Element Nodes Research Articles

Advanced FE nonlinear numerical modeling to predict historical masonry vaults failure: Assessment of risk collapse for a long span cloister vault heavily loaded at the crown by means of a general-purpose numerical protocol

A simple and rapid approach aimed at the failure prediction of historical masonry vaults exhibiting stability issues under gravity loads is presented and applied to a paradigmatic case study in Italy. The benchmark structure under examination is a cloister vault with a considerable span, over which a slender load-bearing wall was built over the keystone. The urgency of a stability assessment to prevent failure is evident. The geometrical characteristics and some material information are obtained through in situ surveys. To assess its stability, determine the risk of collapse and propose a sound strengthening on the already cracked structure, a general numerical protocol that comprises five different 2D finite element models is proposed, each with different assumptions. In all models, blocks are discretized using 4-noded elastic elements in plane-strain, and mortar joints are modeled employing (i) orthotropic shell elements coupled with (ii) fragile cutoff bars. Model 1 considers only the arch without spandrels, unlike Model 2, which comprises them. The backfill is included in Models 3 and 4 using a system of equivalent forces mimicking both soil self-weight and the horizontal passive pressure, whilst Model 5 −used for validation purposes- employs elastic perfectly plastic elements that obey a Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. Model 3 and Model 4 differ only in the dimension of the buttresses, which are thickened in Model 4 to improve the stability of the vault. Additionally, in Model 3 the effect of a possible retrofitting intervention is studied, having an insight into the role played by Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strips positioned at the intrados and modeled with elastic perfectly ductile cutoff bars connected to surface nodes, thus ensuring a perfect bond between substrate and reinforcement. After a thorough analysis of the results, which focuses on both global force–displacement curves and failure mechanisms triggered, a safety assessment of the cloister vault is provided.

Nodal auxiliary space preconditioners for mixed virtual element methods

We propose nodal auxiliary space preconditioners for facet and edge virtual elements of lowest order by deriving discrete regular decompositions on polytopal grids and generalizing the Hiptmair-Xu preconditioner to the virtual element framework. The preconditioner consists of solving a sequence of elliptic problems on the nodal virtual element space, combined with appropriate smoother steps. Under assumed regularity of the mesh, the preconditioned system is proven to have bounded spectral condition number independent of the mesh size and this is verified by numerical experiments on a sequence of polygonal meshes. Moreover, we observe numerically that the preconditioner is robust on meshes containing elements with high aspect ratios.

CNOT Quantum Gate Based on Spatial Photonic Qubits Under Resonant Electro-Optical Control

A theoretical model of a quantum node that implements the two-qubit CNOT operation with use of photonic qubits with spatial encoding is considered. Each qubit is represented by a pair of modes supporting an arbitrary superposition of single-photon states. The active element of the node is a single or double quantum dot with a tunable frequency, which coherently exchanges an energy quantum with the modes. The spectral characteristics of the quantum node elements are simulated. The probability of implementation of a controlled inversion of the qubit state is calculated depending on the system parameters.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF STRESS-STRAIN STATE OF SINGLE-ROOTED TEETH DURING INDIRECT RESTORATION OF THE CROWN WITH STUMP INLAYS OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS

The aim of our study on the biomechanics of the tooth inlay is to select the most efficient design of stump pin inlay for indirect restoration of single-rooted teeth. Materials and methods. To implement the aim of the study, the biomechanics research was conducted in the following four designs of stump inlays: 1 - traditional, 2 - with a single-stage change in the diameter of the pin along its length, 3 - with a two-stage change in the pin along its length, and 4 - with a single-stage change in the diameter of the pin and a cap in the crown of the tooth, covering the end of the root. The mathematical modeling was performed using the common software MSC NASTRAN for finite element analysis. The package, with the help of which the elastic three-dimensional models of the dentition are built and analyzed based on the finite element procedure, determines the displacement of each node of the finite element along the axis system, with three coordinates, normal and tangential stresses, as well as equivalent Huber-Mises stresses, which are calculated according to the well-known formula of deformable solid mechanics Results. The minimum values of equivalent stresses in both the pin inlay and the dentin of the root of the tooth at the level of the apical end of the pin inlay occur when using a pin inlay with a one-stage change in the diameter of the pin and a cap on the crown of the premolar. At the same time, the values of equivalent stress in dentin at the level of the apical end of the inlay pin are closest to the maximum values of equivalent stresses observed on the surface of the root of the tooth (differences do not exceed 10%). The maximum values of equivalent stresses in both the pin inlay and the dentin of the root of the tooth at the level of the apical end of the pin inlay occur when using a pin inlay of conventional design. In this case, the difference in the values of equivalent stresses in the pin compared to the inlay with a one-stage change in the diameter of the pin and a cap is 9%, and in the dentin at the level of the apical end of the inlay pin, the difference in stresses is 10%. The maximum values of equivalent stresses in both the dentin of the root of the tooth to be restored and the pin of the stump inlay occur when applying a traditionally used pin inlay. Among the various pin inlays considered, a stump inlay featuring a single-stage change in the diameter of the pin and a cap on the crown of the tooth to be restored demonstrates the highest efficiency, yielding the lowest equivalent stresses in the dentin of the tooth's root.

Penalty 4-Node Quadrilateral Element Formulation for Axisymmetric Couple Stress Problems.

