Meshfree analysis of softening elastoplastic solids using variational multiscale method

A meshfree multiscale method is presented for efficient analysis of elastoplastic solids. In the analysis of softening elastoplastic solids, standard finite element methods or meshfree methods typically yield mesh-dependent results. The reason for this well-known effect is the loss of ellipticity of the boundary value problem. In this work, the scale decomposition is carried out based on a variational form of the problem. A coarse scale is designed to represent global behavior and a fine scale to represent local behavior. A fine scale region is detected from the local failure analysis of an acoustic tensor to indicate a region where deformation changes abruptly. Each scale variable is approximated using a meshfree method. Meshfree approximation is well-suited for adaptivity. As a method of increasing the resolution, a partition of unity based extrinsic enrichment is used. In particular, fine scale approximations are designed to appropriately represent local behavior by using a localization angle. Moreover, the regularization effect through the convexification of non-convex potential is embedded to represent fine scale behavior. Each scale problem is solved iteratively. The proposed method is applied to shear band problems. In the results of analysis about pure shear and compression problems, straight shear bands can be captured and mesh-insensitive results are obtained. Curved shear bands can also be captured without mesh dependency in the analysis of indentation problem.     

非均质材料动力分析的广义多尺度有限元法

自然界和工程中的大部分材料都具有多尺度特征,当考察尺度小到一定程度后,都将表现出非均质性.针对非均质材料的动力问题,提出了一种广义多尺度有限元方法,其基本思想是利用静态凝聚法以及罚函数法构造能够反映单元内部材料非均质特性的多尺度位移基函数.与传统扩展多尺度有限元法中的基函数构造方式不同,广义多尺度有限元法的基函数无需通过在子网格域上多次求解椭圆问题得到,而可直接通过矩阵运算获得.其主要步骤如下:利用数值基函数将一个非均质单胞等效为一个宏观单元,进而形成整个结构的等效刚度矩阵,并得到宏观网格的节点位移,最后再次利用数值基函数得到微观尺度上的位移结果.该广义多尺度有限元法是扩展多尺度有限元法的一种新的拓展,可模拟具有更加复杂几何的非均质单胞的力学行为.通过数值算例,模拟了非均质材料的静力问题、广义特征值问题以及瞬态响应问题,计算结果表明:在边界条件一样的情况下,广义多尺度有限元法的计算结果与传统有限元的计算结果保持高度一致.与传统有限元相比,该方法在保证计算精度的同时极大地提高了计算效率.研究结果表明,广义多尺度有限元法能够很好地模拟非均质单胞的力学行为,具有良好的工程应用潜力.      

应变局部化分析的嵌入强间断多尺度有限元法

固体材料的应变局部化行为是导致结构破坏失效的重要因素之一,开展相关数值模拟分析对于结构安全性评估具有重要意义.然而由于材料的非均质和多尺度特性,采用传统数值方法进行求解时通常需要从最小特征尺度离散求解的结构,这将大幅度增加计算规模和成本.针对这一问题,本文提出了一种基于嵌入强间断模型的多尺度有限元方法.该方法从粗细两个尺度离散求解模型,首先在细尺度单元上引入嵌入强间断模型来描述单元间断特性,所附加的跳跃位移自由度则通过凝聚技术进行消除,从而保持细尺度单元刚度阵维度不变.其次,提出了一种增强多节点粗单元技术,其可根据局部化带与粗单元边界相交情况自适应动态地增加粗节点,新构造的增强数值基函数可以捕捉细尺度间断特性,完成物理信息从细单元到粗单元的准确传递以及宏观响应的快速分析;再次,在细尺度解的计算中,将细尺度解分解为降尺度解与单胞局部摄动解,从而消除弹塑性分析时单胞内部的不平衡力.最后,通过两个典型算例分析,并与完全采用细单元的嵌入有限元结果进行对比,验证了所提出算法的正确性与有效性.     

