Mixed Finite Element Research Articles

Mixed displacement–pressure formulations and suitable finite elements for multimaterial problems with compressible and incompressible models

Multimaterial problems in linear and nonlinear elasticity are some of the least explored using mixed finite element formulations with higher-order elements. The fundamental issue in adapting the mixed displacement–pressure formulations with linear and higher-order continuous elements for the pressure field is their inability to capture pressure and stress jumps across material interfaces. In this paper, for the first time in literature, we perform comprehensive studies of multimaterial problems in elasticity consisting of compressible and incompressible material models using the mixed displacement–pressure formulation to assess the performance of different element types in accurately resolving pressure fields within the domains and pressure jumps across material interfaces. In particular, inf–sup stable displacement–pressure combinations with element-wise discontinuous pressure for triangular and tetrahedral elements are considered and their performance is assessed along with the Q1/P0 element and Taylor–Hood elements using several numerical examples. The results show that Taylor–Hood elements fail to capture the stress jumps due to the continuity of DOFs across elements, the Crouzeix–Raviart (P2b/P1dc) element yields substantially poor pressure fields despite a significant increase in pressure degrees of freedom and that the P3/P1dc element produces superior quality results fields when compared with the P2b/P1dc element.

Mixed finite element implementation of plane crack problems within strain gradient elasticity

AbstractAn approach is proposed and applied to solve boundary value problems within the strain gradient elasticity theory. A mixed variation formulation of the finite element method is used, where stresses, strains, and displacements are considered as independent variables. This significantly simplifies the pre‐requirement for approximating functions and allows one to use the simplest triangular finite elements with a linear approximation of displacements. Global unknowns in a discrete problem are nodal displacements, while the strains and stresses in nodes are treated as local unknowns. This discrete problem is solved by a modified iteration procedure, where the global stiffness matrix for classical elasticity problems is treated as a preconditioning matrix with fictitious elastic moduli. The modeling plane crack problem (tension of a square plate with a central crack) is solved. The obtained solution agrees with the results available in the literature. Good convergence is achieved by refining the mesh for all scale parameters.

A generalized scalar auxiliary variable approach for the Navier–Stokes-[formula omitted]/Navier–Stokes-[formula omitted] equations based on the grad-div stabilization

In this article, based on the grad-div stabilization, we propose a generalized scalar auxiliary variable approach for solving a fluid–fluid interaction problem governed by the Navier–Stokes-ω/Navier–Stokes-ω equations. We adopt the backward Euler scheme and mixed finite element approximation for temporal-spatial discretization, and explicit treatment for the interface terms and nonlinear terms. The proposed scheme is almost unconditionally stable and requires solving only the linear equation with constant coefficient at each time step. It can also penalize for lack of mass conservation and improve the accuracy. Finally, a series of numerical experiments are carried out to illustrate the stability and effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Modeling of textile composite using analytical network-averaging and gradient damage approach

In this contribution, we present a gradient damage model for anisotropic textile reinforcements including fiber inextensibility and fiber sliding. In contrast to previous works, the gradient damage formulation stems not from a numerical regularization basis but from the thermodynamics of internal variables. It results in a nonlocal term as the internal energy of fiber bending with measurable nonlocal parameter. Furthermore, to guarantee a priori that rotations and reflections determined by orthogonal tensors among the symmetry group do not affect the response function of the anisotropic constitutive law, a novel mesoscopic kinematic measure for the representative volume element of the fabric is defined on the basis of the analytical network-averaging concept. Such kinematic measure is of crucial importance for material modeling of damage-elastoplasticity in anisotropic textile reinforcements, and allows for analytical descriptions of inter- and intra-ply sliding of fibers. A mixed finite element formulation is then presented for textile reinforcements taking into account fiber inextensibility. The predictive capability of the computational model is demonstrated by comparing with multiple experimental datasets of dry textile fabrics.

Dynamic behaviors of general composite beams using mixed finite elements

A novel mixed finite element method is developed and implemented for analyzing the vibration and buckling behavior of general composite beams which consists both transversely layered and axially jointed materials. The governing state-space equations are derived using the Hamilton's principle, where both displacements and stresses are treated as fundamental variables. This semi-analytical method uses transfer relations in the transverse direction and finite element meshing in the longitudinal direction, overcoming the difficulties for general composite beams analysis and providing computational efficiency and analyzing flexibilities. The developed mixed finite element model ensures continuity of both displacements and stresses across the material interface, thereby resolving interfacial stress singularity issues and offering more reliable simulations of boundary conditions at both ends. The proposed method is formulated and validated for the free vibration and buckling analysis of general composite beams. Additionally, it is observed that material properties such as Young's modulus and density, as well as the stiffness of the interface connecting layers, have significant effects on the free vibration and buckling responses of the composite beams. Analysis of periodically distributed and bi-directional composite beams demonstrates the versatility of this method in handling two types of combination forms. The proposed method serves as a valuable reference for obtaining accurate vibration and buckling results while ensuring stress-compatibility for composite beams in practical applications.

