A primal-dual active set algorithm for three-dimensional contact problems with coulomb friction

International audienceIn this paper, efficient algorithms for contact problems with Tresca and Coulomb friction in three dimensions are presented and analyzed. The numerical approximation is based on mortar methods for nonconforming meshes with dual Lagrange multipliers. Using a nonsmooth com-plementarity function for the three-dimensional friction conditions, a primal-dual active set algorithm is derived. The method determines active contact and friction nodes and, at the same time, resolves the additional nonlinearity originating from sliding nodes. No regularization and no penalization are applied, and superlinear convergence can be observed locally. In combination with a multigrid method, it defines a robust and fast strategy for contact problems with Tresca or Coulomb friction. The efficiency and flexibility of the method is illustrated by several numerical examples

A Unifying Theory for Nonlinear Additively and Multiplicatively Preconditioned Globalization Strategies : Convergence Results and Examples From the Field of Nonlinear Elastostatics and Elastodynamics

Nonlinear right preconditioned globalization strategies for the solution of nonlinear programming problems of the following kind $u \in \mathcal B \subset \mathbb R^n: J(u) = \min!$ where $\mathcal B$ is a convex set of admissible solutions, $n\in \mathbb N$, and $J: \mathbb R^n \to \mathbb R$, sufficiently smooth, are presented. Preconditioned globalization strategies are traditional Linesearch or Trust-Region strategies in combination with a nonlinear update operator which results from a nonlinear solution process for smaller, but related, nonlinear programming problems. We will formulate conditions on this abstract operator, in order to ensure global convergence, i.e., convergence to first-order critical points, of the resulting method. In addition, we introduce particular implementations of this abstract operator, i.e., nonlinear multiplicatively preconditioned Trust-Region (MPTS) and Linesearch strategies (MPLS), as well as nonlinear additively preconditioned Trust-Region (APTS) and Linesearch (APLS) strategies. As it turns out, these additive strategies are novel parallel, locally adaptive and robust solution methods for nonlinear programming problems. Moreover, the MPTS strategy generalizes the RMTR concepts in [GK08] in order to allow also for the application of alternating nonlinear domain decomposition methods. On the other hand, the MPLS method simplifies and generalizes the concepts in [WG08] giving rise to a novel solution strategy for pointwise constrained nonlinear programming problems. The respective nonlinear solution strategies are analyzed and global convergence is shown. In addition, global convergence is also shown for combined nonlinear additively and multiplicatively preconditioned Trust-Region and Linesearch strategies. Moreover, we show the efficiency and reliability of these methods in the context of problems arising from the field of nonlinear elasticity in 3d. Particular emphasis has been placed on the formulation and analysis of the resulting minimization problems. Here, we show that these problems satisfy the assumptions stated to show convergence of the respective preconditioned globalization strategies. Moreover, various elasto-static and elasto-dynamic examples are presented in order to compare the convergence rates and runtimes of the different strategies

Adaptive Discontinuous Galerkin Methods for Variational Inequalities with Applications to Phase Field Models

Solutions of variational inequalities often have limited regularity. In particular, the nonsmooth parts are local, while other parts of the solution have higher regularity. To overcome this limitation, we apply hp-adaptivity, which uses a combination of locally finer meshes and varying polynomial degrees to separate the different features of the the solution. For this, we employ Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods and show some novel error estimates for the obstacle problem which emphasize the use in hp-adaptive algorithms. Besides this analysis, we present how to efficiently compute numerical solutions using error estimators, fast algebraic solvers which can also be employed in a parallel setup, and discuss implementation details. Finally, some numerical examples and applications to phase field models are presented

Optimal Control of Coupled Systems of PDE

The Workshop Optimal Control of Coupled Systems of PDE was held from April 17th – April 23rd, 2005 in the Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach. The scientific program covered various topics such as controllability, feedback control, optimality conditions,analysis and control of Navier-Stokes equations, model reduction of large systems, optimal shape design, and applications in crystal growth, chemical reactions and aviation