多尺度嵌入式离散裂缝模型模拟方法

天然裂缝性油藏和人工压裂油藏内裂缝形态多样,分布复杂,传统的离散裂缝模型将裂缝作为基岩网格的边界,采用非结构化网格进行网格划分,其划分过程复杂,计算量大。嵌入式离散裂缝模型划分网格时不需要考虑油藏内的裂缝形态,只需对基岩系统进行简单的网格剖分,可以大大降低网格划分的复杂度,从而提高计算效率。然而,在油藏级别的数值模拟和人工压裂裂缝下的产能分析中,仍然存在计算量巨大、模拟时间过长的问题。本文提出嵌入式离散裂缝模型的多尺度数值计算格式,使用多尺度模拟有限差分法研究嵌入式离散裂缝模型渗流问题。通过在粗网格上求解局部流动问题计算多尺度基函数,多尺度基函数可以捕捉裂缝与基岩间的相互关系,反映单元内的非均质性,因此该方法既有传统尺度升级法的计算效率,又可以保证计算精度,数值结果表明这是一种有效的裂缝性油藏数值模拟方法。     

Variational multiscale analysis of elastoplastic deformation using meshfree approximation

A variational multiscale method has been presented for efficient analysis of elastoplastic deformation problems. Severe deformation occurs in plastic region and leads to high gradient displacement. Therefore, solution needs to be refined to properly capture local deformation in plastic region. In this work, scale decomposition based on variational formulation is presented. A coarse scale and a fine scale are introduced to represent global and local behavior, respectively. The displacement is decomposed into a coarse and a fine scale. Subsequently the problem is also decomposed into a coarse and a fine scale from the variational formulation. Each scale variable is approximated using meshfree method. Adaptivity can easily and nicely be implemented in meshfree method. As a method of increasing resolution, extrinsic enrichment of partition of unity is used. Each scale problem is solved iteratively and conversed results are obtained consequently. Iteration procedure is indispensable for the elastoplastic deformation analysis. Therefore iterative solution procedure of each scale problem is naturally adequate. The proposed method is applied to the Prandtl’s punch test and shear band problem. The results are compared with those of other methods and the validity of the proposed method is demonstrated.     

An algebraic variational multiscale–multigrid method for large‐eddy simulation of turbulent pulsatile flows in complex geometries with detailed insight into pulmonary airway flow

The algebraic variational multiscale–multigrid method, an advanced computational approach recently proposed for large‐eddy simulation of turbulent flow, is further developed in this study for turbulent flow simulations in complex geometries. In particular, it is applied to the complex case of pulsatile turbulent flow dynamics of the upper and lower pulmonary airways up to generation 7 and carefully investigated for this important application. Among other things, the results obtained with the proposed method are compared with the results obtained with a rather traditional stabilized finite element method. As opposed to previous large‐eddy simulations of pulmonary airways, we consider a pulsatile inflow condition, allowing the development of turbulence over a pulse cycle to be investigated, which obviously makes these results more physiologically realistic. Our results suggest that turbulent effects in the bronchial airways are rather weak and can completely decay as early as the third generation, depending on geometry and flow distribution. Both methods utilized in this study are able to adequately capture all flow stages from laminar via transitional to turbulent regimes without any modifications. However, the algebraic variational multiscale–multigrid method provides superior results as soon as the flow enters the most challenging, turbulent flow regime. Furthermore, the robustness of the scale‐separation approach based on plain aggregation algebraic multigrid inherent to the algebraic variational multiscale–multigrid method is demonstrated for the present complex geometry. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Flexible Unstructured Gridding for 2D Reservoir Coarse Scale Modeling using Fine Scale Permeability Filtering

Accurate up-scaling is an essential part of creating a valid reservoir coarse scale dynamic model. In this article, unstructured discretization of spatial domain is accompanied by numerical permeability up-scaling in order to construct an accurate coarse scale model. A new technique for generating a course scale triangular mesh is presented in which the density of elements in key flow regions is kept high to capture accuracy. The fine scale permeability map is investigated using image processing techniques, especially steerable filters, and the results are converted into a high-resolution element size map. This element size map will be refined by the integration of other important factors such as well-position effects and used to construct a coarse triangular mesh. The combination of flux-continuous pressure approximation and mass conservative, total variation diminishing finite volume schemes have been considered to solve two phase flow equations on the control volume finite element mesh. Fine scale simulations results are compared with the coarse scale ones for a series of water flooding examples to investigate the efficiency and accuracy of the presented gridding methodology. This method is developed for 2D cases, but can be easily extended to 3D problems.     

非均质饱和多孔介质弹塑性动力分析的广义耦合扩展多尺度有限元法

针对非均质饱和多孔介质弹塑性动力问题分析提出了一种广义耦合扩展多尺度有限元方法。首先,提出了基于细尺度等效刚度阵的粗尺度单元数值基函数构造方法,并给出了构造数值基函数的一般公式,所构造的耦合数值基函数有效考虑了动力相关效应与固液之间的耦合效应。其次,针对弹塑性非线性问题迭代求解,给出了基于摄动方法的位移与孔隙压强降尺度计算修正方案。最后,针对材料的强非均质特征,利用多节点粗单元技术来提高多尺度有限元方法的计算精度。通过与基于精细网格的传统有限元分析结果对比,验证了本文所提出方法的有效性与高效性。     

An RVE-based multiscale modeling method for constitutive relations

This article reports an efficient method to characterize constitutive responses based on multiscale modeling for fluid flow in heterogeneous media based on the concept of representative volume element (RVE). Between different scales, it is considered as the basic principles for down-scaling information the conservation of velocity and of the strain rate tensor. Within this context, we formulate (i) the problem to be solved at the micro-scale, (ii) the up-scaling procedure which involves homogenization rules, and (iii) the generalized principle of multiscale virtual power. The complete theory for constitutive modeling is revisited and shown that when employing multiscale analysis among the suitable variational arguments we are able to obtain, in a straightforward manner, new constitutive behavior between kinematic motions and actions. Some examples of application of fluid flow in heterogeneous media with obstacles are presented to show the consequences of the proposed approach.     

Residual‐based turbulence models for moving boundary flows: hierarchical application of variational multiscale method and three‐level scale separation

This paper presents residual‐based turbulence models for problems with moving boundaries and interfaces. The method is developed via a hierarchical application of variational multiscale ideas and the models are cast in an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) frame to accommodate the deformation of domain boundaries. An overlapping additive decomposition of velocity and pressure fields into coarse and fine scale components leads to coarse and fine scale mixed‐field problems. The problem governing fine scales is subjected to a further decomposition of the fine scale velocity into overlapping components termed as fine scales level I and level II. In turn, in the bottom‐up integration of scales, the model for level II fine scales serves to stabilize the problem governing level I fine scales, and model for level I fields yields the turbulence models. From the computational perspective, the coarse scales are represented in terms of the standard Lagrange shape functions, whereas level I and level II scales are represented via quadratic and fourth order polynomial bubbles, respectively. Because of the bubble functions approach employed in the consistently derived fine scale models, the resulting method is free of any embedded or tunable parameters. The proposed turbulence models share a common feature with the LES models in that the largest scales in the flow are numerically resolved, whereas the subgrid scales are modeled. The method is applied to flow around a plunging airfoil at Re = 40,000, and results are compared with experimental and numerical data published in the literature. Also presented are the results for the plunging airfoil at Re = 60,000 to show the robustness and range of applicability of the method. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Projection‐based variational multiscale method for incompressible Navier–Stokes equations in time‐dependent domains

A variational multiscale method for computations of incompressible Navier–Stokes equations in time‐dependent domains is presented. The proposed scheme is a three‐scale variational multiscale method with a projection‐based scale separation that uses an additional tensor valued space for the large scales. The resolved large and small scales are computed in a coupled way with the effects of unresolved scales confined to the resolved small scales. In particular, the Smagorinsky eddy viscosity model is used to model the effects of unresolved scales. The deforming domain is handled by the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian approach and by using an elastic mesh update technique with a mesh‐dependent stiffness. Further, the choice of orthogonal finite element basis function for the resolved large scale leads to a computationally efficient scheme. Simulations of flow around a static beam attached to a square base, around an oscillating beam and around a plunging aerofoil are presented. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mixed Convection in a Ventilated Cavity Filled with a Triangular Porous Layer

Accurate prediction of the macroscopic flow parameters needed to describe flow in porous media relies on a good knowledge of flow field distribution at a much smaller scale—in the pore spaces. The extent of the inertial effect in the pore spaces cannot be underestimated yet is often ignored in large-scale simulations of fluid flow. We present a multiscale method for solving Oseen’s approximation of incompressible flow in the pore spaces amid non-periodic grain patterns. The method is based on the multiscale finite element method [MsFEM Hou and Wu in J Comput Phys 134:169–189, 1997)] and is built in the vein of Crouzeix and Raviart elements (Crouzeix and Raviart in Math Model Numer Anal 7:33–75, 1973). Simulations of inertial flow in highly non-periodic settings are conducted and presented. Convergence studies in terms of numerical errors relative to the reference solution are given to demonstrate the accuracy of our method. The weakly enforced continuity across coarse element edges is shown to maintain accurate solutions in the vicinity of the grains without the need for any oversampling methods. The penalisation method is employed to allow a complicated grain pattern to be modelled using a simple Cartesian mesh. This work is a stepping stone towards solving the more complicated Navier–Stokes equations with a nonlinear inertial term.     

谱体积方法单元分割与问题单元标记方法的改进研究

谱体积方法是一种本质上解决网格依赖性的高精度CFD计算方法,本文研究了二维Euler方程的谱体积方法,提出一种基于切比雪夫多项式的单元分割方法,建立了基于WENO的变量限制器方法,并发展了结合谱体积和控制体的问题单元标记方法.采用15°超声速压缩拐角和NACA0012跨声速流动两个典型算例进行验证,结果表明,该分区方法具有更好的计算精度,标记方法可有效识别不连续区域,在较少的网格下即可获得与密网格传统有限体积法相当的计算精度.     

Multiscale modeling of the dynamics of solids at finite temperature

We develop a general multiscale method for coupling atomistic and continuum simulations using the framework of the heterogeneous multiscale method (HMM). Both the atomistic and the continuum models are formulated in the form of conservation laws of mass, momentum and energy. A macroscale solver, here the finite volume scheme, is used everywhere on a macrogrid; whenever necessary the macroscale fluxes are computed using the microscale model, which is in turn constrained by the local macrostate of the system, e.g. the deformation gradient tensor, the mean velocity and the local temperature. We discuss how these constraints can be imposed in the form of boundary conditions. When isolated defects are present, we develop an additional strategy for defect tracking. This method naturally decouples the atomistic time scales from the continuum time scale. Applications to shock propagation, thermal expansion, phase boundary and twin boundary dynamics are presented.     

双相介质P波波动方程小波域多尺度模拟

相比于单相介质理论而言,双相介质理论更接近实际地层的真实情况,因此在地球物理勘探、地震工程和岩土动力学等领域有着广泛的应用。传统的波动方程数值解法由于本身固有的不足不利于求解诸如双相介质波动方程等复杂的非线性和不规则性问题;而小波方法则由于自身良好的特性可以用来构建解决此类问题的自适应性算法。本文详细推导了双相介质P波波动方程的有限差分矩阵表示形式,利用小波变换将其转移到小波域,设置阈值形成更为稀疏的迭代矩阵以构建自适应算法,从而达到减少计算量,增加地震波场数值模拟灵活性和准确性的目的。地球物理勘探的数值模拟实例验证了方法的有效性。     

The numerical analysis of water and solute movement in scale heterogeneous profiles

A computer based numerical method is presented for the analysis of water and solute movement in unsaturated heterogeneous porous materials. Such a method is necessary since, for those field studies where solute movement is of concern, the soil profiles under consideration are invariably heterogeneous. The numerical analysis is based on a general one-dimensional finite difference soil water flow model which includes a numerical technique combining the concepts of scale heterogeneity with an interpolative soil water hysteresis model. An explicit finite difference solute movement subroutine is incorporated into the unsaturated flow model to describe the transport of nonreactive solutes. A velocity dependent longitudinal dispersion coefficient is used in the solution of the hydrodynamic dispersion equation. The resulting hysteretic scale heterogeneous solute movement model permits the study of solute dynamics during infiltrating and redistribution in realistically complex spatially varying soil profiles. Results are presented for the leaching of both coarse grading to fine and fine grading to coarse sand profiles. Both vertical and horizontal profiles are studied using either a constant flux or a constant concentration input boundary condition. The four cases studied demonstrate the versatility of the numerical method and emphasise the substantial differences in transport behavior that can arise between heterogeneous and homogeneous profiles.Now with BHP Petroleum Pty. Ltd., GPO Box 1911R, Melbourne, Vic. 3001, Australia.     

On CFL evolution strategies for implicit upwind methods in linearized Euler equations

In implicit upwind methods for the solution of linearized Euler equations, one of the key issues is to balance large time steps, leading to a fast convergence behavior, and small time steps, needed to sufficiently resolve relevant flow features. A time step is determined by choosing a Courant–Friedrichs–Levy (CFL) number in every iteration. A novel CFL evolution strategy is introduced and compared with two existing strategies. Numerical experiments using the adaptive multiscale finite volume solver QUADFLOW demonstrate that all three CFL evolution strategies have their advantages and disadvantages. A fourth strategy aiming at reducing the residual as much as possible in every time step is also examined. Using automatic differentiation, a sensitivity analysis investigating the influence of the CFL number on the residual is carried out confirming that, today, CFL control is still a difficult and open problem. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.