A new computational method for MAT of injected parts integrated in part modelling stage

In this paper we present a simple and fast approach for MAT generation in discrete form. It is used for manufacturability analysis in the part modelling stage of injected parts. The method is a volume thinning method based on straight skeleton computation, modified and applied in 3D on B-rep models in STL. The volume thinning of the B-rep model is based on its boundary surfaces offset towards the model interior. The surfaces’ offset is done with an adequately proposed offset distance which makes some of the non adjacent offset model surfaces overlap (they ‘meet’ in mid-surface or MAT). Offset surfaces are used to reconstruct the topology of a new B-rep model (offset model). Overlapping surfaces in the offset model are detected, separated and aggregated to MAT. For adequate MAT precision and adequate MAT radius function, we propose to treat B-rep model concave edges (vertices) as cylinders (spheres) of zero-radius and offset them in an adequate way. On these bases, we present an iterative algorithm in which MAT is constructed in an incremental way by consecutive volume thinning of the obtained offset models. MAT construction is finished when an empty offset model is obtained. An algorithm has been created and implemented in Visual C++. Some of the obtained results are presented in this paper.     

Weighted radial basis collocation method for boundary value problems

This work introduces the weighted radial basis collocation method for boundary value problems. We first show that the employment of least‐squares functional with quadrature rules constitutes an approximation of the direct collocation method. Standard radial basis collocation method, however, yields a larger solution error near boundaries. The residuals in the least‐squares functional associated with domain and boundary can be better balanced if the boundary collocation equations are properly weighted. The error analysis shows unbalanced errors between domain, Neumann boundary, and Dirichlet boundary least‐squares terms. A weighted least‐squares functional and the corresponding weighted radial basis collocation method are then proposed for correction of unbalanced errors. It is shown that the proposed method with properly selected weights significantly enhances the numerical solution accuracy and convergence rates. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sequentially linearizable initial‐boundary value problems for a neo‐hookean cylinder

Abstract

The sequential linearizabilities of some initial‐boundary value problems for the plane‐strain equations of motion of the neo‐Hookean solid are studied. The initial‐boundary value problems are formulated for a cylinder in plane‐strain condition and subjected to shear and radial deformations or tractions on its inner and outer surfaces. The results obtained extend the previous concept about the sequential linearizability of the governing equations for the neo‐Hookean solid to the sequential linearizability of initial‐boundary value problems for the governing equations.     

Trefftz‐based dual reciprocity method for hyperbolic boundary value problems

A new dual reciprocity‐type approach to approximating the solution of non‐homogeneous hyperbolic boundary value problems is presented in this paper. Typical variants of the dual reciprocity method obtain approximate particular solutions of boundary value problems in two steps. In the first step, the source function is approximated, typically using radial basis, trigonometric or polynomial functions. In the second step, the particular solution is obtained by analytically solving the non‐homogeneous equation having the approximation of the source function as the non‐homogeneous term. However, the particular solution trial functions obtained in this way typically have complicated expressions and, in the case of hyperbolic problems, points of singularity. Conversely, the method presented here uses the same trial functions for both source function and particular solution approximations. These functions have simple expressions and need not be singular, unless a singular particular solution is physically justified. The approximation is shown to be highly convergent and robust to mesh distortion. Any boundary method can be used to approximate the complementary solution of the boundary value problem, once its particular solution is known. The option here is to use hybrid‐Trefftz finite elements for this purpose. This option secures a domain integral‐free formulation and endorses the use of super‐sized finite elements as the (hierarchical) Trefftz bases contain relevant physical information on the modeled problem. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new finite‐element formulation for electromechanical boundary value problems

In this paper, a new finite‐element formulation for the solution of electromechanical boundary value problems is presented. As opposed to the standard formulation that uses scalar electric potential as nodal variables, this new formulation implements a vector potential from which components of electric displacement are derived. For linear piezoelectric materials with positive definite material moduli, the resulting finite‐element stiffness matrix from the vector potential formulation is also positive definite. If the material is non‐linear in a fashion characteristic of ferroelectric materials, it is demonstrated that a straightforward iterative solution procedure is unstable for the standard scalar potential formulation, but stable for the new vector potential formulation. Finally, the method is used to compute fields around a crack tip in an idealized non‐linear ferroelectric material, and results are compared to an analytical solution. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Projection‐based model reduction for contact problems

To be feasible for computationally intensive applications such as parametric studies, optimization, and control design, large‐scale finite element analysis requires model order reduction. This is particularly true in nonlinear settings that tend to dramatically increase computational complexity. Although significant progress has been achieved in the development of computational approaches for the reduction of nonlinear computational mechanics models, addressing the issue of contact remains a major hurdle. To this effect, this paper introduces a projection‐based model reduction approach for both static and dynamic contact problems. It features the application of a non‐negative matrix factorization scheme to the construction of a positive reduced‐order basis for the contact forces, and a greedy sampling algorithm coupled with an error indicator for achieving robustness with respect to model parameter variations. The proposed approach is successfully demonstrated for the reduction of several two‐dimensional, simple, but representative contact and self contact computational models. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparison of different methods to solve inverse biharmonic boundary value problems

