb.pater studied CWR process i ncluding upsetting by upper-bound method. The above numerical simulation were b ased on the two-dimensional plain-strain assumption ignored the metal flow in workpiece axial direction. Therefore, the complex three-dimensional stress and deformation involved in CWR processes were not presented. Compared to other nume rical simulation methods, the finite element method (FEM) has advantages in solv ing general problems with complex shapes of the formed parts. As yet, a few 3-D finite element simulation studies on CWR process have been reported in literatu res. In this paper, the process of cross wedge rolling (CWR) has been simulated and analyzed by 3D rigid-plastic finite element method. Considering the charact eristic of CWR, the static implicit FEM program is selected. The models proposed in this study uses the commercial code DEFORM 3D to simulate the CWR process. T his is an implicit Lagrangian finite element code, which includes many new enhan cements functions. A new method of utilizing multiple processors using the MPI s tandard has been implemented. Automatic switching between the two different defo rmation solvers (Sparse Solver and Conjugate Gradient Solver) has also been impl emented in order to increase the speed of simulations. In this paper, all stages in CWR process are simulated to be able to closely understand and analyze the a ctual CWR process. For simulating all forming stages in CWR process, the dynam ic adaptive remeshing technology for tetrahedral solid elements was applied. T he stress distributions in cross section of forming workpiece are analyzed to in terpret fracture or rarefaction in the center of workpiece. Authors also analyze d the time-torque curve and the laws of load changing.

Mixed finite element and differential quadrature method for free and forced vibration and buckling analysis of rectangular plates

This paper presents a combined application of the finite element method （FEM） and the differential quadrature method （DQM） to vibration and buckling problems of rectangular plates. The proposed scheme combines the geometry flexibility of the FEM and the high accuracy and efficiency of the DQM. The accuracy of the present method is demonstrated by comparing the obtained results with those available in the literature. It is shown that highly accurate results can be obtained by using a small number of finite elements and DQM sample points. The proposed method is suitable for the problems considered due to its simplicity and potential for further development.

DEFORMATION ANALYSIS OF SHEET METAL SINGLE-POINT INCREMENTAL FORMING BY FINITE ELEMENT METHOD SIMULATION

Single-point incremental forming （SPIF） is an innovational sheet metal forming method without dedicated dies, which belongs to rapid prototyping technology. In generalizing the SPIF of sheet metal, the deformation analysis on forming process becomes an important and useful method for the planning of shell products, the choice of material, the design of the forming process and the planning of the forming tool. Using solid brick elements, the finite element method（FEM） model of truncated pyramid was established. Based on the theory of anisotropy and assumed strain formulation, the SPIF processes with different parameters were simulated. The resulted comparison between the simulations and the experiments shows that the FEM model is feasible and effective. Then, according to the simulated forming process, the deformation pattern of SPIF can be summarized as the combination of plane-stretching deformation and bending deformation. And the study about the process parameters＇ impact on deformation shows that the process parameter of interlayer spacing is a dominant factor on the deformation. Decreasing interlayer spacing, the strain of one step decreases and the formability of blank will be improved. With bigger interlayer spacing, the plastic deformation zone increases and the forming force will be bigger.

Experimental and Finite Element Method Studies of J-Lead Solder Joint Reliability

A comprehensive experimental and numerical study of solder joints for plastic leaded chip carrier (PLCC) 84-Pin, 1.27 mm pitch was carried out. The reliability of solder joints was assessed through accelerated thermal cycling at the temperature range of - 55℃-125℃. The samples were taken out to observe the evolution in microstructure, such as grain coarsening, initiation and propagation of cracks. It was found that the Pb-rich phases segregated gradually and formed a continuous layer adjacent to the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer with increasing the number of thermal cycles, resulting in cracks near the solder/lead interface. The response of stress and strain was studied using nonlinear finite element method (FEM), and the results agreed well with the experimental data.

Radial Force Analysis of Polydioxanone Coronary Stent by Finite Element Method

Coronary stent is used to treat stenosis artery by recovering the luminal diameter of artery and maintaining the normal blood flow. The geometry of coronary stent is an important factor for the radial force. In this study,the relation between the radial force of stent and crown angle was discussed. The result showed that there was no particular rule between the radial force of stent and the crown angle. The maximum radial force of stent was obtained when the crown angle was 50. 04° and the minimum radial force was got when the crown angle was 75°.

P_1-nonconforming triangular finite element method for elliptic and parabolic interface problems

The lowest order Pl-nonconforming triangular finite element method （FEM） for elliptic and parabolic interface problems is investigated. Under some reasonable regularity assumptions on the exact solutions, the optimal order error estimates are obtained in the broken energy norm. Finally, some numerical results are provided to verify the theoretical analysis.

Modeling of contact surface morphology and dust particles by using finite element method

The effect of dust particles on electric contacts and a hazardous size range of hard dust particles using a rigid model were discussed before. As further research, elastic-plastic model of finite element analysis was established in this work, which is closer to real condition. In this work, the behavior of large size and small size particles, and the influence of particles hardness were investigated. The calculating result of small-size particles presents a general hazardous size coefficient for different contact surface morphology; for large-size particles, it presents a hazardous size coefficient for complicated composition of the dust. And the effect of the dust shape is also discussed.