Adaptive Finite Element Method Research Articles

Goal-oriented adaptive space-time finite element methods for regularized parabolic p-Laplace problems

We consider goal-oriented adaptive space-time finite-element discretizations of the regularized parabolic p-Laplace problem on completely unstructured simplicial space-time meshes. The adaptivity is driven by the dual-weighted residual (DWR) method since we are interested in an accurate computation of some possibly nonlinear functionals at the solution. Such functionals represent goals in which engineers are often more interested than the solution itself. The DWR method requires the numerical solution of a linear adjoint problem that provides the sensitivities for the mesh refinement. This can be done by means of the same full space-time finite element discretization as used for the primal non-linear problems. The numerical experiments presented demonstrate that this goal-oriented, full space-time finite element solver efficiently provides accurate numerical results for different functionals.

Modeling and simulation of pollution transport in the Mediterranean Sea using enriched finite element method

This paper presents a novel numerical method for simulating the transport and dispersion of pollutants in the Mediterranean sea. The governing mathematical equations consist of a barotropic ocean model with friction terms, bathymetric forces, Coriolis and wind stresses coupled to an advection–diffusion equation with anisotropic dispersion tensor and source terms. The proposed numerical solver uses a multilevel adaptive semi-Lagrangian finite element method that combines various techniques, including the modified method of characteristics, finite element discretization, coupled projection scheme based on a rotational pressure correction algorithm, and an adaptive L2-projection. The approach employs the gradient of the concentration as an error indicator for enrichment adaptations and increasing the number of quadrature points where needed without refining the mesh. The method is shown to provide accurate and efficient simulations for pollution transport in the Mediterranean sea. The proposed approach distinguishes itself from the well-established adaptive finite element methods for incompressible viscous flows by retaining the same structure and dimension of linear systems during the adaptation process.

Application of Transition Finite Elements in hpq-Adaptive Modeling and Analysis of Machine Elements

This paper concerns modeling and analysis of machine elements using the adaptive finite element method. The adaptation used is of hpq type, which means that the finite element dimension h and element transverse q and longitudinal p approximation order may be different in each element. These parameters are determined automatically by the program so as to obtain modelling and approximation error levels not higher than the assumed admissible level of the errors. The presented paper focuses on the use of transition elements between basic elements corresponding to the three-dimensional theory of elasticity and the first-order shell model. Three applied transition elements differ in their assumptions regarding the continuity of the displacement, strain and stress fields between the basic models. The effectiveness of the application of transition elements was assessed in terms of: removal of the internal boundary layer at the boundary between the models and convergence of adaptive solutions taking into account these models.

Pointwise adaptive non-conforming finite element method for the obstacle problem

Pointwise adaptive non-conforming finite element method for the obstacle problem

Adaptive least-squares finite element methods: Guaranteed upper bounds and convergence in L2 norm of the dual variable

We consider adaptive least-squares finite element methods. First, we develop a guaranteed upper bound for the dual error in the L2 norm, and this can be used as a stopping criterion for the adaptive procedures. Secondly, based on the a posteriori error estimates for the dual variable, we develop an error indicator that identifies the local area to refine, and establish the convergence of the adaptive procedures based on the Dörfler's marking strategy. Our convergence analysis is valid for the entire range of the bulk parameter 0<Θ≤1 and it shows the effect of bulk parameter and reduction factor of elements on the convergence rate. Confirming numerical experiments are provided.

An adaptive finite element method for coupled fretting wear and fatigue crack propagation simulation

Fretting wear and fatigue crack propagation often occur at the same time in the service of mechanically connected structures. In order to analyze the effect of fretting wear on the process of fatigue crack propagation, a finite element simulation method for fatigue crack propagation considering fretting wear is proposed. In this method, the Archard model is used to predict the wear process, and the conventional Paris equation is modified based on the wear rate. In order to improve the accuracy of crack propagation prediction, a crack-tip super singular element (CSSE) is used to calculate the singular stress field and fracture control parameters of the crack tip. An adaptive meshing technique that automatically adjusts the mesh density according to the simulation process is designed to ensure the computational efficiency of the algorithm and the accuracy of the numerical results. The smoothing technique used in wear simulation can alleviate the influence of contact stress fluctuation on wear profile prediction. The usage of the new simulation method is introduced through benchmark examples. It is proved that the numerical results of crack propagation obtained by the adaptive finite element method (FEM) have high precision, good convergence and high computational efficiency. It is found that wear reduces the crack growth rate compared with the simulation results without considering wear. This method has a promising application in the coupling analysis of fretting wear and fatigue crack propagation of mechanically connected structures.