The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is applied to solve numerically some inverse boundary value problems associated to the biharmonic equation which involve over‐ and under‐specified boundary portions of the solution domain. The resulting ill‐conditioned system of linear equations is solved using the regularization and the minimal energy methods, followed by a further application of the Singular Value Decomposition Method (SVD). The regularization method incorporates a smoothing effect into the least squares functional, whilst the minimal energy method is based on minimizing the energy functional for the Laplace equation subject to the linear constraints generated by the BEM discretization of the biharmonic equation. The numerical results are compared with known analytical solutions and the stability of the numerical solution is investigated by introducing noise into the input data. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two-scale homogenization of electromechanically coupled boundary value problems

The contribution addresses a direct micro-macro transition procedure for electromechanically coupled boundary value problems. The two-scale homogenization approach is implemented into a so-called FE²-method which allows for the computation of macroscopic boundary value problems in consideration of microscopic representative volume elements. The resulting formulation is applicable to the computation of linear as well as nonlinear problems. In the present paper, linear piezoelectric as well as nonlinear electrostrictive material behavior are investigated, where the constitutive equations on the microscale are derived from suitable thermodynamic potentials. The proposed direct homogenization procedure can also be applied for the computation of effective elastic, piezoelectric, dielectric, and electrostrictive material properties.     

Solution of two-point boundary value problems using splines

Cubic spline on quintic spline interpolations are used to approximate the derivative terms for use in two high order numerical schemes for the solution of two-point boundary value ordinary differential equations. The use of splines leads to solutions that reflect the smoothness of the slopes of the differential equations. Results of some computational experiments are given.     

Positive solutions for singular nonlocal boundary value problems

In this paper we present some existence results for singular nonlocal boundary value problems. Our nonlinearity may be singular in its dependent variable and it is allowed to change sign.     

Local multiquadric approximation for solving boundary value problems

 This paper presents a truly meshless approximation strategy for solving partial differential equations based on the local multiquadric (LMQ) and the local inverse multiquadric (LIMQ) approximations. It is different from the traditional global multiquadric (GMQ) approximation in such a way that it is a pure local procedure. In constructing the approximation function, the only geometrical data needed is the local configuration of nodes fallen within its influence domain. Besides this distinct characteristic of localization, in the context of meshless-typed approximation strategies, other major advantages of the present strategy include: (i) the existence of the shape functions is guaranteed provided that all the nodal points within an influence domain are distinct; (ii) the constructed shape functions strictly satisfy the Kronecker delta condition; (iii) the approximation is stable and insensitive to the free parameter embedded in the formulation and; (iv) the computational cost is modest and the matrix operations require only inversion of matrices of small size which is equal to the number of nodes inside the influence domain. Based on the present LMQ and LIMQ approximations, a collocation procedure is developed for solutions of 1D and 2D boundary value problems. Numerical results indicate that the present LMQ and LIMQ approximations are more stable than their global counterparts. In addition, it demonstrates that both approximation strategies are highly efficient and able to yield accurate solutions regardless of the chosen value for the free parameter. Received: 10 October 2002 / Accepted: 15 January 2003     

On singularities in the solution of three‐dimensional Stokes flow and incompressible elasticity problems with corners

In this paper, a numerical procedure is presented for the computation of corner singularities in the solution of three‐dimensional Stokes flow and incompressible elasticity problems near corners of various shape. For obtaining the order and mode of singularity, a neighbourhood of the singular point is considered with only local boundary conditions. The weak formulation of this problem is approximated using a mixed u , p Galerkin–Petrov finite element method. Additionally, a separation of variables is used to reduce the dimension of the original problem. As a result, the quadratic eigenvalue problem ( P +λ Q +λ² R ) d = 0 is obtained, where the saddle‐point‐type matrices P , Q , R are defined explicitly. For a numerical solution of the algebraic eigenvalue problem an iterative technique based on the Arnoldi method in combination with an Uzawa‐like scheme is used. This technique needs only one direct matrix factorization as well as few matrix–vector products for finding all eigenvalues in the interval ??(λ) ∈ (?0.5, 1.0), as well as the corresponding eigenvectors. Some benchmark tests show that this technique is robust and very accurate. Problems from practical importance are also analysed, for instance the surface‐breaking crack in an incompressible elastic material and the three‐dimensional viscous flow of a Newtonian fluid past a trihedral corner. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simple boundary element method for problems of potential in non‐homogeneous media

A simple boundary element method for solving potential problems in non‐homogeneous media is presented. A physical parameter (e.g. heat conductivity, permeability, permittivity, resistivity, magnetic permeability) has a spatial distribution that varies with one or more co‐ordinates. For certain classes of material variations the non‐homogeneous problem can be transformed to known homogeneous problems such as those governed by the Laplace, Helmholtz and modified Helmholtz equations. A three‐dimensional Galerkin boundary element method implementation is presented for these cases. However, the present development is not restricted to Galerkin schemes and can be readily extended to other boundary integral methods such as standard collocation. A few test examples are given to verify the proposed formulation. The paper is supplemented by an Appendix, which presents an ABAQUS user‐subroutine for graded finite elements. The results from the finite element simulations are used for comparison with the present boundary element solutions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of the sampling theorem to boundary value problems

Summary The generalized sampling theorem is used to facilitate the solution of a conjugated boundary value problem of the Graetz type. The analysis is applied to determine the effects of axial conduction on the temperature field in a fluid in laminar flow in a tube. This represents the first application of the sampling theorem outside of the area of communications theory. and on leave at the American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt, ARE.     

