NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF UNSTEADY-STATE UNDEREXPANDED JET USING DISCONTINUOUS GALERKIN FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

A discontinuous Galerkin finite element method （DG-FEM） is developed for solving the axisymmetric Euler equations based on two-dimensional conservation laws. The method is used to simulate the unsteady-state underexpanded axisymmetric jet. Several flow property distributions along the jet axis, including density, pres- sure and Mach number are obtained and the qualitative flowfield structures of interest are well captured using the proposed method, including shock waves, slipstreams, traveling vortex ring and multiple Mach disks. Two Mach disk locations agree well with computational and experimental measurement results. It indicates that the method is robust and efficient for solving the unsteady-state underexpanded axisymmetric jet.

NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF TOROIDAL SHOCK WAVES FOCUSING USING DISCONTINUOUS GALERKIN FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

A numerical simulation of the toroidal shock wave focusing in a co-axial cylindrical shock tube is inves- tigated by using discontinuous Galerkin （DG） finite element method to solve the axisymmetric Euler equations. For validating the numerical method, the shock-tube problem with exact solution is computed, and the computed results agree well with the exact cases. Then, several cases with higher incident Mach numbers varying from 2.0 to 5.0 are simulated. Simulation results show that complicated flow-field structures of toroidal shock wave diffraction, reflection, and focusing in a co-axial cylindrical shock tube can be obtained at different incident Mach numbers and the numerical solutions appear steep gradients near the focusing point, which illustrates the DG method has higher accuracy and better resolution near the discontinuous point. Moreover, the focusing peak pres- sure with different grid scales is compared.

Adaptive discontinuous finite element quadrature sets over an icosahedron for discrete ordinates method

The discrete ordinates(S N)method requires numerous angular unknowns to achieve the desired accu-racy for shielding calculations involving strong anisotropy.Our objective is to develop an angular adaptive algorithm in the S N method to automatically optimize the angular distribution and minimize angular discretization errors with lower expenses.The proposed method enables linear dis-continuous finite element quadrature sets over an icosahe-dron to vary their quadrature orders in a one-twentieth sphere so that fine resolutions can be applied to the angular domains that are important.An error estimation that operates in conjunction with the spherical harmonics method is developed to determine the locations where more refinement is required.The adaptive quadrature sets are applied to three duct problems,including the Kobayashi benchmarks and the IRI-TUB research reactor,which emphasize the ability of this method to resolve neutron streaming through ducts with voids.The results indicate that the performance of the adaptive method is more effi-cient than that of uniform quadrature sets for duct transport problems.Our adaptive method offers an appropriate placement of angular unknowns to accurately integrate angular fluxes while reducing the computational costs in terms of unknowns and run times.

Mixed time discontinuous space-time finite element method for convection diffusion equations

A mixed time discontinuous space-time finite element scheme for secondorder convection diffusion problems is constructed and analyzed. Order of the equation is lowered by the mixed finite element method. The low order equation is discretized with a space-time finite element method, continuous in space but discontinuous in time. Stability, existence, uniqueness and convergence of the approximate solutions are proved. Numerical results are presented to illustrate efficiency of the proposed method.

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.

A multithreaded parallel upwind sweep algorithm for the S_(N) transport equations discretized with discontinuous finite elements

The complex structure and strong heterogeneity of advanced nuclear reactor systems pose challenges for high-fidelity neutron-shielding calculations. Unstructured meshes exhibit strong geometric adaptability and can overcome the deficiencies of conventionally structured meshes in complex geometry modeling. A multithreaded parallel upwind sweep algorithm for S_(N) transport was proposed to achieve a more accurate geometric description and improve the computational efficiency. The spatial variables were discretized using the standard discontinuous Galerkin finite-element method. The angular flux transmission between neighboring meshes was handled using an upwind scheme. In addition, a combination of a mesh transport sweep and angular iterations was realized using a multithreaded parallel technique. The algorithm was implemented in the 2D/3D S_(N) transport code ThorSNIPE, and numerical evaluations were conducted using three typical benchmark problems:IAEA, Kobayashi-3i, and VENUS-3. These numerical results indicate that the multithreaded parallel upwind sweep algorithm can achieve high computational efficiency. ThorSNIPE, with a multithreaded parallel upwind sweep algorithm, has good reliability, stability, and high efficiency, making it suitable for complex shielding calculations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A Sub-element Adaptive Shock Capturing Approach for Discontinuous Galerkin Methods