Analysis of two-grid method for second-order hyperbolic equation by expanded mixed finite element methods

Abstract In this article, we present a scheme for solving two-dimensional hyperbolic equation using an expanded mixed finite element method. To solve the resulting nonlinear expanded mixed finite element system more efficiently, we propose a two-step two-grid algorithm. Numerical stability and error estimate are proved on both the coarse grid and fine grid. It is shown that the two-grid method can achieve asymptotically optimal approximation as long as the coarse grid size H H and the fine grid size h h satisfy h = O ( H ( 2 k + 1 ) ⁄ ( k + 1 ) ) h={\mathcal{O}}\left({H}^{\left(2k+1)/\left(k+1)}) ( k ≥ 1 k\ge 1 ), where k k is the degree of the approximating space for the primary variable. Numerical experiment is presented to demonstrate the accuracy and the efficiency of the proposed method.

A macro BDM H-div mixed finite element on polygonal and polyhedral meshes

A BDM type of H(div) mixed finite element is constructed on polygonal and polyhedral meshes. The flux space is the H(div) subspace of the n-product ΠiPk(Ti)d space such that the divergence is a one-piece Pk−1 polynomial on the big polygon or polyhedron T. Here we assume the 2D polygon can be subdivided into triangles by connecting only one vertex with some vertices of the polygon. For the 3D polyhedron we assume it can be subdivided into tetrahedra, with no added vertex on subdividing its face-polygons, and with either no internal edge or one internal edge. Such mixed finite elements can be more economic on quadrilateral and hexahedral meshes, compared with the standard BDM mixed element on triangular and tetrahedral meshes. Numerical tests and comparisons with the triangular and tetrahedral BDM finite elements are provided.

Analysis of Weak Galerkin Mixed Finite Element Method Based on the Velocity–Pseudostress Formulation for Navier–Stokes Equation on Polygonal Meshes

Analysis of Weak Galerkin Mixed Finite Element Method Based on the Velocity–Pseudostress Formulation for Navier–Stokes Equation on Polygonal Meshes

Two Finite Element Approaches for the Porous Medium Equation That Are Positivity Preserving and Energy Stable

In this work, we present the construction of two distinct finite element approaches to solve the porous medium equation (PME). In the first approach, we transform the PME to a log-density variable formulation and construct a continuous Galerkin method. In the second approach, we introduce additional potential and velocity variables to rewrite the PME into a system of equations, for which we construct a mixed finite element method. Both approaches are first-order accurate, mass conserving, and proved to be unconditionally energy stable for their respective energies. The mixed approach is shown to preserve positivity under a CFL condition, while a much stronger property of unconditional bound preservation is proved for the log-density approach. A novel feature of our schemes is that they can handle compactly supported initial data without the need for any perturbation techniques. Furthermore, the log-density method can handle unstructured grids in any number of dimensions, while the mixed method can handle unstructured grids in two dimensions. We present results from several numerical experiments to demonstrate these properties.

Modeling and mathematical analysis of root water uptake in the rhizosphere

ABSTRACT This research focuses on elucidating a system of partial differential equations designed to model the process of water uptake by a single root within an unsaturated soil. This model extends a unidimensional root scenario by incorporating radial and axial hydraulic conductance in the root structure. The flow dynamics in the rhizosphere are represented by the Richards equation, while a diffusion equation is employed to characterize water movement within the root. The resulting system forms a strongly coupled, nonlinear parabolic-elliptic system. To establish the existence and uniqueness of a solution, we utilize the technique of semi-discretization and the Schauder-Tychonoff fixed point theorem. Additionally, we approximate the system using a mixed finite element method, and the subsequent numerical tests presented align well with the model predictions. This comprehensive approach contributes to our understanding of the intricate dynamics involved in root water uptake and provides a robust framework for further exploration in this field.

