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Stiffness Matrix (stiffness + matrix)
Kinds of Stiffness Matrix Selected AbstractsFinite element modelling of thick plates on two-parameter elastic foundationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 14 2001Ryszard Buczkowski Abstract This paper is intended to give some information about how to build a model necessary for bending analysis of rectangular and circular plates resting on a two-parameter elastic foundation, subjected to combined loading and permitting various types of boundary conditions. The formulation of the problem takes into account the shear deformation of the plate and the surrounding interaction effect outside the plate. The numerical model based on an 18-node zero-thickness isoparametric interface element interacting with a thick Reissner,Mindlin plate element with three degrees of freedom at each of the nine nodes, which enforce C0 continuity requirements for the displacements and rotations of the midsurface, is proposed. Stiffness matrices of a special interface element are superimposed on the global stiffness matrix to represent the stiffening elastic foundation under and beyond the plate. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate the advantages of the method presented. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] System identification of linear structures based on Hilbert,Huang spectral analysis.EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 10 2003Part 2: Complex modes Abstract A method, based on the Hilbert,Huang spectral analysis, has been proposed by the authors to identify linear structures in which normal modes exist (i.e., real eigenvalues and eigenvectors). Frequently, all the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of linear structures are complex. In this paper, the method is extended further to identify general linear structures with complex modes using the free vibration response data polluted by noise. Measured response signals are first decomposed into modal responses using the method of Empirical Mode Decomposition with intermittency criteria. Each modal response contains the contribution of a complex conjugate pair of modes with a unique frequency and a damping ratio. Then, each modal response is decomposed in the frequency,time domain to yield instantaneous phase angle and amplitude using the Hilbert transform. Based on a single measurement of the impulse response time history at one appropriate location, the complex eigenvalues of the linear structure can be identified using a simple analysis procedure. When the response time histories are measured at all locations, the proposed methodology is capable of identifying the complex mode shapes as well as the mass, damping and stiffness matrices of the structure. The effectiveness and accuracy of the method presented are illustrated through numerical simulations. It is demonstrated that dynamic characteristics of linear structures with complex modes can be identified effectively using the proposed method. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Analysis of single rock blocks for general failure modes under conservative and non-conservative forcesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 14 2007F. Tonon Abstract After describing the kinematics of a generic rigid block subjected to large rotations and displacements, the Udwadia's General Principle of Mechanics is applied to the dynamics of a rigid block with frictional constraints to show that the reaction forces and moments are indeterminate. Thus, the paper presents an incremental-iterative algorithm for analysing general failure modes of rock blocks subject to generic forces, including non-conservative forces such as water forces. Consistent stiffness matrices have been developed that fully exploit the quadratic convergence of the adopted Newton,Raphson iterative scheme. The algorithm takes into account large block displacements and rotations, which together with non-conservative forces make the stiffness matrix non-symmetric. Also included in the algorithm are in situ stress and fracture dilatancy, which introduces non-symmetric rank-one modifications to the stiffness matrix. Progressive failure is captured by the algorithm, which has proven capable of detecting numerically challenging failure modes, such as rotations about only one point. Failure modes may originate from a limit point or from dynamic instability (divergence or flutter); equilibrium paths emanating from bifurcation points are followed by the algorithm. The algorithm identifies both static and dynamic failure modes. The calculation of the factor of safety comes with no overhead. Examples show the equilibrium path of a rock block that undergoes slumping failure must first pass through a bifurcation point, unless the block is laterally constrained. Rock blocks subjected to water forces (or other non-conservative forces) may undergo flutter failure before reaching a limit point. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Total FETI,an easier implementable variant of the FETI method for numerical solution of elliptic PDEINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 12 2006k Dostál Abstract A new variant of the FETI method for numerical solution of elliptic PDE is presented. The basic idea is to simplify inversion of the stiffness matrices of subdomains by using Lagrange multipliers not only for gluing the subdomains along the auxiliary interfaces, but also for implementation of the Dirichlet boundary conditions. Results of numerical experiments are presented which indicate that the new method may be even more efficient then the original FETI. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Construction of shape functions for the h - and p -versions of the FEM using tensorial productINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2007M. L. Bittencourt Abstract This paper presents an uniform and unified approach to construct h - and p -shape functions for quadrilaterals, triangles, hexahedral and tetrahedral based on the tensorial product of one-dimensional Lagrange and Jacobi polynomials. The approach uses indices to denote the one-dimensional polynomials in each tensorization direction. The appropriate manipulation of the indices allows to obtain hierarchical or non-hierarchical and inter-element C0 continuous or non-continuous bases. For the one-dimensional elements, quadrilaterals, triangles and hexahedral, the optimal weights of the Jacobi polynomials are determined, the sparsity profiles of the local mass and stiffness matrices plotted and the condition numbers calculated. A brief discussion of the use of sum factorization and computational implementation is considered. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Use of equivalent mass method for free vibration analyses of a beam carrying multiple two-dof spring,mass systems with inertia effect of the helical springs consideredINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2006Jia-Jang Wu Abstract This paper investigates the free vibration characteristics of a beam carrying multiple two-degree-of-freedom (two-dof) spring,mass systems (i.e. the loaded beam). Unlike the existing literature to neglect the inertia effect of the helical springs of each spring,mass system, this paper takes the last inertia effect into consideration. To this end, a technique to replace each two-dof spring,mass system by a set of rigidly attached equivalent masses is presented, so that the free vibration characteristics of a loaded beam can be predicted from those of the same beam carrying multiple rigidly attached equivalent masses. In which, the equation of motion of the loaded beam is derived analytically by means of the expansion theorem (or the mode superposition method) incorporated with the natural frequencies and the mode shapes of the bare beam (i.e. the beam carrying nothing). In addition, the mass and stiffness matrices including the inertia effect of the helical springs of a two-dof spring,mass system, required by the conventional finite element method (FEM), are also derived. All the numerical results obtained from the presented equivalent mass method (EMM) are compared with those obtained from FEM and satisfactory agreement is achieved. Because the equivalent masses of each two-dof spring,mass system are dependent on the magnitudes of its lumped mass, spring constant and spring mass, the presented EMM provides an effective technique for evaluating the overall inertia effect of the two-dof spring,mass systems attached to the beam. Furthermore, if the total number of two-dof spring,mass systems attached to the beam is large, then the order of the overall property matrices for the equation of motion of the loaded beam in EMM is much less than that in FEM and the computer storage memory required by the former is also much less than that required by the latter. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Analytical stiffness matrices with Green,Lagrange strain measureINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2005Pauli Pedersen Abstract Separating the dependence on material and stress/strain state from the dependence on initial geometry, we obtain analytical secant and tangent stiffness matrices. For the case of a linear displacement triangle with uniform thickness and uniform constitutive behaviour closed-form results are listed, directly suited for coding in a finite element program. The nodal positions of an element and the displacement assumption give three basic matrices of order three. These matrices do not depend on material and stress/strain state, and thus are unchanged during the necessary iterations for obtaining a solution based on Green,Lagrange strain measure. The approach is especially useful in design optimization, because analytical sensitivity analysis then can be performed. The case of a three node triangular ring element for axisymmetric analysis involves small modifications and extension to four node tetrahedron elements should be straight forward. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Volume-dependent pressure loading and its influence on the stability of structuresINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2003T. Rumpel Abstract Deformation-dependent pressure loading on solid structures is created by the interaction of gas with the deformable surface of a structure. Such fairly simple load models are valid for static and quasi-static analyses and they are a very efficient tool to represent the influence of gas on the behaviour of structures. Completing previous studies on the deformation dependence of the loading with the assumption of infinite gas volumes, the current contribution is focusing on the influence of modifications of the size and shape of a finite volume containing the gas in particular on the stability of structures. The linearization of the corresponding virtual work expression necessary for a Newton-type solution leads to additional terms for the volume dependence. Investigating these terms the conservativeness of the problem can be proven by the symmetry of the linearized form. The discretization with finite elements leads to standard stiffness matrix forms plus the so-called load stiffness matrices and a rank-one update for each enclosed volume part, if the loaded surface segments are identical with element surfaces. Some numerical examples show first the effectiveness of the approach and the necessity to take the corresponding terms in the variational expression and in the following linearization into account, and second the particular influence of this term on the stability of structures is shown with some specific examples. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Accuracy of Galerkin finite elements for groundwater flow simulations in two and three-dimensional triangulationsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2001Christian Cordes Abstract In standard finite element simulations of groundwater flow the correspondence between hydraulic head gradients and groundwater fluxes is represented by the stiffness matrix. In two-dimensional problems the use of linear triangular elements on Delaunay triangulations guarantees a stiffness matrix of type M. This implies that the local numerical fluxes are physically consistent with Darcy's law. This condition is fundamental to avoid the occurrence of local maxima or minima, and is of crucial importance when the calculated flow field is used in contaminant transport simulations or pathline evaluation. In three spatial dimensions, the linear Galerkin approach on tetrahedra does not lead to M -matrices even on Delaunay meshes. By interpretation of the Galerkin approach as a subdomain collocation scheme, we develop a new approach (OSC, orthogonal subdomain collocation) that is shown to produce M -matrices in three-dimensional Delaunay triangulations. In case of heterogeneous and anisotropic coefficients, extra mesh properties required for M -stiffness matrices will also be discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Dynamic stiffness for piecewise non-uniform Timoshenko column by power series,part I: Conservative axial forceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2001A. Y. T. Leung Abstract The dynamic stiffness method uses the solutions of the governing equations as shape functions in a harmonic vibration analysis. One element can predict many modes exactly in the classical sense. The disadvantages lie in the transcendental nature and in the need to solve a non-linear eigenproblem for the natural modes, which can be solved by the Wittrick,William algorithm and the Leung theorem. Another practical problem is to solve the governing equations exactly for the shape functions, non-uniform members in particular. It is proposed to use power series for the purpose. Dynamic stiffness matrices for non-uniform Timoshenko column are taken as examples. The shape functions can be found easily by symbolic programming. Step beam structures can be treated without difficulty. The new contributions of the paper include a general formulation, an extended Leung's theorem and its application to parametric study. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Preconditioning and a posteriori error estimates using h - and p -hierarchical finite elements with rectangular supportsNUMERICAL LINEAR ALGEBRA WITH APPLICATIONS, Issue 5 2009I. Pultarová Abstract We show some of the properties of the algebraic multilevel iterative methods when the hierarchical bases of finite elements (FEs) with rectangular supports are used for solving the elliptic boundary value problems. In particular, we study two types of hierarchies; the so-called h - and p -hierarchical FE spaces on a two-dimensional domain. We compute uniform estimates of the strengthened Cauchy,Bunyakowski,Schwarz inequality constants for these spaces. Moreover, for diagonal blocks of the stiffness matrices corresponding to the fine spaces, the optimal preconditioning matrices can be found, which have tri- or five-diagonal forms for h - or p -refinements, respectively, after a certain reordering of the elements. As another use of the hierarchical bases, the a posteriori error estimates can be computed. We compare them in test examples for h - and p -hierarchical FEs with rectangular supports. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A smoothing Newton's method for the construction of a damped vibrating system from noisy test eigendataNUMERICAL LINEAR ALGEBRA WITH APPLICATIONS, Issue 2 2009Zheng-Jian Bai Abstract In this paper we consider an inverse problem for a damped vibration system from the noisy measured eigendata, where the mass, damping, and stiffness matrices are all symmetric positive-definite matrices with the mass matrix being diagonal and the damping and stiffness matrices being tridiagonal. To take into consideration the noise in the data, the problem is formulated as a convex optimization problem involving quadratic constraints on the unknown mass, damping, and stiffness parameters. Then we propose a smoothing Newton-type algorithm for the optimization problem, which improves a pre-existing estimate of a solution to the inverse problem. We show that the proposed method converges both globally and quadratically. Numerical examples are also given to demonstrate the efficiency of our method. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Total FETI for contact problems with additional nonlinearitiesPROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2008í Dobiá The paper is concerned with application of a new variant of the Finite Element Tearing and Interconnecting (FETI) method, referred to as the Total FETI (TFETI), to the solution to contact problems with additional nonlinearities. While the standard FETI methods assume that the prescribed Dirichlet conditions are inherited by subdomains, TFETI enforces both the compatibility between subdomains and the prescribed displacements by the Lagrange multipliers. If applied to the contact problems, this approach not only transforms the general nonpenetration constraints to the bound constraints, but it also generates an enriched natural coarse grid defined by the a priori known kernels of the stiffness matrices of the subdomains exhibiting rigid body modes. We combine our in a sense optimal algorithms for the solution to bound and equality constrained problems with geometric and material nonlinearities. The section on numerical experiments presents results of solution to bolt and nut contact problem with additional geometric and material nonlinear effects. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] ,-matrices for the convection-diffusion equationPROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2003S. Le Borne Dr. Hierarchical matrices (,-matrices) provide a technique for the sparse approximation of large, fully populated matrices. This technique has been shown to be applicable to stiffness matrices arising in boundary element method applications where the kernel function displays certain smoothness properties. The error estimates for an approximation of the kernel function by a separable function can be carried over directly to error estimates for an approximation of the stiffness matrix by an ,-matrix, using a certain standard partitioning and admissibility condition for matrix blocks. Similarly, ,-matrix techniques can be applied in the finite element context where it is the inverse of the stiffness matrix that is fully populated. Here one needs a separable approximation of Green's function of the underlying boundary value problem in order to prove approximability by matrix blocks of low rank. Unfortunately, Green's function for the convection-diffusion equation does not satisfy the required smoothness properties, hence prohibiting a straightforward generalization of the separable approximation through Taylor polynomials. We will use Green's function to motivate a modification in the (hierarchical) partitioning of the index set and as a consequence the resulting hierarchy of block partitionings as well as the admissibility condition. We will illustrate the effect of the proposed modifications by numerical results. [source] Bifurcation modeling in geomaterials: From the second-order work criterion to spectral analysesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 9 2009F. Prunier Abstract The present paper investigates bifurcation analysis based on the second-order work criterion, in the framework of rate-independent constitutive models and rate-independent boundary-value problems. The approach applies mainly to nonassociated materials such as soils, rocks, and concretes. The bifurcation analysis usually performed at the material point level is extended to quasi-static boundary-value problems, by considering the stiffness matrix arising from finite element discretization. Lyapunov's definition of stability (Annales de la faculté des sciences de Toulouse 1907; 9:203,274), as well as definitions of bifurcation criteria (Rice's localization criterion (Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. Fourteenth IUTAM Congress, Amsterdam, 1976; 207,220) and the plasticity limit criterion are revived in order to clarify the application field of the second-order work criterion and to contrast these criteria. The first part of this paper analyses the second-order work criterion at the material point level. The bifurcation domain is presented in the 3D stress space as well as 3D cones of unstable loading directions for an incrementally nonlinear constitutive model. The relevance of this criterion, when the nonlinear constitutive model is expressed in the classical form (d, = Md,) or in the dual form (d, = Nd,), is discussed. In the second part, the analysis is extended to the boundary-value problems in quasi-static conditions. Nonlinear finite element computations are performed and the global tangent stiffness matrix is analyzed. For several examples, the eigenvector associated with the first vanishing eigenvalue of the symmetrical part of the stiffness matrix gives an accurate estimation of the failure mode in the homogeneous and nonhomogeneous boundary-value problem. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Analysis of single rock blocks for general failure modes under conservative and non-conservative forcesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 14 2007F. Tonon Abstract After describing the kinematics of a generic rigid block subjected to large rotations and displacements, the Udwadia's General Principle of Mechanics is applied to the dynamics of a rigid block with frictional constraints to show that the reaction forces and moments are indeterminate. Thus, the paper presents an incremental-iterative algorithm for analysing general failure modes of rock blocks subject to generic forces, including non-conservative forces such as water forces. Consistent stiffness matrices have been developed that fully exploit the quadratic convergence of the adopted Newton,Raphson iterative scheme. The algorithm takes into account large block displacements and rotations, which together with non-conservative forces make the stiffness matrix non-symmetric. Also included in the algorithm are in situ stress and fracture dilatancy, which introduces non-symmetric rank-one modifications to the stiffness matrix. Progressive failure is captured by the algorithm, which has proven capable of detecting numerically challenging failure modes, such as rotations about only one point. Failure modes may originate from a limit point or from dynamic instability (divergence or flutter); equilibrium paths emanating from bifurcation points are followed by the algorithm. The algorithm identifies both static and dynamic failure modes. The calculation of the factor of safety comes with no overhead. Examples show the equilibrium path of a rock block that undergoes slumping failure must first pass through a bifurcation point, unless the block is laterally constrained. Rock blocks subjected to water forces (or other non-conservative forces) may undergo flutter failure before reaching a limit point. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Semi-analytical far field model for three-dimensional finite-element analysisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 11 2004James P. Doherty Abstract A challenging computational problem arises when a discrete structure (e.g. foundation) interacts with an unbounded medium (e.g. deep soil deposit), particularly if general loading conditions and non-linear material behaviour is assumed. In this paper, a novel method for dealing with such a problem is formulated by combining conventional three-dimensional finite-elements with the recently developed scaled boundary finite-element method. The scaled boundary finite-element method is a semi-analytical technique based on finite-elements that obtains a symmetric stiffness matrix with respect to degrees of freedom on a discretized boundary. The method is particularly well suited to modelling unbounded domains as analytical solutions are found in a radial co-ordinate direction, but, unlike the boundary-element method, no complex fundamental solution is required. A technique for coupling the stiffness matrix of bounded three-dimensional finite-element domain with the stiffness matrix of the unbounded scaled boundary finite-element domain, which uses a Fourier series to model the variation of displacement in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical co-ordinate system, is described. The accuracy and computational efficiency of the new formulation is demonstrated through the linear elastic analysis of rigid circular and square footings. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Semi-analytical elastostatic analysis of unbounded two-dimensional domainsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 11 2002Andrew J. Deeks Abstract Unbounded plane stress and plane strain domains subjected to static loading undergo infinite displacements, even when the zero displacement boundary condition at infinity is enforced. However, the stress and strain fields are well behaved, and are of practical interest. This causes significant difficulty when analysis is attempted using displacement-based numerical methods, such as the finite-element method. To circumvent this difficulty problems of this nature are often changed subtly before analysis to limit the displacements to finite values. Such a process is unsatisfactory, as it distorts the solution in some way, and may lead to a stiffness matrix that is nearly singular. In this paper, the semi-analytical scaled boundary finite-element method is extended to permit the analysis of such problems without requiring any modification of the problem itself. This is possible because the governing differential equations are solved analytically in the radial direction. The displacement solutions so obtained include an infinite component, but relative motion between any two points in the unbounded domain can be computed accurately. No small arbitrary constants are introduced, no arbitrary truncation of the domain is performed, and no ill-conditioned matrices are inverted. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Finite element modelling of thick plates on two-parameter elastic foundationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 14 2001Ryszard Buczkowski Abstract This paper is intended to give some information about how to build a model necessary for bending analysis of rectangular and circular plates resting on a two-parameter elastic foundation, subjected to combined loading and permitting various types of boundary conditions. The formulation of the problem takes into account the shear deformation of the plate and the surrounding interaction effect outside the plate. The numerical model based on an 18-node zero-thickness isoparametric interface element interacting with a thick Reissner,Mindlin plate element with three degrees of freedom at each of the nine nodes, which enforce C0 continuity requirements for the displacements and rotations of the midsurface, is proposed. Stiffness matrices of a special interface element are superimposed on the global stiffness matrix to represent the stiffening elastic foundation under and beyond the plate. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate the advantages of the method presented. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A stabilized smoothed finite element method for free vibration analysis of Mindlin,Reissner platesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 8 2009H. Nguyen-Xuan Abstract A free vibration analysis of Mindlin,Reissner plates using the stabilized smoothed finite element method is studied. The bending strains of the MITC4 and STAB elements are incorporated with a cell-wise smoothing operation to give new proposed elements, the mixed interpolation and smoothed curvatures (MISCk) and SMISCk elements. The corresponding bending stiffness matrix is computed along the boundaries of the smoothing elements (smoothing cells). Note that shearing strains and the shearing stiffness matrix of the proposed elements are unchanged from the original elements, the MITC4 and STAB elements. It is confirmed by numerical tests that the present method is free of shear locking and has the marginal improvements compared with the original elements. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The buckling mode extracted from the LDLT -decomposed large-order stiffness matrixINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 7 2002Fumio Fujii Abstract The present study proposes an innovated eigenanalysis-free idea to extract the buckling mode only from the LDLT -decomposed stiffness matrix in large-scale bifurcation analysis. The computational cost for extracting the critical eigenvector is negligible, because the decomposition of the stiffness matrix will continually be repeated during path-tracing to solve the stiffness equations. A numerical example is computed to illustrate that the proposed idea is tough enough even for multiple bifurcation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Splitting elastic modulus finite element method and its applicationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 10 2001Dang Faning Abstract To establish the best precision FEM, the proportion of potential and complementary energy in the functional of the variational principles must be changeable. A new kind of variational principle in linear theory of solid mechanics, called the splitting elastic modulus variational principle, is introduced. Its distinctive feature is that the functional contains one arbitrary additional parameter, called splitting factor; the proportion of potential and complementary energy in the functional can be changed by the splitting factor. Finite element method, which is based on the new principle, is established. It is called splitting modulus FEM, its stiffness can be adjusted by properly selecting the splitting factors, some ill-conditioned problem can be conquered by it. The methods to choose the splitting factors, reduce the condition number of stiffness matrix and improve the precision of solutions are also discussed. The reason why the new method can transform the ill-conditioned problems into well-conditioned ones is analysed finally. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Imposition of essential boundary conditions by displacement constraint equations in meshless methodsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2001Xiong Zhang Abstract One of major difficulties in the implementation of meshless methods is the imposition of essential boundary conditions as the approximations do not pass through the nodal parameter values. As a consequence, the imposition of essential boundary conditions in meshless methods is quite awkward. In this paper, a displacement constraint equations method (DCEM) is proposed for the imposition of the essential boundary conditions, in which the essential boundary conditions is treated as a constraint to the discrete equations obtained from the Galerkin methods. Instead of using the methods of Lagrange multipliers and the penalty method, a procedure is proposed in which unknowns are partitioned into two subvectors, one consisting of unknowns on boundary ,u, and one consisting of the remaining unknowns. A simplified displacement constraint equations method (SDCEM) is also proposed, which results in a efficient scheme with sufficient accuracy for the imposition of the essential boundary conditions in meshless methods. The present method results in a symmetric, positive and banded stiffness matrix. Numerical results show that the accuracy of the present method is higher than that of the modified variational principles. The present method is a exact method for imposing essential boundary conditions in meshless methods, and can be used in Galerkin-based meshless method, such as element-free Galerkin methods, reproducing kernel particle method, meshless local Petrov,Galerkin method. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A novel singular node-based smoothed finite element method (NS-FEM) for upper bound solutions of fracture problemsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 11 2010G. R. Liu Abstract It is well known that the lower bound to exact solutions in linear fracture problems can be easily obtained by the displacement compatible finite element method (FEM) together with the singular crack tip elements. It is, however, much more difficult to obtain the upper bound solutions for these problems. This paper aims to formulate a novel singular node-based smoothed finite element method (NS-FEM) to obtain the upper bound solutions for fracture problems. In the present singular NS-FEM, the calculation of the system stiffness matrix is performed using the strain smoothing technique over the smoothing domains (SDs) associated with nodes, which leads to the line integrations using only the shape function values along the boundaries of the SDs. A five-node singular crack tip element is used within the framework of NS-FEM to construct singular shape functions via direct point interpolation with proper order of fractional basis. The mix-mode stress intensity factors are evaluated using the domain forms of the interaction integrals. The upper bound solutions of the present singular NS-FEM are demonstrated via benchmark examples for a wide range of material combinations and boundary conditions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An optimally convergent discontinuous Galerkin-based extended finite element method for fracture mechanicsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2010Yongxing Shen Abstract The extended finite element method (XFEM) enables the representation of cracks in arbitrary locations of a mesh. We introduce here a variant of the XFEM rendering an optimally convergent scheme. Its distinguishing features are as follows: (a) the introduction of singular asymptotic crack tip fields with support on only a small region around the crack tip (the enrichment region), (b) only one and two enrichment functions are added for anti-plane shear and planar problems, respectively and (c) the relaxation of the continuity between the enrichment region and the rest of the domain, and the adoption of a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method therein. The method is provably stable for any positive value of a stabilization parameter, and by weakly enforcing the continuity between the two regions it eliminates ,blending elements' partly responsible for the suboptimal convergence of some early XFEMs. Moreover, the particular choice of enrichment functions results in a surprisingly sparse stiffness matrix that remains reasonably conditioned as the mesh is refined. More importantly, the stress intensity factors can be extracted with a satisfactory accuracy as primary unknowns. Quadrature strategies required for the optimal convergence are also discussed. Finally, the DG method was modified to retain stability based on an inf-sup condition. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Stencil reduction algorithms for the local discontinuous Galerkin methodINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 12 2010Paul E. Castillo Abstract The problem of reducing the stencil of the local discontinuous Galerkin method applied to second-order differential operator is discussed. Heuristic algorithms to minimize the total number of non-zero blocks of the reduced stiffness matrix are presented and tested on a wide variety of unstructured and structured grids in 2D and 3D. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Diagonalization procedure for scaled boundary finite element method in modeling semi-infinite reservoir with uniform cross-sectionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2009S. M. Li Abstract To improve the ability of the scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) in the dynamic analysis of dam,reservoir interaction problems in the time domain, a diagonalization procedure was proposed, in which the SBFEM was used to model the reservoir with uniform cross-section. First, SBFEM formulations in the full matrix form in the frequency and time domains were outlined to describe the semi-infinite reservoir. No sediments and the reservoir bottom absorption were considered. Second, a generalized eigenproblem consisting of coefficient matrices of the SBFEM was constructed and analyzed to obtain corresponding eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Finally, using these eigenvalues and eigenvectors to normalize the SBFEM formulations yielded diagonal SBFEM formulations. A diagonal dynamic stiffness matrix and a diagonal dynamic mass matrix were derived. An efficient method was presented to evaluate them. In this method, no Riccati equation and Lyapunov equations needed solving and no Schur decomposition was required, which resulted in great computational costs saving. The correctness and efficiency of the diagonalization procedure were verified by numerical examples in the frequency and time domains, but the diagonalization procedure is only