A meshless singular boundary method for three‐dimensional elasticity problems

This study documents the first attempt to extend the singular boundary method, a novel meshless boundary collocation method, for the solution of 3D elasticity problems. The singular boundary method involves a coupling between the regularized BEM and the method of fundamental solutions. The main idea here is to fully inherit the dimensionality and stability advantages of the former and the meshless and integration‐free attributes of the later. This makes it particularly attractive for problems in complex geometries and three dimensions. Four benchmark 3D problems in linear elasticity are well studied to demonstrate the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed method. The advantages, disadvantages, and potential applications of the proposed method, as compared with the FEM, BEM, and method of fundamental solutions, are also examined and discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solution of stiff boundary value problems by orthogonal collocation

The utility of the method of orthogonal collocation for solving stiff boundary value problems is investigated. To this end, the method is applied to a number of very stiff problems from the engineering and applied mathematics literature. The examples include both linear and non-linear problems defined on both finite and infinite intervals, a singular perturbation problem, and an inherently unstable problem. The examples demonstrate the usefulness of the method for a wide variety of stiff problems, as well as some of its limitations.     

A new particular solution strategy for hyperbolic boundary value problems using hybrid‐Trefftz displacement elements

A new indirect approach to the problem of approximating the particular solution of non‐homogeneous hyperbolic boundary value problems is presented. Unlike the dual reciprocity method, which constructs approximate particular solutions using radial basis functions, polynomials or trigonometric functions, the method reported here uses the homogeneous solutions of the problem obtained by discarding all time‐derivative terms from the governing equation. Nevertheless, what typifies the present approach from a conceptual standpoint is the option of not using these trial functions exclusively for the approximation of the particular solution but to fully integrate them with the (Trefftz‐compliant) homogeneous solution basis. The particular solution trial basis is capable of significantly improving the Trefftz solution even when the original equation is genuinely homogeneous, an advantage that is lost if the basis is used exclusively for the recovery of the source terms. Similarly, a sufficiently refined Trefftz‐compliant basis is able to compensate for possible weaknesses of the particular solution approximation. The method is implemented using the displacement model of the hybrid‐Trefftz finite element method. The functions used in the particular solution basis reduce most terms of the matrix of coefficients to boundary integral expressions and preserve the Hermitian, sparse and localized structure of the solving system that typifies hybrid‐Trefftz formulations. Even when domain integrals are present, they are generally easy to handle, because the integrand presents no singularity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical solution of second‐order,two‐point boundary value problems using continuous genetic algorithms

Second‐order, two‐point boundary‐value problems are encountered in many engineering applications including the study of beam deflections, heat flow, and various dynamic systems. Two classical numerical techniques are widely used in the engineering community for the solution of such problems; the shooting method and finite difference method. These methods are suited for linear problems. However, when solving the non‐linear problems, these methods require some major modifications that include the use of some root‐finding technique. Furthermore, they require the use of other basic numerical techniques in order to obtain the solution. In this paper, the author introduces a novel method based on continuous genetic algorithms for numerically approximating a solution to this problem. The new method has the following characteristics; first, it does not require any modification while switching from the linear to the non‐linear case; as a result, it is of versatile nature. Second, this approach does not resort to more advanced mathematical tools and is thus easily accepted in the engineering application field. Third, the proposed methodology has an implicit parallel nature which points to its implementation on parallel machines. However, being a variant of the finite difference scheme with truncation error of the order O(h²), the method provides solutions with moderate accuracy. Numerical examples presented in the paper illustrate the applicability and generality of the proposed method. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Extension of the method of auxiliary mapping for three‐dimensional elliptic boundary value problems

In this paper, we extend the method of auxiliary mapping (MAM), introduced by Babuška and Oh, to three dimensions so that the extended MAM (3‐D MAM) can effectively handle three‐dimensional elliptic problems containing the singularities caused by the non‐smooth domains. There are three type of singularities caused by non‐smoothness of domains in R ³: the vertex, the edge, and the vertex–edge combined singularities. To deal with the singularities of these types, we present three auxiliary mappings and formulas for the transformed bilinear forms and the transformed linear functionals by these auxiliary mappings. Then we present 3‐D MAM and constructions of the blending‐type elemental mappings for elements containing singularities. Numerical experiments that show the effectiveness of 3‐D MAM are provided. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.