A parallel algorithm for deformable contact problems

In the field of nonlinear computational solid mechanics, contact problems deal with the deformation of separate bodies which interact when they come in touch. Usually, these problems are formulated as constrained minimization problems which may be solved using optimization techniques such as penalty method, Lagrange multipliers, Augmented Lagrangian method, etc. This classical approach is based on node connectivities between the contacting bodies. These connectivities are created through the construction of contact elements introduced for the discretization of the contact interface, which incorporate the contact constraints in the global weak form. These methods are well known and widely used in the resolution of contact problems in engineering and science. As parallel computing platforms are nowadays widely available, solving large engineering problems on high performance computers is a real possibility for any engineer or researcher. Due to the memory and compute power that contact problems require and consume, they are good candidates for parallel computation. Industrial and scientific realistic contact problems involve different physical domains and a large number of degrees of freedom, so algorithms designed to run efficiently in high performance computers are needed. Nevertheless, the parallelization of the numerical solution methods that arises from the classical optimization techniques and discretization approaches presents some drawbacks which must be considered. Mainly, for general contact cases where sliding occurs, the introduction of contact elements requires the update of the mesh graph in a fixed number of time steps. From the point of view of the domain decomposition method for parallel resolution of numerical problems this is a major drawback due to its computational expensiveness, since dynamic repartitioning must be done to redistribute the updated mesh graph to the different processors. On the other hand, some of the optimization techniques modify dynamically the number of degrees of freedom in the problem, by introducing Lagrange multipliers as unknowns. In this work we introduce a Dirichlet-Neumann type parallel algorithm for the numerical solution of nonlinear frictional contact problems, putting a strong focus on its computational implementation. Among its main characteristics it can be highlighted that there is no need to update the mesh graph during the simulation, as no contact elements are used. Also, no additional degrees of freedom are introduced into the system, since no Lagrange multipliers are required. In this algorithm the bodies in contact are treated separately, in a segregated way. The coupling between the contacting bodies is performed through boundary conditions transfer at the contact zone. From a computational point of view, this feature allows to use a multi-code approach. Furthermore, the algorithm can be interpreted as a black-box method as it solves each body separately even with different computational codes. In addition, the contact algorithm proposed in this thesis can also be formulated as a general fixed-point solver for the solution of interface problems. This generalization gives us the theoretical basis to extrapolate and implement numerical techniques that were already developed and widely tested in the field of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems, especially those related to convergence ensurance and acceleration. We describe the parallel implementation of the proposed algorithm and analyze its parallel behaviour and performance in both validation and realistic test cases executed in HPC machines using several processors.En el ámbito de la mecánica de contacto computacional, los problemas de contacto tratan con la deformación que sufren cuerpos separados cuando interactúan entre ellos. Comunmente, estos problemas son formulados como problemas de minimización con restricciones, que pueden ser resueltos utilizando técnicas de optimización como la penalización, los multiplicadores de Lagrange, el Lagrangiano Aumentado, etc. Este enfoque clásico está basado en la conectividad de nodos entre los cuerpos, que se realiza a través de la construcción de los elementos de contacto que surgen de la discretización de la interfaz. Estos elementos incorporan las restricciones de contacto en forma débil. Debido al consumo de memoria y a los requerimientos de potencia de cálculo que los problemas de contacto requieren, resultan ser muy buenos candidatos para su paralelización computacional. Sin embargo, tanto la paralelización de los métodos numéricos que surgen de las técnicas clásicas de optimización como los distintos enfoques para su discretización, presentan algunas desventajas que deben ser consideradas. Por un lado, el principal problema aparece ya que en los casos más generales de la mecánica de contacto ocurre un deslizamiento entre cuerpos. Por este motivo, la introducción de los elementos de contacto vuelve necesaria una actualización del grafo de la malla cada cierto número de pasos de tiempo. Desde el punto de vista del método de descomposición de dominios utilizado en la resolución paralela de problemas numéricos, esto es una gran desventaja debidoa su coste computacional. En estos casos, un reparticionamiento dinámico debe ser realizado para redistribuir el grafo actualizado de la malla entre los diferentes procesadores. Por otro lado, algunas técnicas de optimización modifican dinámicamente el número de grados de libertad del problema al introducir multiplicadores de Lagrange como incógnitas. En este trabajo presentamos un algoritmo paralelo del tipo Dirichlet-Neumann para la resolución numérica de problemas de contacto no lineales con fricción, poniendo un especial énfasis en su implementación computacional. Entre sus principales características se puede destacar que no hay necesidad de actualizar el grafo de la malla durante la simulación, ya que en este algoritmo no se utilizan elementos de contacto. Adicionalmente, ningún grado de libertad extra es introducido al sistema, ya que los multiplicadores de Lagrange no son requeridos. En este algoritmo los cuerpos en contacto son tratados de forma separada, de una manera segregada. El acople entre estos cuerpos es realizado a través del intercambio de condiciones de contorno en la interfaz de contacto. Desde un punto de vista computacional, esta característica permite el uso de un enfoque multi-código. Además, este algoritmo puede ser interpretado como un método del tipo black-box ya que permite resolver cada cuerpo por separado, aún utilizando distintos códigos computacionales. Adicionalmente, el algoritmo de contacto propuesto en esta tesis puede ser formulado como un esquema de resolución de punto fijo, empleado de forma general en la solución de problemas de interfaz. Esta generalización permite extrapolar técnicas numéricas ya utilizadas en los problemas de interacción fluido-estructura e implementarlas en la mecánica de contacto, en especial aquellas relacionadas con el aseguramiento y aceleración de la convergencia. En este trabajo describimos la implementación paralela del algoritmo propuesto y analizamos su comportamiento y performance paralela tanto en casos de validación como reales, ejecutados en computadores de alta performance utilizando varios procesadores.Postprint (published version

Semi-smooth Newton methods for mixed FEM discretizations of higher-order for frictional, elasto-plastic two-body contact problems

International audienceIn this article a semi-smooth Newton method for frictional two-body contact problems and a solution algorithm for the resulting sequence of linear systems are presented. It is based on a mixed variational formulation of the problem and a discretization by finite elements of higher-order. General friction laws depending on the normal stresses and elasto-plastic material behavior with linear isotropic hardening are considered. Numerical results show the efficiency of the presented algorithm