Geometry-independent spline finite element method to analyze two-dimensional heat conduction and elasticity problems

Abstract

Traditional isogeometric analysis involves redundant geometric calculations and is more complex than the finite element method when imposing boundary conditions. To address this, a geometry-independent spline finite element method is proposed, which integrates the geometric construction techniques of isogeometric analysis and the element construction techniques of finite element method. Firstly, the geometrical precision element is constructed by using non-uniform rational B-spline and B-splines to describe the geometry and the physical field, where a transformation matrix is introduced to construct shape functions with interpolation properties. Secondly, calculation formats for two-dimensional heat conduction and elasticity problems are derived by parameter mapping. Finally, the feasibility and accuracy of the method are verified through several numerical examples. Unlike in isogeometric analysis, in the proposed method, geometry and physics are separated, and the shape functions have interpolation properties, which reduce redundant geometry calculations and allow the boundary conditions to be applied directly to the nodes. The numerical results indicate that the method has a higher convergence rate compared to the original isogeometric analysis.