Finite element numerical simulation of 2.5D direct current method based on mesh refinement and recoarsement

To deal with the problem of low computational precision at the nodes near the source and satisfy the requirements for computational efficiency in inversion imaging and finite-element numerical simulations of the direct current method, we propose a new mesh refinement and recoarsement method for a two-dimensional point source. We introduce the mesh refinement and mesh recoarsement into the traditional structured mesh subdivision. By refining the horizontal grids, the singularity owing to the point source is minimized and the topography is simulated. By recoarsening the horizontal grids, the number of grid cells is reduced significantly and computational efficiency is improved. Model tests show that the proposed method solves the singularity problem and reduces the number of grid cells by 80% compared to the uniform grid refinement.

Recursive super-convergence computation for multi-dimensional problems via one-dimensional element energy pro jection technique

This paper presents a strategy for computation of super-convergent solutions of multi-dimensional problems in the finite element method （FEM） by recursive application of the one-dimensional （1D） element energy projection （EEP） technique. The main idea is to conceptually treat multi-dimensional problems as generalized 1D problems, based on which the concepts of generalized 1D FEM and its consequent EEP formulae have been developed in a unified manner. Equipped with these concepts, multi-dimensional problems can be recursively discretized in one dimension at each step, until a fully discretized standard finite element （FE） model is reached. This conceptual dimension-by- dimension （D-by-D） discretization procedure is entirely equivalent to a full FE discretization. As a reverse D-by-D recovery procedure, by using the unified EEP formulae together with proper extraction of the generalized nodal solutions, super-convergent displacements and first derivatives for two-dimensional （2D） and three-dimensional （3D） problems can be obtained over the domain. Numerical examples of 3D Poisson＇s equation and elasticity problem are given to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

Analysis of the Wenchuan Ms8.0 Earthquake's Co-seismic Stress and Displacement Change by Using the Finite Element Method

The variation of in situ stress before and after earthquakes is an issue studied by geologists. In this paper, on the basis of the fault slip dislocation model of Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake, the changes of co-seismic displacement and the distribution functions of stress tensor around the Longmen Shan fault zone are calculated. The results show that the co-seismic maximum surface displacement is 4.9 m in the horizontal direction and 6.5 m in the vertical direction, which is almost consistent with the on-site survey and GPS observations. The co-seismic maximum horizontal stress in the hanging wall and footwall decreased sharply as the distance from the Longmen Shan fault zone increased. However, the vertical stress and minimum horizontal stress increased in the footwall and in some areas of the hanging wall. The study of the co-seismic displacement and stress was mainly focused on the long and narrow region along the Longmen Shan fault zone, which coincides with the distribution of the earthquake aftershocks. Therefore, the co-seismic stress only affects the aftershocks, and does not affect distant faults and seismic activities. The results are almost consistent with in situ stress measurements at the two sites before and after Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake. Along the fault plane, the co-seismic shear stress in the dip direction is larger than that in the strike direction, which indicates that the faulting mechanism of the Longmen Shan fault zone is a dominant thrust with minor strike-slipping. The results can be used as a reference value for future studies of earthquake mechanisms.

A COUPLED CONTINUOUS-DISCONTINUOUS FEM APPROACH FOR CONVECTION DIFFUSION EQUATIONS

In this article, we introduce a coupled approach of local discontinuous Calerkin and standard finite element method for solving convection diffusion problems. The whole domain is divided into two disjoint subdomains. The discontinuous Galerkin method is adopted in the subdomain where the solution varies rapidly, while the standard finite element method is used in the other subdomain due to its lower computational cost. The stability and a priori error estimate are established. We prove that the coupled method has O（ε1/2 ＋ h1/2）hk） convergence rate in an associated norm, where ε is the diffusion coefficient, h is the mesh size and k is the degree of polynomial. The numerical results verify our theoretical results. Moreover, 2k-order superconvergence of the numerical traces at the nodes, and the optimal convergence of the errors under L2 norm are observed numerically on the uniform mesh. The numerical results also indicate that the coupled method has the same convergence order and almost the same errors as the purely LDG method.

