Transient Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation solved with smoothed particle hydrodynamics method

in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering (2013), 94(6), 535553

Probabilistic theories aim at describing the properties of systems subjected to random excitations by means of statistical characteristics such as the probability density function (pdf). The time ... [more ▼]

Probabilistic theories aim at describing the properties of systems subjected to random excitations by means of statistical characteristics such as the probability density function (pdf). The time evolution of the pdf of the response of a randomly excited deterministic system is commonly described with the transient Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation (FPK). The FPK equation is a conservation equation of a hypothetical or abstract fluid, which models the transport of probability. This paper presents a generalized formalism for the resolution of the transient FPK equation using the well-known mesh-free Lagrangian method, Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). Numerical implementation shows notable advantages of this method in an unbounded state space: (i) the conservation of total probability in the state space is explicitly written, (ii) no artifact is required to manage far- eld boundary conditions , (iii) the positivity of the pdf is ensured and (iv) the extension to higher dimensions is straightforward. Furthermore, thanks to the moving particles, this method is adapted for a large kind of initial conditions, even slightly dispersed distributions. The FPK equation is solved without any a priori knowledge of the stationary distribution; just a precise representation of the initial distribution is required. [less ▲]

Efficient ALE mesh management for 3D quasi-Eulerian problems

in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering (2012), 92(10), 857-890

In computational solid mechanics, the ALE formalism can be very useful to reduce the size of finite element models of continuous forming operations such as roll forming. The mesh of these ALE models is ... [more ▼]

In computational solid mechanics, the ALE formalism can be very useful to reduce the size of finite element models of continuous forming operations such as roll forming. The mesh of these ALE models is said to be quasi-Eulerian because the nodes remain almost fixed—or almost Eulerian—in the main process direction, although they are required to move in the orthogonal plane in order to follow the lateral displacements of the solid. This paper extensively presents a complete node relocation procedure dedicated to such ALE models. The discussion focusses on quadrangular and hexahedral meshes with local refinements. The main concern of this work is the preservation of the geometrical features and the shape of the free boundaries of the mesh. With this aim in view, each type of nodes (corner, edge, surface and volume) is treated sequentially with dedicated algorithms. A special care is given to highly curved 3D surfaces for which a CPU-efficient smoothing technique is proposed. This new method relies on a spline surface reconstruction, on a very fast weighted Laplacian smoother with original weights and on a robust reprojection algorithm. The overall consistency of this mesh management procedure is finally demonstrated in two numerical applications. The first one is a 2D ALE simulation of a drawbead, which provides similar results to an equivalent Lagrangian model yet is much faster. The second application is a 3D industrial ALE model of a 16-stand roll forming line. In this case, all attempts to perform the same simulation by using the Lagrangian formalism have been unsuccessful. [less ▲]

Dimension reduction in stochastic modeling of coupled problems

in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering (2012), 92

Coupled problems with various combinations of multiple physics, scales, and domains are found in numerous areas of science and engineering. A key challenge in the formulation and implementation of ... [more ▼]

Coupled problems with various combinations of multiple physics, scales, and domains are found in numerous areas of science and engineering. A key challenge in the formulation and implementation of corresponding coupled numerical models is to facilitate the communication of information across physics, scale, and domain interfaces, as well as between the iterations of solvers used for response computations. In a probabilistic context, any information that is to be communicated between subproblems or iterations should be characterized by an appropriate probabilistic representation. Although the number of sources of uncertainty can be expected to be large in most coupled problems, our contention is that exchanged probabilistic information often resides in a considerably lower dimensional space than the sources themselves. This work thus presents an investigation into the characterization of the exchanged information by a reduced-dimensional representation and in particular by an adaptation of the Karhunen-Loève decomposition. The effectiveness of the proposed dimension–reduction methodology is analyzed and demonstrated through a multiphysics problem relevant to nuclear engineering. [less ▲]

A mixed solid-shell element for the analysis of laminated composites

in International Journal for numerical methods in engineering (2012), 89(7), 805-828

High Quality Surface Remeshing Using Harmonic Maps. Part II: Surfaces with High Genus and of Large Aspect Ratio

in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering (2011), 86(11), 1303-1321

A fracture framework for Euler Bernoulli beams based on a full discontinuous Galerkin formulation/extrinsic cohesive law combination

in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering (2011), 85(10), 12271251

A new full Discontinuous Galerkin discretization of Euler Bernoulli beam is presented. The main interest of this framework is its ability to simulate fracture problems by inserting a cohesive zone model ... [more ▼]