Adaptive finite element methods for scalar double‐well problem

AbstractSome scalar double‐well problems eventually lead to a degenerate convex minimization problem with unique stress. We consider the adaptive conforming and nonconforming finite element methods for the scalar double‐well problem with the reliable a posteriori error analysis. A number of experiments confirm the effective decay rates of the methods.

An adaptive finite element method for distributed elliptic optimal control problems with variable energy regularization

We analyze the finite element discretization of distributed elliptic optimal control problems with variable energy regularization, where the usual L2(Ω) norm regularization term with a constant regularization parameter ϱ is replaced by a suitable representation of the energy norm in H−1(Ω) involving a variable, mesh-dependent regularization parameter ϱ(x). It turns out that the error between the computed finite element state u˜ϱh and the desired state u‾ (target) is optimal in the L2(Ω) norm provided that ϱ(x) behaves like the local mesh size squared. This is especially important when adaptive meshes are used in order to approximate discontinuous target functions. The adaptive scheme can be driven by the computable and localizable error norm ‖u˜ϱh−u‾‖L2(Ω) between the finite element state u˜ϱh and the target u‾. The numerical results not only illustrate our theoretical findings, but also show that the iterative solvers for the discretized reduced optimality system are very efficient and robust.

Convergence of Adaptive Crouzeix–Raviart and Morley FEM for Distributed Optimal Control Problems

Abstract This article discusses the quasi-optimality of adaptive nonconforming finite element methods for distributed optimal control problems governed by 𝑚-harmonic operators for m = 1 , 2 m=1,2 . A variational discretization approach is employed and the state and adjoint variables are discretized using nonconforming finite elements. Error equivalence results at the continuous and discrete levels lead to a priori and a posteriori error estimates for the optimal control problem. The general axiomatic framework that includes stability, reduction, discrete reliability, and quasi-orthogonality establishes the quasi-optimality. Numerical results demonstrate the theoretically predicted orders of convergence and the efficiency of the adaptive estimator.

Mesh Compression Algorithm for Geometrical Coordinates in Computational Meshes

Application of advanced mesh based methods, including adaptive finite element method, is impossible without theoretical elaboration and practical realization of a model for organization and functionality of computational mesh. One of the most basic mesh functionality is storing and providing geometrical coordinates for vertices and other mesh entities. New algorithm for this task based on on-the-fly recreation of coordinates was developed. Conducted tests are proving that, for selected cases, it can be orders of magnitude faster than naive approach or other similar algorithms.

Quasi-Optimality of an AFEM for General Second Order Elliptic PDE

Abstract In this article, convergence and quasi-optimal rate of convergence of an adaptive finite element method (in short, AFEM) is shown for a general second-order non-selfadjoint elliptic PDE with convection term b ∈ [ L ∞ ⁢ ( Ω ) ] d {b\in[L^{\infty}(\Omega)]^{d}} and using minimal regularity of the dual problem, i.e., the solution of the dual problem has only H 1 {H^{1}} -regularity, which extends the result [J. M. Cascon, C. Kreuzer, R. H. Nochetto and K. G. Siebert, Quasi-optimal convergence rate for an adaptive finite element method, SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 46 2008, 5, 2524–2550]. The theoretical results are illustrated by numerical experiments.

An Efficient Goal-Oriented Adaptive Finite Element Method for Accurate Simulation of Complex Electromagnetic Radiation Problems

A goal-oriented adaptive frequency domain finite element method for solving electromagnetic radiation problems including complex structures is presented in this paper. Compared with the traditional adaptive finite element method, the goal-oriented method can flexibly control the refined regions according to the parameters of interest; therefore it has better convergence and has made significant progress in scattering problems and eigenvalue problems. To simulate complex antennas, this paper proposes an error indicator with high accuracy and low computational cost, and it uses the adjoint problem to weight element residuals without additional degrees of freedom. Moreover, high-quality mesh refinement algorithms adapted to this indicator are developed using a suitable point insertion strategy for multiscale structures. By simulating two practical antennas, comparisons with the traditional goal-oriented FEM and the well-developed <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">h</i> -adaptive finite element method in commercial software demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.