The least square particle finite element method for simulating large amplitude sloshing flows

Large amplitude sloshing in tanks is simulated by the least square particle finite element method （LSPFEM） in this paper. The least square finite element method （LSFEM） is employed to spatially discrete the Navier-Stokes equations, and to avoid the stabilization issues due to the incompressibility condition for equal-order interpolation of the velocity and the pressure, as usually used in Galerkin method to satisfy the well-known LBB condition. The LSPFEM also uses the Lagrangian description to model the motion of nodes （particles）. A mesh which connects these nodes is constructed by a triangulation algorithm to avoid the mesh distortion. A quasi a-shapes algorithm is used to identify the free surface boundary. The nodes are viewed as particles which can freely move and even separate from the main fluid domain. Finally this method is used to study the large amplitude sloshing evolution in two dimensional tanks. The results are compared with those obtained by Flow-3d with good agreement.

Dynamic interaction numerical models in the time domain based on the high performance scaled boundary finite element method

Consideration of structure-foundation-soil dynamic interaction is a basic requirement in the evaluation of the seismic safety of nuclear power facilities. An efficient and accurate dynamic interaction numerical model in the time domain has become an important topic of current research. In this study, the scaled boundary finite element method （SBFEM） is improved for use as an effective numerical approach with good application prospects. This method has several advantages, including dimensionality reduction, accuracy of the radial analytical solution, and unlike other boundary element methods, it does not require a fundamental solution. This study focuses on establishing a high performance scaled boundary finite element interaction analysis model in the time domain based on the acceleration unit-impulse response matrix, in which several new solution techniques, such as a dimensionless method to solve the interaction force, are applied to improve the numerical stability of the actual soil parameters and reduce the amount of calculation. Finally, the feasibility of the time domain methods are illustrated by the response of the nuclear power structure and the accuracy of the algorithms are dynamically verified by comparison with the refinement of a large-scale viscoelastic soil model.

Generalized thermoelasticity of the thermal shock problem in an isotropic hollow cylinder and temperature dependent elastic moduli

In this paper, we construct the equations of generalized thermoelasicity for a non-homogeneous isotropic hollow cylider with a variable modulus of elasticity and thermal conductivity based on the Lord and Shulman theory. The problem has been solved numerically using the finite element method. Numerical results for the displacement, the temperature, the radial stress, and the hoop stress distributions are illustrated graphically. Comparisons are made between the results predicted by the coupled theory and by the theory of generalized thermoelasticity with one relaxation time in the cases of temperature dependent and independent modulus of elasticity.

Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis of Mechanical Performance of Reinforced Concrete Short-Limb Shear Wall

On the basis of test, nonlinear finite element analysis of reinforcedconcrete (R. C) short-limb shear walls under monotonic horizontal load are carried out by ANSYSprogram in order to understand the evolution of cracking, deformation and failure course of thespecimens. At the same time, the results of numerical calculation are compared with the results oftest. The results indicate that, under monotonic horizontal load the failures of the specimens withflange wall and without flange wall all occur at the intersections of lintel bottom and limb ofwall, the failures also occur at the bottom of limb; the load-displacement curve of wall withoutflange is steeper than that of wall with flange, and the ductility is worse than that of wall withflange; the results, such as cracking, deformation, yield load and so on of finite element analysisagree well with the results of test. These results provide theoretical basis of study andapplication of R. C short-limb shear wall.

Influence of geometric parameters on stress concentration factors of undermatched butt joint with single V-groove under three-point bending load

In order to improve the bending load-carrying capacity （BLCC） of undermatched butt joint under three-point bending load, the influence of joint geometric parameters on stress concentration factors （SCF） at the weld bottom center and the weld toe of uudermatched butt joint with single V-groove are studied respectively based on the finite element method in this paper. Results show that the reinforcement height and the cover pass width play decisive role in the BLCC for undermatched butt joint. BLCC of undermatched butt joint can be improved by choosing the appropriate joint geometric parameters.

