A Full Predictor-Corrector Finite Element Method for the One-Dimensional Heat Equation with Time-Dependent Singularities

The energy norm convergence rate of the finite element solution of the heat equation is reduced by the time-regularity of the exact solution. This paper presents an adaptive finite element treatment of time-dependent singularities on the one-dimensional heat equation. The method is based on a Fourier decomposition of the solution and an extraction formula of the coefficients of the singularities coupled with a predictor-corrector algorithm. The method recovers the optimal convergence rate of the finite element method on a quasi-uniform mesh refinement. Numerical results are carried out to show the efficiency of the method.

Grain refinement of Mg-Al alloys by optimization of process parameters based on three-dimensional finite element modeling of roll casting

To study the influence of roll casting process parameters on temperature and thermal-stress fields for the AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets,three-dimensional geometric and 3D finite element models for roll casting were established based on the symmetry of roll casting by ANSYS software.Meshing method and smart-sizing algorithm were used to divide finite element mesh in ANSYS software.A series of researches on the temperature and stress distributions during solidification process with different process parameters were done by 3D finite element method.The temperatures of both the liquid-solid two-phase zone and liquid phase zone were elevated with increasing pouring temperature.With the heat transfer coefficient increasing,the two-phase region for liquid-solid becomes smaller.With the pouring temperature increasing and the increase of casting speed,the length of two-phase zone rises.The optimized of process parameters（casting speed 2 m/min,pouring temperature 640 ℃ and heat transfer coefficient 15 kW/（m2·℃） with the water pouring at roller exit was used to produce magnesium alloy AZ31 sheet,and equiaxed grains with the average grain size of 50 μm were achieved after roll casting.The simulation results give better understanding of the temperature variation in phase transformation zone and the formation mechanism of hot cracks in plates during roll casting and help to design the optimized process parameters of roll casting for Mg alloy.

Three-dimensional Finite Element Analysis of the Mechanical Properties of Helical Thread Connection

Conventional analytical and numerical methods for the mechanical properties of helical threads are relied on many assumptions and approximations and thus hardly yield satisfied results. A parameterized 3D finite element model of bolted joints with real helical thread geometry is established and meshed with refined hexahedral elements. The Von Mises plasticity criterion, kinematic hardening rule of materials and interfacial contacts are employed to make it possible for the suggested model be able to approach real assembly conditions. Then, the mechanical properties of bolted joints with different thread pitches, thread numbers and modular ratios are investigated, including the contact pressure distribution at joint interfaces, the axial load distribution and stress concentration in screw threads during the loading and unloading process. Simulation results indicate that the load distribution in screw threads produced by the suggested model agrees well the results from CHEN’s photoelastic tests. In addition, an interesting phenomenon is found that tightening the bolt with a large preload first and then adjusting the clamping force by unloading can make the load distribution more uniform and reduce the maximum residual equivalent stress in thread roots by up to 40%. This research provides a simple and practical approach to constructing the 3D finite element model and predicting the mechanical properties of helical thread connection.

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.

Two-Dimensional Large Deformation Finite Element Analysisfor the Pulling-up of Plate Anchor

Based on mesh regeneration and stress interpolation from an old mesh to a new one, a large deformation finite element model is developed for the study of the behaviour of circular plate anchors subjected to uplift loading. For the deterruination of the distributions of stress components across a clay foundation, the Recovery by Equilibrium in Patches is extended to plastic analyses. ABAQUS, a commercial finite element package, is customized and linked into our program so as to keep automatic and efficient running of large deformation calculation. The quality of stress interpolation is testified by evaluations of Tresca stress and nodal reaction forces. The complete pulling-up processes of plate anchors buried in homogeneous clay arc simulated, and typical pulling force-displacement responses of a deep anchor and a shallow anchor are compared. Different from the results of previous studies, large deformation analysis is of the capability of estimating the breakaway between the anchor bottom and soils. For deep anchors, the variation of mobilized uplift resistance with anchor settlement is composed of three stages, and the initial buried depths of anchors affect the separation embedment slightly. The uplift bearing capacity of deep anchors is usually higher than that of shallow anchors.

Finite element response sensitivity analysis of three-dimensional soil-foundation-structure interaction (SFSI) systems

The nonlinear finite element（FE） analysis has been widely used in the design and analysis of structural or geotechnical systems.The response sensitivities（or gradients） to the model parameters are of significant importance in these realistic engineering problems.However the sensitivity calculation has lagged behind,leaving a gap between advanced FE response analysis and other research hotspots using the response gradient.The response sensitivity analysis is crucial for any gradient-based algorithms,such as reliability analysis,system identification and structural optimization.Among various sensitivity analysis methods,the direct differential method（DDM） has advantages of computing efficiency and accuracy,providing an ideal tool for the response gradient calculation.This paper extended the DDM framework to realistic complicated soil-foundation-structure interaction（SFSI） models by developing the response gradients for various constraints,element and materials involved.The enhanced framework is applied to three-dimensional SFSI system prototypes for a pilesupported bridge pier and a pile-supported reinforced concrete building frame structure,subjected to earthquake loading conditions.The DDM results are verified by forward finite difference method（FFD）.The relative importance（RI） of the various material parameters on the responses of SFSI system are investigated based on the DDM response sensitivity results.The FFD converges asymptotically toward the DDM results,demonstrating the advantages of DDM（e.g.,accurate,efficient,insensitive to numerical noise）.Furthermore,the RI and effects of the model parameters of structure,foundation and soil materials on the responses of SFSI systems are investigated by taking advantage of the sensitivity analysis results.The extension of DDM to SFSI systems greatly broaden the application areas of the d gradient-based algorithms,e.g.FE model updating and nonlinear system identification of complicated SFSI systems.

