Finite Element Approximation Research Articles

Two-grid algorithm of lumped mass finite element approximation for Allen-Cahn equations

In this paper, we present a two-grid lumped mass finite element algorithm for 2D Allen-Cahn equations, where Crank-Nicolson scheme and piecewise linear element are utilized for temporal and spatial discretization, respectively. Both the maximum-norm boundedness and H1-norm error estimates of the proposed two-grid scheme are discussed. Finally, a numerical example is given to verify the theoretical results. By comparing with the finite element scheme and the two-grid finite element scheme, we found that our scheme has a great advantage in calculation time.

Non‐linear thermoelastic vibration and optimum frequency prediction of sandwich composite corrugated panels with honeycomb auxetic core

AbstractIn this article, the non‐linear free vibration behavior of sandwich composite panels with sinusoidal corrugations is examined. These panels consist of a top and bottom skin made of a graphene‐reinforced composite, with an auxetic honeycomb core having negative Poisson's ratio. The non‐linear kinematic field is based on Kant's higher‐order shear‐deformation theory and the Green‐strain, which incorporates all the higher‐order terms. By implementing the Hamilton principle, the non‐linear governing equations are affirmed and solved further through 2D‐isoparametric finite element approximations via Lagrangian elements in conjunction with Picard's successive iterative scheme. The comparison and validation tests demonstrate the correctness of the present model. The established sandwich model is further employed for various parametric conditions by varying the core‐to‐face sheet thickness, auxetic honeycomb properties, graphene volume fraction, shell configurations, temperature, and support conditions. These numerous results exemplify the non‐linear frequencies at small‐to‐large amplitudes for the sandwich shell structures and are discussed in detail. In addition, a multi‐objective parametric optimization is conducted using the response surface method to investigate the optimal values of the corrugated auxetic honeycomb shell panel's parameters, resulting maximum frequency.Highlights Non‐linear vibration of corrugated sandwich shell panel. Graphene reinforced skins and honeycomb auxetic core. Kant's higher‐order shear‐deformation theory and Green‐Lagrange non‐linearity. Hamilton principle and Picard's successive iterative scheme. Multi‐objective parametric optimization and prediction using response surface methodology.

A novel finite element approximation of anisotropic curve shortening flow

We extend the DeTurck trick from the classical isotropic curve shortening flow to the anisotropic setting. Here, the anisotropic energy density is allowed to depend on space, which allows an interpretation in the context of Finsler metrics, giving rise to, for instance, geodesic curvature flow in Riemannian manifolds. Assuming that the density is strictly convex and smooth, we introduce a novel weak formulation for anisotropic curve shortening flow. We then derive an optimal H^1 -error bound for a continuous-in-time semidiscrete finite element approximation that uses piecewise linear elements. In addition, we consider some fully practical fully discrete schemes and prove their unconditional stability. Finally, we present several numerical simulations, including some convergence experiments that confirm the derived error bound, as well as applications to crystalline curvature flow and geodesic curvature flow.

Fully discrete scheme for a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation in macromolecular microsphere composite hydrogels

In this article, we propose and analyze a fully discrete scheme for the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation, which describes the phase field evolution of macromolecular microsphere composite hydrogels. This fully discrete scheme is a combination of the mass lumped finite element approximation for spatial discretization and the first order backward Euler scheme for temporal discretization. Besides, the convex-concave decomposition is adopted technically in the treatment of energy functional, where the concave part is treated explicitly and the convex part is treated implicitly. Moreover, we obtain the unique solvability and unconditional energy stability of the scheme. Finally, several numerical experiments are presented to illustrate the convergence order and effectiveness of the presented full-discrete scheme.

A comparison of non-matching techniques for the finite element approximation of interface problems

We perform a systematic comparison of various numerical schemes for the approximation of interface problems. We consider unfitted approaches in view of their application to possibly moving configurations. Particular attention is paid to the implementation aspects and to the analysis of the costs related to the different phases of the simulations.

A two-level additive Schwarz preconditioner for the Nitsche extended finite element approximation of elliptic interface problems

A two-level additive Schwarz preconditioner for the Nitsche extended finite element approximation of elliptic interface problems

Nlfem: a Flexible 2d FEM Python Code for Nonlocal Convection-Diffusion and Mechanics

In this work, we present the mathematical foundation of an assembly code for finite element approximations of nonlocal models with compactly supported, weakly singular kernels. We demonstrate the code on a nonlocal diffusion model in various configurations and on a two-dimensional bond-based peridynamics model. Further examples can be found in D’Elia et al. (Math Models Methods Appl Sci 31(08):1505–1567, 2021). The code nlfem is published under the GNU General Public License (for details, see, e.g., https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.de.html) and can be freely downloaded at https://gitlab.uni-trier.de/pde-opt/nonlocal-models/nlfem.