Development of a vehicle-track interaction model to predict the vibratory benefits of rail grinding in the time domain

Imperfections in the wheel-rail contact are one of the main sources of generation of railway vibrations. Consequently, it is essential to take expensive corrective maintenance measures, the results of which may be unknown. In order to assess the effectiveness of these measures, this paper develops a vehicle-track interaction model in the time domain of a curved track with presence of rail corrugation on the inner rail. To characterize the behavior of the track, a numerical finite element model is developed using ANSYS software, while the behavior of the vehicle is characterized by a unidirectional model of two masses developed with VAMPIRE PRO software. The overloads obtained with the dynamic model are applied to the numerical model and then, the vibrational response of the track is obtained. Results are validated with real data and used to assess the effectiveness of rail grinding in the reduction of wheel-rail forces and the vibration generation phenomenon.

CONVERGENCE OF THE CRANK-NICOLSON/NEWTON SCHEME FOR NONLINEAR PARABOLIC PROBLEM

In this paper, the Crank-Nicolson/Newton scheme for solving numerically second- order nonlinear parabolic problem is proposed. The standard Galerkin finite element method based on P2 conforming elements is used to the spatial discretization of the problem and the Crank-Nieolson/Newton scheme is applied to the time discretization of the resulted finite element equations. Moreover, assuming the appropriate regularity of the exact solution and the finite element solution, we obtain optimal error estimates of the fully discrete Crank- Nicolson/Newton scheme of nonlinear parabolic problem. Finally, numerical experiments are presented to show the efficient performance of the proposed scheme.

Mechanical response of continuously reinforced concrete pavement on foam concrete interlayer for two-way curved arch bridge

In order to research the mechanical response of continuously reinforced concrete pavement on foam concrete interlayer for a two-way curved arch bridge, the elliptical vehicle load is translated into the rectangular load based on the equivalence method. Then, a three-dimensional finite element model of the whole bridge is established. The reliability of the model is verified. Additionally, the mechanical response of continuously reinforced concrete pavement under vehicle loading is analyzed. Finally, the most unfavorable loading conditions of tensile stress, shear stress and vertical displacement are determined. The results show that the most unfavorable loading condition of tensile stress, which is at the bottom of continuously reinforced concrete pavement on the two-way curved arch bridge, is changed compared with that on homogeneous foundation. The most unfavorable loading condition of shear stress at the top is also changed. However, the most unfavorable loading condition of vertical displacement remains unchanged. The tensile stress at the bottom of about 1/4 span of the longitudinal joint, the shear stress at the top of intersection of transverse and longitudinal joint, together with the vertical displacement at the central part of longitudinal joint, are taken as design indices during the structural design of continuously reinforced concrete pavement on the two-way curved arch bridge. The results are helpful for the design of continuously reinforced concrete pavement on unequal- thickness base for the two-way curved arch bridge.

H^1 space-time discontinuous finite element method for convection-diffusion equations

An H1 space-time discontinuous Galerkin （STDG） scheme for convection- diffusion equations in one spatial dimension is constructed and analyzed. This method is formulated by combining the H1 Galerkin method and the space-time discontinuous finite element method that is discontinuous in time and continuous in space. The existence and the uniqueness of the approximate solution are proved. The convergence of the scheme is analyzed by using the techniques in the finite difference and finite element methods. An optimal a-priori error estimate in the L∞ （H1） norm is derived. The numerical exper- iments are presented to verify the theoretical results.

MICRO/MACROMECHANICAL PLASTIC LIMIT ANALYSES OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES

The load-bearing capacities f ductile composite materials andstructures are studied by means of a combined micro/macromechanicsapproach. Firstly, on the microscopic scale, the aim is to get themacroscopic strength domains by means of the homogenization theory ofmicromechanics. A representative volume element (RVE) is selected toreflect the microstructures of the composite materials. Byintroducing the homogenization theory into the kinematic limittheorem of plastic limit analysis, an optimization format to directlycalculate the limit loads of the RVE is obtained. And the macroscopicyield criterion can be deter- mined according to the relation betweenmacroscopic and microscopic fields.