Three-dimensional Finite Element Modeling of a Maxillary Premolar Tooth Based on the Micro-CT Scanning: A Detailed Description

This study describes the details of how to construct a three-dimensional （3D） finite element model of a maxillary first premolar tooth based on micro-CT data acquisition technique, MIMICS soft- ware and ANSYS software. The tooth was scanned by micro-CT, in which 1295 slices were obtained and then 648 slices were selected for modeling. The 3D surface mesh models of enamel and dentin were created by MIMICS （STL file）. The solid mesh model was constructed by ANSYS. After the material properties and boundary conditions were set, a loading analysis was performed to demonstrate the ap- plicableness of the resulting model. The first and third principal stresses were then evaluated. The re- suits showed that the number of nodes and elements of the finite element model were 56 618 and 311801, respectively. The geometric form of the model was highly consistent with that of the true tooth, and the deviation between them was ~）.28%. The loading analysis revealed the typical stress patterns in the contour map. The maximum compressive stress existed in the contact points and the maximum tensile stress existed in the deep fissure between the two cusps. It is concluded that by using the micro-CT and highly integrated software, construction of the 3D finite element model with high quality will not be difficult for clinical researchers.

Clinical significance of three dimensional finite element analysis on humerus fracture

Objective: To treat humerus fracture with three dimensional pattern and finite element analysis, providing mechanical basis for treating humerus fracture. Methods: Humerus pattern was established based on the CT images, and calculation was done by ANSYS5. 6 software. Three dimensional ten-node tetrahedron unit was selected and were divided into 2 729 nodes, 49 041 units. Distribution and amount of axial compression of humerus were analyzed when clip angle was 30°, 45°, 90° between fracture face and axial line with fixed X, Y, Z directions. Results: The distribution of stress was greatly different between fracture face and non fracture face. Stress in fracture part was fairly concentrated with incomplete symmetric distribution around the center of fracture face; Greater stress distributed in the regions 10 mm from fracture face, which was 2-3 times that of other stress regions. Conclusion: Required load must be estimated under various conditions as to select the suitable internal fixation implants during the treatment of humerus fracture, which can provide helpful stress environment for fracture healing.

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.

Adaptive Finite Element Modeling of Marine Controlled-Source Electromagnetic Fields in Two-Dimensional General Anisotropic Media

In this paper, we extend the scope of numerical simulations of marine controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) fields in a particular case of anisotropy (dipping anisotropy) to the general case of anisotropy by using an adaptive finite element approach. In comparison to a dipping anisotropy case, the first order spatial derivatives of the strike-parallel components arise in the partial differential equations for generally anisotropic media, which cause a non-symmetric linear system of equations for finite element modeling. The adaptive finite element method is employed to obtain numerical solutions on a sequence of refined unstructured triangular meshes, which allows for arbitrary model geometries including bathymetry and dipping layers. Numerical results of a 2D anisotropic model show both anisotropy strike and dipping angles have great influence on the marine CSEM responses.

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.

Mixed finite element for two-dimensional incompressible convective Brinkman-Forchheimer equations

In this work, the two-dimensional convective Brinkman-Forchheimer equa- tions are considered. The well-posedness for the variational problem and its mixed finite element approximation is established, and the error estimates based on the conforming approximation are obtained. For the computation, a one-step Newton (or semi-Newton) iteration algorithm initialized using a fixed-point iteration is proposed. Finally, numerical experiments using a Taylor-Hood mixed element built on a structured or unstructured triangular mesh are implemented. The numerical results obtained using the algorithm are compared with the analytic data, and are shown to be in very good agreement. Moreover, the lid-driven problem at Reynolds numbers of 100 and 400 is considered and analyzed.

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.

Three-Dimensional Reconstructed Finite Element Model for C/C Composites by Micro-CT

The precise microscopic feature of carbon-carbon（C/C） composites is essential {or an accurate predic tion of their mechanical behavior. After fabrication, actual microscopic feature differs from simple ideal spatial model. Micro computed lomography（CT） scan can well describe internal microstruetures of composites. Therefore, a reconstructed model is developed based on mireo-CT, by a series of prodcedures including extrac tlng components, generating new binary images and establishing a finite element （FE） model. Compared with the model designed by reconstructed commercial software MIMICS. the presented reconstructed FE model is superior in terms of high mesh quality and eontrollable mesh cluantity. The precision of the model is verified by experiment.