A new full Discontinuous Galerkin discretization of Euler Bernoulli beam is presented. The main interest of this framework is its ability to simulate fracture problems by inserting a cohesive zone model in the formulation. With a classical Continuous Galerkin method the use of the cohesive zone model is di cult because as insert a cohesive element between bulk elements is not straightforward. On one hand if the cohesive element is inserted at the beginning of the simulation there is a modification of the structure stiffness and on the other hand inserting the cohesive element during the simulation requires modification of the mesh during computation. These drawbacks are avoided with the presented formulation as the structure is discretized in a stable and consistent way with full discontinuous elements and inserting cohesive elements during the simulation becomes straightforward. A new cohesive law based on the resultant stresses (bending moment and membrane) of the thin structure discretization is also presented. This model allows propagating fracture while avoiding through-the-thickness integration of the cohesive law. Tests are performed to show that the proposed model releases, during the fracture process, an energy quantity equal to the fracture energy for any combination of tension-bending loadings. [less ▲]

A variational-inequality approach to stochastic boundary value problems with inequality constraints and its application to contact and elastoplasticity

in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering (2011)

This paper is concerned with stochastic boundary value problems (SBVPs) whose formulation involves inequality constraints. A class of stochastic variational inequalities (SVIs) is defined, which is well ... [more ▼]

This paper is concerned with stochastic boundary value problems (SBVPs) whose formulation involves inequality constraints. A class of stochastic variational inequalities (SVIs) is defined, which is well adapted to characterize the solution of specified inequality-constrained SBVPs. A methodology for solving such SVIs is proposed, which involves their discretization by projection onto polynomial chaos and collocation of the inequality constraints, followed by the solution of a finite-dimensional constrained optimization problem. Simulation studies in contact and elastoplasticity are provided to demonstrate the proposed framework. [less ▲]

Pure equilibrium tetrahedral finite elements for global error estimation by dual analysis

in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering (2010)

This study presents a general porocedure of creating pure equilibrium tetrahedral finite elements. These elements are of the Fraeijs de Veubeke type. The spurious kinematical modes which inevitably appear ... [more ▼]

This study presents a general porocedure of creating pure equilibrium tetrahedral finite elements. These elements are of the Fraeijs de Veubeke type. The spurious kinematical modes which inevitably appear in this approach are eliminated by converting each tetrahedron in a super-element consisting of four tetrahedral primitive elements. A mathematical discussion on the number of spurious kinematical modes is presented. The development of first and second degree elements is presented in detail, and their efficiency in the frame of global errror estimation by dual analysis is emphasized by two numerical applications. The main attribute of the error estimation by dual analysis is that it provides an upper bound of the discretization error. [less ▲]

A discontinuous Galerkin formulation of non-linear Kirchhoff–Love shells

in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering (2009), 78(3), 296-323

Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods provide a means of weakly enforcing the continuity of the unknown-field derivatives and have particular appeal in problems involving high-order derivatives. This ... [more ▼]

Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods provide a means of weakly enforcing the continuity of the unknown-field derivatives and have particular appeal in problems involving high-order derivatives. This feature has previously been successfully exploited (Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng. 2008; 197:2901-2929) to develop a formulation of linear Kirchhoff-Love shells considering only the membrane and bending responses. In this proposed one-field method - the displacements are the only unknowns, while the displacement field is continuous, the continuity in the displacement derivative between two elements is weakly enforced by recourse to a DG formulation. It is the purpose of the present paper to extend this formulation to finite deformations and non-linear elastic behaviors. While the initial linear formulation was relying on the direct linear computation of the effective membrane stress and effective bending couple-stress from the displacement field at the mid-surface of the shell, the non-linear formulation considered implies the evaluation of the general stress tensor across the shell thickness, leading to a reformulation of the internal forces of the shell. Nevertheless, since the interface terms resulting from the discontinuous Galerkin method involve only the resultant couple-stress at the edges of the shells, the extension to non-linear deformations is straightforward. [less ▲]

Application of the X-FEM to the fracture of piezoelectric materials

in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering (2009), 77(11), 1535-1565

This paper presents an application of the extended finite element method (X-FEM) to the analysis of fracture in piezoelectric materials. These materials are increasingly used in actuators and sensors. New ... [more ▼]

This paper presents an application of the extended finite element method (X-FEM) to the analysis of fracture in piezoelectric materials. These materials are increasingly used in actuators and sensors. New applications can be found as constituents of smart composites for adaptive electromechanical structures. Under in service loading, phenomena of crack initiation and propagation may occur due to high electromechanical field concentrations. In the past few years, the X-FEM has been applied mostly to model cracks in structural materials. The present paper focuses at first on the definition of new enrichment functions suitable for cracks in piezoelectric structures. At second, generalized domain integrals are used for the determination of crack tip parameters. The approach is based on specific asymptotic crack tip Solutions, derived for piezoelectric materials. We present convergence results in the energy norm and for the stress intensity factors, in various settings. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [less ▲]