Discontinuous Galerkin approximations in computational mechanics: hybridization, exact geometry and degree adaptivity

Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) discretizations with exact representation of the geometry and local polynomial degree adaptivity are revisited. Hybridization techniques are employed to reduce the computational cost of DG approximations and devise the hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method. Exact geometry described by non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) is integrated into HDG using the framework of the NURBS-enhanced finite element method (NEFEM). Moreover, optimal convergence and superconvergence properties of HDG-Voigt formulation in presence of symmetric second-order tensors are exploited to construct inexpensive error indicators and drive degree adaptive procedures. Applications involving the numerical simulation of problems in electrostatics, linear elasticity and incompressible viscous flows are presented. Moreover, this is done for both high-order HDG approximations and the lowest-order framework of face-centered finite volumes (FCFV).Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

eXtended hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin for incompressible flow problems with unfitted meshes and interfaces

The eXtended hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (X-HDG) method is developed for the solution of Stokes problems with void or material interfaces. X-HDG is a novel method that combines the hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method with an eXtended finite element strategy, resulting in a high-order, unfitted, superconvergent method, with an explicit definition of the interface geometry by means of a level-set function. For elements not cut by the interface, the standard HDG formulation is applied, whereas a modified weak form for the local problem is proposed for cut elements. Heaviside enrichment is considered on cut faces and in cut elements in the case of bimaterial problems. Two-dimensional numerical examples demonstrate that the applicability, accuracy, and superconvergence properties of HDG are inherited in X-HDG, with the freedom of computational meshes that do not fit the interfacesPeer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Gradient-robust hybrid DG discretizations for the compressible Stokes equations

This paper studies two hybrid discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) discretizations for the velocity-density formulation of the compressible Stokes equations with respect to several desired structural properties, namely provable convergence, the preservation of non-negativity and mass constraints for the density, and gradient-robustness. The later property dramatically enhances the accuracy in well-balanced situations, such as the hydrostatic balance where the pressure gradient balances the gravity force. One of the studied schemes employs an H(div)-conforming velocity ansatz space which ensures all mentioned properties, while a fully discontinuous method is shown to satisfy all properties but the gradient-robustness. Also higher-order schemes for both variants are presented and compared in three numerical benchmark problems. The final example shows the importance also for non-hydrostatic well-balanced states for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations

A superconvergent HDG method for stokes flow with strongly enforced symmetry of the stress tensor

This work proposes a superconvergent hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method for the approximation of the Cauchy formulation of the Stokes equation using same degree of polynomials for the primal and mixed variables. The novel formulation relies on the well-known Voigt notation to strongly enforce the symmetry of the stress tensor. The proposed strategy introduces several advantages with respect to the existing HDG formulations. First, it remedies the suboptimal behavior experienced by the classical HDG method for formulations involving the symmetric part of the gradient of the primal variable. The optimal convergence of the mixed variable is retrieved and an element-by-element postprocess procedure leads to a superconvergent velocity field, even for low-order approximations. Second, no additional enrichment of the discrete spaces is required and a gain in computational efficiency follows from reducing the quantity of stored information and the size of the local problems. Eventually, the novel formulation naturally imposes physical tractions on the Neumann boundary. Numerical validation of the optimality of the method and its superconvergent properties is performed in 2D and 3D using meshes of different element types

Hybrid coupling of CG and HDG discretizations based on Nitsche’s method

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Computational mechanics. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00466-019-01770-8A strategy to couple continuous Galerkin (CG) and hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) discretizations based only on the HDG hybrid variable is presented for linear thermal and elastic problems. The hybrid CG-HDG coupling exploits the definition of the numerical flux and the trace of the solution on the mesh faces to impose the transmission conditions between the CG and HDG subdomains. The con- tinuity of the solution is imposed in the CG problem via Nitsche’s method, whereas the equilibrium of the flux at the interface is naturally enforced as a Neumann con- dition in the HDG global problem. The proposed strategy does not affect the core structure of CG and HDG discretizations. In fact, the resulting formulation leads to a minimally-intrusive coupling, suitable to be integrated in existing CG and HDG libraries. Numerical experiments in two and three dimensions show optimal global convergence of the stress and superconvergence of the displacement field, locking-free approximation, as well as the potential to treat structural problems of engineering interest featuring multiple materials with compressible and nearly incompressible behaviors.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft