A Zienkiewicz-type finite element applied to fourth-order problems

AbstractThis paper deals with convergence analysis and applications of a Zienkiewicz-type (Z-type) triangular element, applied to fourth-order partial differential equations. For the biharmonic problem we prove the order of convergence by comparison to a suitable modified Hermite triangular finite element. This method is more natural and it could be applied to the corresponding fourth-order eigenvalue problem. We also propose a simple postprocessing method which improves the order of convergence of finite element eigenpairs. Thus, an a posteriori analysis is presented by means of different triangular elements. Some computational aspects are discussed and numerical examples are given

A FIC-based stabilized mixed finite element method with equal order interpolation for solid–pore fluid interaction problems

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [de-Pouplana, I., and Oñate, E. (2017) A FIC-based stabilized mixed finite element method with equal order interpolation for solid–pore fluid interaction problems. Int. J. Numer. Anal. Meth. Geomech., 41: 110–134. doi: 10.1002/nag.2550], which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/nag.2550/abstract. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving."A new mixed displacement-pressure element for solving solid–pore fluid interaction problems is presented. In the resulting coupled system of equations, the balance of momentum equation remains unaltered, while the mass balance equation for the pore fluid is stabilized with the inclusion of higher-order terms multiplied by arbitrary dimensions in space, following the finite calculus (FIC) procedure. The stabilized FIC-FEM formulation can be applied to any kind of interpolation for the displacements and the pressure, but in this work, we have used linear elements of equal order interpolation for both set of unknowns. Examples in 2D and 3D are presented to illustrate the accuracy of the stabilized formulation for solid–pore fluid interaction problems.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Progress in mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian finite element simulation of forming processes

A review is given of a mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian finite element method for simulation of forming processes. This method permits incremental adaptation of nodal point locations independently from the actual material displacements. Hence numerical difficulties due to large element distortions, as may occur when the updated Lagrange method is applied, can be avoided. Movement of (free) surfaces can be taken into account by adapting nodal surface points in a way that they remain on the surface. Hardening and other deformation path dependent properties are determined by incremental treatment of convective terms. A local and a weighed global smoothing procedure is introduced in order to avoid numerical instabilities and numerical diffusion. Prediction of contact phenomena such as gap openning and/or closing and sliding with friction is accomplished by a special contact element. The method is demonstrated by simulations of an upsetting process and a wire drawing process

A vertex-based finite volume method applied to non-linear material problems in computational solid mechanics

A vertex-based finite volume (FV) method is presented for the computational solution of quasi-static solid mechanics problems involving material non-linearity and infinitesimal strains. The problems are analysed numerically with fully unstructured meshes that consist of a variety of two- and three-dimensional element types. A detailed comparison between the vertex-based FV and the standard Galerkin FE methods is provided with regard to discretization, solution accuracy and computational efficiency. For some problem classes a direct equivalence of the two methods is demonstrated, both theoretically and numerically. However, for other problems some interesting advantages and disadvantages of the FV formulation over the Galerkin FE method are highlighted

Pre- and postprocessing techniques for determining goodness of computational meshes

Research in error estimation, mesh conditioning, and solution enhancement for finite element, finite difference, and finite volume methods has been incorporated into AUDITOR, a modern, user-friendly code, which operates on 2D and 3D unstructured neutral files to improve the accuracy and reliability of computational results. Residual error estimation capabilities provide local and global estimates of solution error in the energy norm. Higher order results for derived quantities may be extracted from initial solutions. Within the X-MOTIF graphical user interface, extensive visualization capabilities support critical evaluation of results in linear elasticity, steady state heat transfer, and both compressible and incompressible fluid dynamics