applicable for the SBFEM formulation whose scaling center is located at infinity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An enriched element-failure method (REFM) for delamination analysis of composite structuresINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2009X. S. Sun Abstract This paper develops an enriched element-failure method for delamination analysis of composite structures. This method combines discontinuous enrichments in the extended finite element method and element-failure concepts in the element-failure method within the finite element framework. An improved discontinuous enrichment function is presented to effectively model the kinked discontinuities; and, based on fracture mechanics, a general near-tip enrichment function is also derived from the asymptotic displacement fields to represent the discontinuity and local stress intensification around the crack-tip. The delamination is treated as a crack problem that is represented by the discontinuous enrichment functions and then the enrichments are transformed to external nodal forces applied to nodes around the crack. The crack and its propagation are modeled by the ,failed elements' that are applied to the external nodal forces. Delamination and crack kinking problems can be solved simultaneously without remeshing the model or re-assembling the stiffness matrix with this method. Examples are used to demonstrate the application of the proposed method to delamination analysis. The validity of the proposed method is verified and the simulation results show that both interlaminar delamination and crack kinking (intralaminar crack) occur in the cross-ply laminated plate, which is observed in the experiment. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Smooth finite element methods: Convergence, accuracy and propertiesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2008Hung Nguyen-Xuan Abstract A stabilized conforming nodal integration finite element method based on strain smoothing stabilization is presented. The integration of the stiffness matrix is performed on the boundaries of the finite elements. A rigorous variational framework based on the Hu,Washizu assumed strain variational form is developed. We prove that solutions yielded by the proposed method are in a space bounded by the standard, finite element solution (infinite number of subcells) and a quasi-equilibrium finite element solution (a single subcell). We show elsewhere the equivalence of the one-subcell element with a quasi-equilibrium finite element, leading to a global a posteriori error estimate. We apply the method to compressible and incompressible linear elasticity problems. The method can always achieve higher accuracy and convergence rates than the standard finite element method, especially in the presence of incompressibility, singularities or distorted meshes, for a slightly smaller computational cost. It is shown numerically that the one-cell smoothed four-noded quadrilateral finite element has a convergence rate of 2.0 in the energy norm for problems with smooth solutions, which is remarkable. For problems with rough solutions, this element always converges faster than the standard finite element and is free of volumetric locking without any modification of integration scheme. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An efficient co-rotational formulation for curved triangular shell elementINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 9 2007Zhongxue Li Abstract A 6-node curved triangular shell element formulation based on a co-rotational framework is proposed to solve large-displacement and large-rotation problems, in which part of the rigid-body translations and all rigid-body rotations in the global co-ordinate system are excluded in calculating the element strain energy. Thus, an element-independent formulation is achieved. Besides three translational displacement variables, two components of the mid-surface normal vector at each node are defined as vectorial rotational variables; these two additional variables render all nodal variables additive in an incremental solution procedure. To alleviate the membrane and shear locking phenomena, the membrane strains and the out-of-plane shear strains are replaced with assumed strains in calculating the element strain energy. The strategy used in the mixed interpolation of tensorial components approach is employed in defining the assumed strains. The internal force vector and the element tangent stiffness matrix are obtained from calculating directly the first derivative and second derivative of the element strain energy with respect to the nodal variables, respectively. Different from most other existing co-rotational element formulations, all nodal variables in the present curved triangular shell formulation are commutative in calculating the second derivative of the strain energy; as a result, the element tangent stiffness matrix is symmetric and is updated by using the total values of the nodal variables in an incremental solution procedure. Such update procedure is advantageous in solving dynamic problems. Finally, several elastic plate and shell problems are solved to demonstrate the reliability, efficiency, and convergence of the present formulation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||