4 research outputs found
On the equivalence between the cell-based smoothed finite element method and the virtual element method
We revisit the cell-based smoothed finite element method (SFEM) for
quadrilateral elements and extend it to arbitrary polygons and polyhedrons in
2D and 3D, respectively. We highlight the similarity between the SFEM and the
virtual element method (VEM). Based on the VEM, we propose a new stabilization
approach to the SFEM when applied to arbitrary polygons and polyhedrons. The
accuracy and the convergence properties of the SFEM are studied with a few
benchmark problems in 2D and 3D linear elasticity. Later, the SFEM is combined
with the scaled boundary finite element method to problems involving
singularity within the framework of the linear elastic fracture mechanics in
2D
Multi-level hp-finite cell method for embedded interface problems with application in biomechanics
This work presents a numerical discretization technique for solving three-dimensional material interface problems involving complex geometry without conforming mesh generation. The finite cell method (FCM), which is a high-order fictitious domain approach, is used for the numerical approximation of the solution without a boundary-conforming mesh. Weak discontinuities at material interfaces are resolved by using separate FCM meshes for each material sub-domain, and weakly enforcing the interface conditions between the different meshes. Additionally, a recently developed hierarchical hp-refinement scheme is employed to locally refine the FCM meshes in order to resolve singularities and local solution features at the interfaces. Thereby, higher convergence rates are achievable for non-smooth problems. A series of numerical experiments with two- and three-dimensional benchmark problems is presented, showing that the proposed hp-refinement scheme in conjunction with the weak enforcement of the interface conditions leads to a significant improvement of the convergence rates, even in the presence of singularities. Finally, the proposed technique is applied to simulate a vertebra-implant model. The application showcases the method's potential as an accurate simulation tool for biomechanical problems involving complex geometry, and it demonstrates its flexibility in dealing with different types of geometric description