IFISS3D: A Computational Laboratory for Investigating Finite Element Approximation in Three Dimensions

IFISS is an established MATLAB finite element software package for studying strategies for solving partial differential equations (PDEs). IFISS3D is a new add-on toolbox that extends IFISS capabilities for elliptic PDEs from two to three space dimensions. The open-source MATLAB framework provides a computational laboratory for experimentation and exploration of finite element approximation and error estimation, as well as iterative solvers. The package is designed to be useful as a teaching tool for instructors and students who want to learn about state-of-the-art finite element methodology. It will also be useful for researchers as a source of reproducible test matrices of arbitrarily large dimension.

Local projection stabilized finite element methods for advection–reaction problems

An a priori analysis for generalized local projection stabilized finite element approximations for the solution of an advection–reaction equation is presented in this article. The stability and a priori error estimates are derived for the conforming, and nonconforming (Crouzeix–Raviart) approximations in the local projection streamline derivative norm. Finally, the validation of the proposed stabilization scheme and verification of the derived estimates are presented with appropriate numerical experiments.

Benchmark computations of dynamic poroelasticity

AbstractWe present benchmark computations of dynamic poroelasticity modeling fluid flow in deformable porous media by a coupled hyperbolic–parabolic system of partial differential equations. A challenging benchmark setting and goal quantities of physical interest for this problem are proposed. Computations performed by space–time finite element approximations with continuous and discontinuous discretizations of the time variable are summarized. By this work, we intend to stimulate comparative studies by other research groups for the evaluation of dynamic poroelasticity solver regarding the accuracy of discretization techniques, the efficiency and robustness of iterative methods for the linear systems, and the arrangement of the model equations in terms of their variables (two‐field or multifield formulations).

Efficient numerical solution of the Fokker–Planck equation using physics-conforming finite element methods

Abstract We consider the Fokker–Planck equation (FPE) for the orientation probability density of fiber suspensions. Using the continuous Galerkin method, we express the numerical solution in terms of Lagrange basis functions that are associated with N nodes of a computational mesh for a domain in the 3D physical space and M nodes of a mesh for the surface of a unit sphere representing the configuration space. The NM time-dependent unknowns of our finite element approximations are probabilities corresponding to discrete space locations and orientation angles. The framework of alternating-direction methods enables us to update the numerical solution in parallel by solving N evolution equations on the sphere and M three-dimensional advection equations in each (pseudo-)time step. To ensure positivity preservation as well as the normalization property of the probability density, we perform algebraic flux correction for each equation and synchronize the correction factors corresponding to different orientation angles. The velocity field for the spatial advection step is obtained using a Schur complement method to solve a generalized system of the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations (NSE). Fiber-induced subgrid-scale effects are taken into account using an effective stress tensor that depends on the second- and fourth-order moments of the orientation density function. Numerical studies are performed for individual subproblems and for the coupled FPE-NSE system.

Non-linear vibration and parametric optimization of sandwich composite curved shell panels with graphene reinforced skins and auxetic honeycomb core

This study aims to investigate the non-linear free vibration behavior of composite sandwich panels composed of Graphene-reinforced composite (GRC) skins and honeycomb auxetic core. Here, modified Halpin-Tsai micromechanics and bottom-up multi-scale-based schemes are employed to compute the spatial-dependent elastic properties of Graphene nanocomposite and auxetic honeycomb core, respectively. The non-linear kinematic field is based on Kant’s higher-order shear-deformation theory and the Green strain. Using the Hamilton principle, the nonlinear governing equations are affirmed and solved further through Picard’s iteration-based 2D-isoparametric finite element approximations via Lagrangian elements. The mesh convergence and validation tests are executed to confirm the consistency and correctness of the developed model. The established sandwich model is further employed for various parametric conditions by varying the core-to-face sheet thickness, auxetic honeycomb properties, graphene volume fraction, shell configurations, temperature, and support conditions. These numerous results exemplify the non-linear frequencies at small-to-large amplitudes for the sandwich shell structures and are discussed in detail. In addition, parametric optimization is conducted using the response surface method to investigate the optimal values of auxetic honeycomb parameters, resulting in maximum frequency response. Findings confirm that, within the selected ranges of the geometric parameters of auxetic honeycomb core, higher values of the thickness of the cell rib (∼1.9 cm) and the length of the vertical cell rib (∼0.15 cm) and lower value of the core thickness (∼5 cm) yield the maximum frequency.

Correction to: Adaptive finite element approximation of optimal control problems with the integral fractional Laplacian

Correction to: Adaptive finite element approximation of optimal control problems with the integral fractional Laplacian

Structure-preserving and helicity-conserving finite element approximations and preconditioning for the Hall MHD equations

We develop structure-preserving finite element methods for the incompressible, resistive Hall magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations. These equations incorporate the Hall current term in Ohm's law and provide a more appropriate description of fully ionized plasmas than the standard MHD equations on length scales close to or smaller than the ion skin depth. We introduce a stationary discrete variational formulation of Hall MHD that enforces the magnetic Gauss's law exactly (up to solver tolerances) and prove the well-posedness and convergence of a Picard linearization. For the transient problem, we present time discretizations that preserve the energy and magnetic and hybrid helicity precisely in the ideal limit for two types of boundary conditions. Additionally, we present an augmented Lagrangian preconditioning technique for both the stationary and transient cases. We confirm our findings with several numerical experiments.