Hp-Robust multigrid solver on locally refined meshes for FEM discretizations of symmetric elliptic PDEs

In this work, we formulate and analyze a geometric multigrid method for the iterative solution of the discrete systems arising from the finite element discretization of symmetric second-order linear elliptic diffusion problems. We show that the iterative solver contracts the algebraic error robustly with respect to the polynomial degree p ≥ 1 and the (local) mesh size h. We further prove that the built-in algebraic error estimator which comes with the solver is hp-robustly equivalent to the algebraic error. The application of the solver within the framework of adaptive finite element methods with quasi-optimal computational cost is outlined. Numerical experiments confirm the theoretical findings.

Convergence of adaptive two-grid weak Galerkin finite element methods for semilinear elliptic differential equations

In this paper, we investigate the convergence of an adaptive two-grid weak Galerkin (ATGWG) finite element method for second order semilinear elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs). First, we propose an ATGWG method and then prove that the sum of the energy error and the error estimator of ATGWG method between two consecutive adaptive loops is a contraction. The weak Galerkin (WG) elements (Pj(T),Pℓ(∂T),RTj(T)) (Wang and Ye, 2013) are studied in this paper and numerical experiments based on the lowest order case with j=l=0 are provided to support the theoretical results.

The adaptive SAV weak Galerkin finite element method for the Allen-Cahn equation

In this paper, the weak Galerkin finite element method with the scalar auxiliary variable (SAV) approach is considered for the Allen-Cahn equation. Based on the elliptic reconstruction technique, the elliptic equation corresponding to the Allen-Cahn equation is introduced, which is employed to split the numerical error into the elliptic error and the parabolic error. Then the weak gradient recovery type a posteriori error estimator of the elliptic equation is adopted to develop the time-space adaptive algorithm. The effectiveness of the SAV weak Galerkin finite element method and the time-space adaptive algorithm is verified by several numerical benchmarks on both uniform and adaptive meshes.

Solver algorithm for stabilized space-time formulation of advection-dominated diffusion problem

This article shows how to develop an efficient solver for a stabilized numerical space-time formulation of the advection-dominated diffusion transient equation. At the discrete space-time level, we approximate the solution using higher-order continuous B-spline basis functions in both spatial and temporal dimensions. This problem is very difficult to solve numerically using the standard Galerkin finite element method due to artificial oscillations present when the advection term dominates the diffusion term. However, a first-order constraint least-square formulation allows us to obtain numerical solutions avoiding oscillations. The advantages of space-time formulations are the use of high-order methods and the feasibility of developing space-time mesh adaptive techniques on well-defined discrete problems. We develop a solver for a least-square formulation to obtain a stabilized and symmetric problem on finite element meshes. The computational cost of our solver is bounded by the cost of the inversion of the space-time mass and stiffness (with one value fixed at a point) matrices and the cost of the GMRES solver applied for the symmetric and positive definite problem. We illustrate our findings on an advection-dominated diffusion space-time model problem and present two numerical examples: one with isogeometric analysis discretizations and the second one with an adaptive space-time finite element method.

Coalescence of thermal fractures initiated at parallel cooling surfaces

PurposeThermal fractures initiated under cooling at the surfaces of a 2-D or 3-D structure propagate, arrest and coalesce, leading to its structural failure and material-property changes, while the same processes can happen in the rock mass between parallel hydraulic fractures filled with cold fluid, leading to enhanced fracture connectivity and permeability.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a 2-D plane strain fracture model for mixed-mode thermal fractures from two parallel cooling surfaces. Fracture propagation was governed by the theory of linear elastic fracture mechanics, while the displacement and temperature fields were discretized using the adaptive finite element method. This model was validated using two numerical benchmarks with strong fracture curvature and then used to simulate the propagation and coalescence of thermal fractures in a long rock mass.FindingsModeling results show two regimes: (1) thermal fractures from a cooling surface propagate and arrest by following the theoretical solutions of half-plane fractures before the unfractured portion decreases to 20% rock-mass width and (2) some pairs of fractures from the opposite cooling surfaces tend to eventually coalesce. The fracture coalescence time is in a power law with rock-mass width.Originality/valueThese findings are relevant to both subsurface engineering and material engineering: structure failure is a key concern in the latter, while fracture coalescence can enhance the connectivity of thermal and hydraulic fractures and thus reservoir permeability in the former.