Exploring different FEM strategies for hydro-mechanical coupled gas injection simulation in clay materials

Over the last few decades, the study of gas injection in porous media, particularly under multi-field coupled conditions, has emerged as a prominent focus within the field of geotechnical engineering. This article presents a comprehensive comparison of three numerical strategies, evaluating their impact on computational efficiency and result accuracy during Hydro-Mechanical (HM) coupled simulations of gas injection in clay-based geomaterials. This comprehensive comparison encompasses three numerical simulation methods for the mechanical sub-problem: The Standard Finite Element Method (SFEM), the Standard Finite Element Method with Selective Integration (SFEM+SI), and the Mixed Finite Element Method (MFEM). The Heat and Gas Fracking model (HGFRAC) is introduced to illustrate the computational characteristics of these methods. The results indicate that the effective application of SFEM is heavily dependent on a high-precision mesh. Convergence issues may arise when dealing with relatively coarse meshes. Nevertheless, these convergence issues can be effectively mitigated by incorporating either the Selective Integration method or the MFEM formulations. In terms of computational efficiency, it is evident that the SFEM+SI method demonstrates higher efficiency than SFEM and MFEM. However, it is noteworthy that the computed gas flow patterns of SFEM and SFEM+SI can be affected by the alignment of the mesh. With MFEM, displacements and strains are calculated as independent unknowns, enhancing result accuracy and achieving mesh independence.

Macroscopic modeling of flexoelectricity-driven remanent polarization in piezoceramics

This paper presents a variational modeling framework for investigating the flexoelectricity-driven evolution of remanent polarization in piezoceramics. In small-scale electromechanical systems, strain gradients can exhibit polarization in dielectric materials via the direct flexoelectric effect. In ferroelectrics, it is reasonable to expect that a sufficiently large magnitude of the flexoelectricity leads to a switching of the domain structure and thus the material becomes remanently polarized. It is interesting to note that this means that poling would be able to occur in the absence of any external electrical source. This provides the motivation to gain a better understanding of this effect for a possible technical use in e.g. sensor applications. For this purpose, a macroscopic model is presented that couples flexoelectricity and ferroelectric domain switching processes. By embedding the model in the variational framework of the generalized standard materials (GSM), a minimum-type potential structure and thus a stable and efficient numerical treatment is obtained. A mixed finite element formulation based on the Helmholtz free energy is introduced to solve the higher-order flexoelectric boundary value problem. In order to realistically predict the flexoelectric material behavior, the model response is adapted to experimental results in literature obtained for a piezoceramic in a bending test. By simulations based on the adapted model the evolution of the flexoelectricity-driven remanent polarization in the vicinity of a notch is shown.

Discretisations of mixed-dimensional Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical models preserving energy estimates

In this study, we explore mixed-dimensional Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) models in fractured porous media accounting for Coulomb frictional contact at matrix fracture interfaces. The simulation of such models plays an important role in many applications such as hydraulic stimulation in deep geothermal systems and assessing induced seismic risks in CO2 storage. We first extend to the mixed-dimensional framework the thermodynamically consistent THM models derived in [19] based on first and second principles of thermodynamics. Two formulations of the energy equation will be considered based either on energy conservation or on the entropy balance, assuming a vanishing thermo-poro-elastic dissipation. Our focus is on space time discretisations preserving energy estimates for both types of formulations and for a general single phase fluid thermodynamical model. This is achieved by a Finite Volume discretisation of the non-isothermal flow based on coercive fluxes and a tailored discretisation of the non-conservative convective terms. It is combined with a mixed Finite Element formulation of the contact-mechanical model with face-wise constant Lagrange multipliers accounting for the surface tractions, which preserves the dissipative properties of the contact terms. The discretisations of both THM formulations are investigated and compared in terms of convergence, accuracy and robustness on 2D test cases. It includes a Discrete Fracture Matrix model with a convection dominated thermal regime, and either a weakly compressible liquid or a highly compressible gas thermodynamical model.

Mixed Finite Elements for Higher-order Laminated Cylindrical and Spherical Shells

Mixed Finite Elements for Higher-order Laminated Cylindrical and Spherical Shells

Uncertainty modeling and propagation for groundwater flow: a comparative study of surrogates

We compare sparse grid stochastic collocation and Gaussian process emulation as surrogates for the parameter-to-observation map of a groundwater flow problem related to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, NM. The goal is the computation of the probability distribution of a contaminant particle travel time resulting from uncertain knowledge about the transmissivity field. The latter is modelled as a lognormal random field which is fitted by restricted maximum likelihood estimation and universal kriging to observational data as well as geological information including site-specific trend regression functions obtained from technical documentation. The resulting random transmissivity field leads to a random groundwater flow and particle transport problem which is solved realization-wise using a mixed finite element discretization. Computational surrogates, once constructed, allow sampling the quantities of interest in the uncertainty analysis at substantially reduced computational cost. Special emphasis is placed on explaining the differences between the two surrogates in terms of computational realization and interpretation of the results. Numerical experiments are given for illustration.