In this paper,a new strategy for a sub-element-based shock capturing for discontinuous Galerkin(DG)approximations is presented.The idea is to interpret a DG element as a col-lection of data and construct a hierarchy of low-to-high-order discretizations on this set of data,including a first-order finite volume scheme up to the full-order DG scheme.The dif-ferent DG discretizations are then blended according to sub-element troubled cell indicators,resulting in a final discretization that adaptively blends from low to high order within a single DG element.The goal is to retain as much high-order accuracy as possible,even in simula-tions with very strong shocks,as,e.g.,presented in the Sedov test.The framework retains the locality of the standard DG scheme and is hence well suited for a combination with adaptive mesh refinement and parallel computing.The numerical tests demonstrate the sub-element adaptive behavior of the new shock capturing approach and its high accuracy.

Reduced-order finite element method based on POD for fractional Tricomi-type equation

The reduced-order finite element method （FEM） based on a proper orthogo- nal decomposition （POD） theory is applied to the time fractional Tricomi-type equation. The present method is an improvement on the general FEM. It can significantly save mem- ory space and effectively relieve the computing load due to its reconstruction of POD basis functions. Furthermore, the reduced-order finite element （FE） scheme is shown to be un- conditionally stable, and error estimation is derived in detail. Two numerical examples are presented to show the feasibility and effectiveness of the method for time fractional differential equations （FDEs）.

Thermo-hydro-mechanical-air coupling finite element method and its application to multi-phase problems

In this paper, a finite element method （FEM）-based multi-phase problem based on a newly proposed thermal elastoplastic constitutive model for saturated/unsaturated geomaterial is discussed. A program of FEM named as SOFT, adopting unified field equations for thermo-hydro-mechanical-air （THMA） behavior of geomaterial and using finite element-finite difference （FE-FD） scheme for so/l-water-air three-phase coupling problem, is used in the numerical simulation. As an application of the newly proposed numerical method, two engineering problems, one for slope failure in unsaturated model ground and another for in situ heating test related to deep geological repository of high-level radioactive waste （HLRW）, are simulated. The model tests on slope failure in unsaturated Shirasu ground, carried out by Kitamura et al. （2007）, is simulated in the framework of soil-water-air three-phase coupling under the condition of constant temperature. While the in situ heating test reported by Munoz （2006） is simulated in the same framework under the conditions of variable temperature hut constant air pressure.

PREDICTION FOR FORMING LIMIT OF AL2024T3 SHEET BASED ON DAMAGE THEORY USING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

This paper presents the application of anisotropic damage theory to the study of forming limit diagram of A12024T3 aluminum alloy sheet. In the prediction of limiting strains of the aluminum sheet structure, a finite element cell model has been constructed. The cell model consists of two phases, the aluminum alloy matrix and the intermetallic cluster. The material behavior of the aluminum alloy matrix is described with a fully coupled elasto-plastic damage constitutive equation. The intermetallic cluster is assumed to be elastic and brittle. By varying the stretching ratio, the limiting strains of the sheet under biaxial stretching have been predicted by using the necking criterion proposed. The prediction is in good agreement with the experimental findings. Moreover, the finite element cell model can provide information for understanding the microscopic damage mechanism of the aluminum alloy. Over-estimation of the limit strains may result if the effect of material damage is ignored in the sheet metal forming study.