Shape sensing for thin-shell spaceborne antennas with adaptive isogeometric analysis and inverse finite element method

As the preventive maintenance paradigm transfers to condition-based maintenance, deformation monitoring has become a fundamental system capacity in aerospace engineering. In this study, a novel shape sensing method is proposed for accurate and efficient reconstruction of full-field deformation of thin shell structures from discrete strain measurements. Firstly, a flexible isogeometric approach based on the geometry-independent field approximation is developed for characterizing the geometric and physical domains, which fully unlocks the potential of local refinement while preserving the original exact geometry without re-parameterization. On this basis, a posteriori error estimation algorithm is put forward to automatically drive the adaptive refinement procedure, reducing the discretization error with a fast convergence rate. Subsequently, according to the Kirchhoff-Love theory and the least-squares variational principle, an isogeometric inverse-shell element is created to integrate the inherent advantages of adaptive isogeometric analysis with excellent shape-sensing capabilities of the inverse finite element method. Moreover, a smoothing technique is applied to replenish strain data into each inverse shell element, by which the compatibility between the interpolated and measured strain components is also enforced. Finally, the excellent accuracy and efficiency of the proposed deformation reconstruction framework are verified using both experimental and numerical strain data for two thin-shell spaceborne antennas.

Numerical investigation of the sharp-interface limit of the Navier–Stokes–Cahn–Hilliard equations

In this article, we study the behaviour of the Abels–Garcke–Grün Navier–Stokes–Cahn– Hilliard diffuse-interface model for binary-fluid flows, as the diffuse-interface thickness passes to zero. For the diffuse-interface model to approach a classical sharp-interface model in the limit $\varepsilon \to +0$ , the so-called mobility parameter $m$ in the diffuse-interface model must scale appropriately with the interface-thickness parameter $\varepsilon$ . In the literature various scaling relations in the range $o(1)$ to $O(\varepsilon ^3)$ have been proposed, but the optimal order to pass to the limit has not been explored previously. Our primary objective is to elucidate this optimal order of the $m$ – $\varepsilon$ scaling relation in terms of the rate of convergence of the diffuse-interface solution to the sharp-interface solution. Additionally, we examine how the convergence rate is affected by a sub-optimal parameter scaling. We centre our investigation around the case of an oscillating droplet. To provide reference limit solutions, we derive new analytical expressions for small-amplitude oscillations of a viscous droplet in a viscous ambient fluid in two dimensions. For two distinct modes of oscillation, we probe the sharp-interface limit of the Navier–Stokes–Cahn–Hilliard equations by means of an adaptive finite-element method. The adaptive-refinement procedure enables us to consider diffuse-interface thicknesses that are significantly smaller than other relevant length scales in the droplet-oscillation problem, allowing an exploration of the asymptotic regime.

Atypical plug formation in internal elastoviscoplastic fluid flows over non-smooth topologies

An experimental and computational investigation of the internal flow of elastoviscoplastic fluids over non-smooth topologies is presented in two complimentary studies. In the first study, we visualize the creeping flow of a Carbopol gel over a cavity embedded in a thin slot using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and confocal microscopy. We measure the size and shape of the plug as a function of Bingham and Weissenberg numbers. An asymmetry in the plug shape is observed which is also evident in our second study—numerical simulations using adaptive finite element method based upon an augmented Lagrangian scheme. We quantify the asymmetry and present the results as a function of the product of the Weissenberg and Bingham numbers which collapse onto a single curve for each of these geometries. These findings underscore the theoretical underpinnings of the synergy between elasticity and plasticity of these complex fluids.