Mixed finite elements for Kirchhoff–Love plate bending

We present a mixed finite element method with triangular and parallelogram meshes for the Kirchhoff–Love plate bending model. Critical ingredient is the construction of low-dimensional local spaces and appropriate degrees of freedom that provide conformity in terms of a sufficiently large tensor space and that allow for any kind of physically relevant Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. For Dirichlet boundary conditions and polygonal plates, we prove quasi-optimal convergence of the mixed scheme. An a posteriori error estimator is derived for the special case of the biharmonic problem. Numerical results for regular and singular examples illustrate our findings. They confirm expected convergence rates and exemplify the performance of an adaptive algorithm steered by our error estimator.

A mixed finite element spatial discretization scheme and a higher‐order accurate temporal discretization scheme for a strongly discontinuous electromagnetic interface condition in ideal sliding electrical contact problems

AbstractSliding electrical contact involves multiple conductors sliding in contact at different speeds, with current flowing through the contact surfaces. The Lagrangian method is commonly used to describe the electromagnetic field in order to overcome the trouble of convective dominance, especially in high‐speed sliding electrical contact problems. However, to maintain correct field continuity, magnetic vector potential and scalar potential taken as variables cannot be continuous simultaneously at the ideal sliding electrical contact interface. This involves a strongly discontinuous condition for variables. Further, commonly used spatial–temporal discretization algorithms are invalid, for example, the classic finite element (CFEM) framework does not allow discontinuous variables, and the backward Euler method in time domain introduces a significant interface error source associated with the velocity of relative motion. To accurately handle strongly discontinuous conditions in numerical calculations, a mixed nodal finite element scheme and a higher‐order accurate temporal discretization scheme are introduced. In this scheme, classical finite element method is performed in each subdomain, and the derivative terms at the boundary are added as new variables. The effectiveness and accuracy of the above methods are verified by comparing them with a standard solution in a two‐dimensional railgun model and analyzing the current density distribution in a three‐dimensional railgun model.

Modeling the mechanosensitive collective migration of cells on the surface and the interior of morphing soft tissues.

Cellular contractility, migration, and extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanics are critical for a wide range of biological processes including embryonic development, wound healing, tissue morphogenesis, and regeneration. Even though the distinct response of cells near the tissue periphery has been previously observed in cell-laden microtissues, including faster kinetics and more prominent cell-ECM interactions, there are currently no models that can fully combine coupled surface and bulk mechanics and kinetics to recapitulate the morphogenic response of these constructs. Mailand et al. (Biophys J 117(5):975-986, 2019) had shown the importance of active elastocapillarity in cell-laden microtissues, but modeling the distinct mechanosensitive migration of cells on the periphery and the interior of highly deforming tissues has not been possible thus far, especially in the presence of active elastocapillary effects. This paper presents a framework for understanding the interplay between cellular contractility, migration, and ECM mechanics in dynamically morphing soft tissues accounting for distinct cellular responses in the bulk and the surface of tissues. The major novelty of this approach is that it enables modeling the distinct migratory and contractile response of cells residing on the tissue surface and the bulk, where concurrently the morphing soft tissues undergo large deformations driven by cell contractility. Additionally, the simulation results capture the changes in shape and cell concentration for wounded and intact microtissues, enabling the interpretation of experimental data. The numerical procedure that accounts for mechanosensitive stress generation, large deformations, diffusive migration in the bulk and a distinct mechanism for diffusive migration on deforming surfaces is inspired from recent work on bulk and surface poroelasticity of hydrogels involving elastocapillary effects, but in this work, a two-field weak form is proposed and is able to alleviate numerical instabilities that were observed in the original method that utilized a three-field mixed finite element formulation.

A new splitting mixed finite element analysis of the viscoelastic wave equation

A new splitting mixed finite element analysis of the viscoelastic wave equation

A Mixed Finite Element Approximation for Fluid Flows of Mixed Regimes in Porous Media

A Mixed Finite Element Approximation for Fluid Flows of Mixed Regimes in Porous Media