Symmetrized Two-Scale Finite Element Discretizations for Partial Differential Equations with Symmetric Solutions

Abstract In this paper, some symmetrized two-scale finite element methods are proposed for a class of partial differential equations with symmetric solutions. With these methods, the finite element approximation on a fine tensor-product grid is reduced to the finite element approximations on a much coarser grid and a univariant fine grid. It is shown by both theory and numerics including electronic structure calculations that the resulting approximations still maintain an asymptotically optimal accuracy. By symmetrized two-scale finite element methods, the computational cost can be reduced further by a factor of 𝑑 approximately compared with two-scale finite element methods when Ω = ( 0 , 1 ) d \Omega=(0,1)^{d} . Consequently, symmetrized two-scale finite element methods reduce computational cost significantly.

Finite element approximation of the linearized stochastic Cahn–Hilliard equation with fractional Brownian motion

We perform a numerical analysis of the linearized stochastic Cahn–Hilliard equation driven by infinite-dimensional fractional Brownian motion with Hurst index H>12. The equation is discretized using a standard finite element method in space and a fully implicit backward Euler method in time. We prove strong convergence estimates for the considered stochastic Cahn–Hilliard equation. Finally, numerical experiments are performed to confirm the theoretical results.

Low regularity estimates for CutFEM approximations of an elliptic problem with mixed boundary conditions

We show error estimates for a cut finite element approximation of a second order elliptic problem with mixed boundary conditions. The error estimates are of low regularity type where we consider the case when the exact solution u ∈ H s u \in H^s with s ∈ ( 1 , 3 / 2 ] s\in (1,3/2] . For Nitsche type methods this case requires special handling of the terms involving the normal flux of the exact solution at the the boundary. For Dirichlet boundary conditions the estimates are optimal, whereas in the case of mixed Dirichlet-Neumann boundary conditions they are suboptimal by a logarithmic factor.

Block constrained pressure residual preconditioning for two-phase flow in porous media by mixed hybrid finite elements

This work proposes an original preconditioner that couples the Constrained Pressure Residual (CPR) method with block preconditioning for the efficient solution of the linearized systems of equations arising from fully implicit multiphase flow models. This preconditioner, denoted as Block CPR (BCPR), is specifically designed for Lagrange multipliers-based flow models, such as those generated by Mixed Hybrid Finite Element (MHFE) approximations. An original MHFE-based formulation of the two-phase flow model is taken as a reference for the development of the BCPR preconditioner, in which the set of system unknowns comprises both element and face pressures, in addition to the cell saturations, resulting in a 3×3\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$3\ imes 3$$\\end{document} block-structured Jacobian matrix with a 2×2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$2\ imes 2$$\\end{document} inner pressure problem. The CPR method is one of the most established techniques for reservoir simulations, but most research focused on solutions for Two-Point Flux Approximation (TPFA)-based discretizations that do not readily extend to our problem formulation. Therefore, we designed a dedicated two-stage strategy, inspired by the CPR algorithm, where a block preconditioner is used for the pressure part with the aim at exploiting the inner 2×2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$2\ imes 2$$\\end{document} structure. The proposed preconditioning framework is tested by an extensive experimentation, comprising both synthetic and realistic applications in Cartesian and non-Cartesian domains.

Strong convergence for an explicit fully‐discrete finite element approximation of the Cahn‐Hillard‐Cook equation with additive noise

AbstractIn this paper, we consider an explicit fully‐discrete approximation of the Cahn–Hilliard–Cook (CHC) equation with additive noise, performed by a standard finite element method in space and a kind of nonlinearity‐tamed Euler scheme in time. The main result in this paper establishes strong convergence rates of the proposed scheme. The key ingredient in the proof of our main result is to employ uniform moment bounds for the numerical approximations. To the best of our knowledge, the main contribution of this work is the first result in the literature which establishes strong convergence for an explicit fully‐discrete finite element approximation of the CHC equation. Finally, numerical results are finally reported to confirm the previous theoretical findings.

An error estimate for finite element approximation to elliptic PDEs with discontinuous Dirichlet boundary data

This note provides an error estimate for finite element approximation to elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs) with discontinuous Dirichlet boundary data. Solutions of problems of this type are not in H1 and, hence, the standard variational formulation is not valid. To circumvent this difficulty, an error estimate of a finite element approximation in the W1,r(Ω) (0<r<2) norm is obtained through a regularization by constructing a continuous approximation of the Dirichlet boundary data.