Finite Element Analysis to Two-Dimensional Nonlinear Sloshing Problems

A two-dimensional nonlinear sloshing problem is analyzed by means of the fully nonlinear theory and time domain second order theory of water waves. Liquid sloshing in a rectangular container Subjected to a horizontal excitation is simulated by the finite element method. Comparisons between the two theories are made based on their numerical results. It is found that good agreement is obtained for the case of small amplitude oscillation and obvious differences occur for large amplitude excitation. Even though, the second order solution can still exhibit typical nonlinear features of nonlinear wave and can be used instead of the fully nonlinear theory.

Three dimensional finite element analysis of anatomic distal radius Nitinol memory connector treating distal radius fracture

Objective: To study the memory biomechanical character of anatomic distal radius Nitinol memory connector (DRMC) in treating distal radius fracture. Methods: Establishing three dimensional model and finite element analysis, we calculated the stress in and around the fracture faces when distal radius fracture was fixated with DRMC. Results: Axial holding stress produced by holding part of DRMC on distal radius was 14.66 MPa. The maximum stress of holding part was 40-70 MPa, the minimum stress was 3-7 MPa,and the stress of compression part was 20-40 MPa. Conclusion: The distribution of stress produced by DRMC around the fracture line is reasonable, and axial holding stress can help stabilize fracture during earlier period. The existence of longitudal compression and memory effect can transfer fixated disused section into developed section and enhance fracture healing.

Three-dimensional finite element analysis on effects of tunnel construction on nearby pile foundation

A three-dimensional finite element simulation was carried out to investigate the effects of tunnel construction on nearby pile foundation.The displacement controlled model (DCM) was used to simulate the tunneling-induced volume loss effects.The numerical model was verified based on the results of a centrifuge test and a set of parametric studies was implemented based on this model.There is good agreement between the trend of the results of the centrifuge test and the present model.The results of parametric studies show that the tunnelling-induced pile internal force and deformation depend mainly on the pile?tunnel distance,the pile length to tunnel depth ratio and the volume loss.Two different zones are separated by a 45° line projected from the tunnel springline.Within the zone of influence,the pile is subjected to tensile force and large settlement;whereas outside the zone of influence,dragload and small settlement are induced.It is also established that the impact of tunnelling on a pile group is substantially smaller as compared with a single pile in the same location with the rear pile in a group,demonstrating a positive pile group effect.

Increment-Dimensional Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method for Solving Transient Heat Conduction Problem

An increment-dimensional scaled boundary finite element method (ID-SBFEM) is developed to solve the transient temperature field.To improve the accuracy of SBFEM,the effect of high frequency factor on dynamic stiffness is considered,and the first-order continued fraction technique is used.After the derivation,the SBFE equations are obtained,and the dimensions of thermal conduction,the thermal capacity matrix and the vector of the right side term in the equations are doubled.An example is presented to illustrate the feasibility and good accuracy of the proposed method.

Propagations of Rayleigh and Love waves in ZnO films/glass substrates analyzed by three-dimensional finite element method

Propagation characteristics of surface acoustic waves（SAWs） in ZnO films/glass substrates are theoretically investigated by the three-dimensional（3D） finite element method. At first, for（11ˉ20） ZnO films/glass substrates, the simulation results confirm that the Rayleigh waves along the [0001] direction and Love waves along the [1ˉ100] direction are successfully excited in the multilayered structures. Next, the crystal orientations of the ZnO films are rotated, and the influences of ZnO films with different crystal orientations on SAW characterizations, including the phase velocity, electromechanical coupling coefficient, and temperature coefficient of frequency, are investigated. The results show that at appropriate h/λ, Rayleigh wave has a maximum k^2 of 2.4% in（90°, 56.5°, 0°） ZnO film/glass substrate structure; Love wave has a maximum k^2 of 3.81% in（56°, 90°, 0°） ZnO film/glass substrate structure. Meantime, for Rayleigh wave and Love wave devices, zero temperature coefficient of frequency（TCF） can be achieved at appropriate ratio of film thickness to SAW wavelength. These results show that SAW devices with higher k^2 or lower TCF can be fabricated by flexibly selecting the crystal orientations of ZnO films on glass substrates.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATION OF TOTAL KNEE JOINT IN GAIT CYCLE

Based on CT scanning pictures from a volunteer＇s knee joint, a three-dimensional finite element model of the healthy human knee joint is constructed including complete femur, tibia, fibular, patellar and the main cartilage and ligaments. This model was validated using experimental and numerical results obtained from other authors. The pressure distribution of contact surfaces of knee joint are calculated and analyzed under the load action of ‘heel strike＇, ‘single limb stance＇ and ‘toe-off＇. The results of the gait cycle are that the contact areas of medial cartilage are larger than that of lateral cartilage; the contact force and contact areas would grow larger with the load increasing; the pressure of lateral meniscus is steady, relative to the significant variation of peak pressure in medial meniscus; and the peak value of contact pressure on all components are usually found at about 4570 of the gait cycle.