FINITE ELEMENT METHOD WITH SUPERCONVERGENCE FOR NONLINEAR HAMILTONIAN SYSTEMS

This paper is concerned with the finite element method for nonlinear Hamiltonian systems from three aspects： conservation of energy, symplicity, and the global error. To study the symplecticity of the finite element methods, we use an analytical method rather than the commonly used algebraic method. We prove optimal order of convergence at the nodes tn for mid-long time and demonstrate the symplecticity of high accuracy. The proofs depend strongly on superconvergence analysis. Numerical experiments show that the proposed method can preserve the energy very well and also can make the global trajectory error small for long time.

AN IMPROVED MODAL ANALYSIS FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL PROBLEMS USING FACE-BASED SMOOTHED FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

In this work, we further extended the face-based smoothed finite element method （FS-FEM） for modal analysis of three-dimensional solids using four-node tetrahedron elements. The FS-FEM is formulated based on the smoothed Calerkin weak form which employs smoothed strains obtained using the gradient smoothing operation on face-based smoothing domains. This strain smoothing operation can provide softening effect to the system stiffness and make the FSFEM provide more accurate eigenfrequency prediction than the FEM does. Numerical studies have verified this attractive property of FS-FEM as well as its ability and effectiveness on providing reliable eigenfrequency and eigenmode prediction in practical engineering application.

Numerical Analysis of the Nonlinear Interactions Between Lamb Waves and Microcracks in Plate

In this paper,three-dimensional finite-element modeling is conducted to investigate the nonlinear interactions between Lamb waves and microcracks.The simulation research focuses on the influence of microcrack orientation on the propagation direction of generated sum-frequency Lamb waves.The simulation results show that the resonant conditions based on classical nonlinear theory are valid for such interactions,leading to the generation of transmitted and reflected sum-frequency SO waves(SFSWs).Moreover,the propagation directions of these two SFSWs exhibit different trends with respect to the orientations of microcracks.The transmitted SFSW can be used to detect microcracks,whereas the reflected one can be used to measure their orientations.

A CASCADIC MULTIGRID METHOD FOR EIGENVALUE PROBLEM

A cascadic multigrid method is proposed for eigenvalue problems based on the multilevel correction scheme. With this new scheme, an eigenvalue problem on the finest space can be solved by linear smoothing steps on a series of multilevel finite element spaces and nonlinear correcting steps on special coarsest spaces. Once the sequence of finite element spaces and the number of smoothing steps are appropriately chosen, the optimal convergence rate with the optimal computational work can be obtained. Some numerical experiments are presented to validate our theoretical analysis.

AN ADAPTIVE INVERSE ITERATION FEM FOR THE INHOMOGENEOUS DIELECTRIC WAVEGUIDES

We introduce an adaptive finite element method for computing electromagnetic guided waves in a closed, inhomogeneous, pillared three-dimensional waveguide at a given frequency based on the inverse iteration method. The problem is formulated as a generalized eigenvalue problems. By modifying the exact inverse iteration algorithm for the eigenvalue problem, we design a new adaptive inverse iteration finite element algorithm. Adaptive finite element methods based on a posteriori error estimate are known to be successful in resolving singularities of eigenfunctions which deteriorate the finite element convergence. We construct a posteriori error estimator for the electromagnetic guided waves problem. Numerical results are reported to illustrate the quasi-optimal performance of our adaptive inverse iteration finite element method.

An Energy Stable Monolithic Eulerian Fluid-Structure Numerical Scheme

The conservation laws of continuum mechanics, written in an Eulerian frame,do not distinguish fluids and solids, except in the expression of the stress tensors, usually with Newton's hypothesis for the fluids and Helmholtz potentials of energy for hyperelastic solids. By taking the velocities as unknown monolithic methods for fluid structure interactions(FSI for short) are built. In this paper such a formulation is analysed when the solid is compressible and the fluid is incompressible. The idea is not new but the progress of mesh generators and numerical schemes like the Characteristics-Galerkin method render this approach feasible and reasonably robust. In this paper the method and its discretisation are presented, stability is discussed through an energy estimate. A numerical section discusses implementation issues and presents a few simple tests.