To address the issue of size effects in axisymmetric deformation of small-scale solids, this work proposes a 4-node 12-DOF element for axisymmetric problems based on the consistent couple stress theory (CCST), following the framework of the unsymmetric finite element method. With the use of the penalty function method, an independently assumed rotational field is introduced into the virtual work principle to approximate the physical rotation, ensuring the satisfaction of the C1 continuity requirement of the CCST in a weak form. As a benefit, the enriched C0 isoparametric-based interpolation is employed to construct the test functions for displacement and rotation. Furthermore, the force-stress field that satisfies the equilibrium equations related to axisymmetric deformation is employed as the element's force-stress trial function. In order to circumvent locking issues, reduced integration is employed in the penalty stiffness integration process. The numerical results demonstrate that the new element exhibits high computational accuracy and convergence rate in both static and modal analysis problems, effectively capturing size-dependent phenomena.

A unified Jacobi-Ritz-spectral BEM for vibro-acoustic behavior of spherical shell

In order to solve the vibration and acoustic characteristics of spherical shell in light fluid environment, based on Jacobi-Ritz-spectral BEM, a unified analysis formula for acoustic vibration of spherical shell under arbitrary boundary conditions is established. Based on the First-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) and domain decomposition method (DDM), the theoretical model of spherical shell structure is established. The improved Jacobi polynomial is innovatively used to construct the displacement tolerance function of the spherical shell. Based on the spectral Kirchhoff-Helmholtz integral formula, the theoretical model of the acoustic fluid outside the spherical shell is established. The special form of Jacobi polynomial Chebyshev polynomial is used to describe the excitation sound pressure on the spherical shell segment, so as to ensure that the generalized coordinates of the structure can be perfectly matched with the acoustic boundary element nodes. In addition, the integration along the meridian of the shell is used to control the movement of the fluid, which simplifies the surface integration. The CHIEF method is used to solve the problem of non-unique solution of acoustic variables of rotary structure. Compared with the published literature, numerical simulation results and experimental results, the proposed method has higher calculation accuracy. In addition, based on this method, the influence of boundary conditions, geometric dimensions and other factors on the acoustic and vibration characteristics of spherical shells is discussed, which accumulates data for analyzing the acoustic and vibration behavior of spherical shells.

Transient analysis of functionally graded axisymmetric plates via finite element method in the Laplace domain

The principal goal of this research article is to examine the forced vibration of Functionally Graded Material (FGM) axisymmetric plates with the aid of the finite element method in the Laplace space. The material properties are assumed to be isotropic, linear viscoelastic, or elastic and vary continuously in the direction of the thickness of the plate. The governing equations of motion are transferred to the Laplace domain and solved for a set of Laplace parameters. Then, a modified Durbin’s inverse Laplace method is employed to retransfer the obtained results back to the time domain. A convergence analysis is conducted to optimize the number of Laplace parameters and time steps. An 8-node quadratic quadrilateral element featuring two degrees of freedom per node is employed to generate the model of the axisymmetric plates. Different loads such as step load, square wave, and sawtooth wave loads are used to observe the impact of load type on the transient response of FGM plates. In viscoelastic analysis, the Kelvin damping model is preferred, and the effect of the damping ratio is investigated. The obtained results are validated with the aid of the available literature and the accuracy of the suggested model is confirmed. It is carried out that the material variation significantly affects the dynamic behavior of the plates, for instance as the material coefficient increases, displacement amplitudes decrease, and periods increase. The novelty of this paper is the employment of the finite element method together with Laplace transformation for addressing the present class of problems for the first time.

Elastodynamic analysis of rotating solids by novel nodal position finite element method

This study develops a novel 8-node isoparametric hexahedral element using the Nodal Position Finite Element Method (NPFEM) for elastodynamic analysis of rotating solids. The element also incorporates the flexural modes directly into its element shape function to alleviate the shear locking when modeling the bending deformation of solids. Unlike conventional displacement-based finite element methods, which require the decoupling of elastic deformation from rigid-body motions, the NPFEM eliminates this process by directly representing strain and kinetic energies through nodal position coordinates, which avoids potential approximation errors in the decoupling process. To validate the accuracy and efficacy of this new NPFEM solid element, numerical simulations of a beam under static and dynamic loads are conducted and benchmarked against the theoretical solutions. Then, dynamic analysis of a rotating blade demonstrates that the NPFEM element can directly account for the centrifugal stiffening effect and superharmonic resonance of rotating blades without resorting to conventional methods. The successful implementation of this NPFEM element in complex simulations highlights its potential to provide significant advancements in computational mechanics.

3D Controlled‐source electromagnetic modelling in anisotropic media using secondary potentials and a cascadic multigrid solver

AbstractQuantitative interpretation of the data from controlled‐source electromagnetic methods, whether via forward modelling or inversion, requires solving a considerable number of forward problems, and multigrid methods are often employed to accelerate the solving process. In this study, a new extrapolation cascadic multigrid method is employed to solve the large sparse complex linear system arising from the finite element approximation of Maxwell's equations using secondary potentials. The equations using secondary potentials are discretized by the classic nodal finite element method on nonuniform rectilinear grids. The resulting linear systems are solved by the extrapolation cascadic multigrid method with a new prolongation operator and preconditioned Stabilized bi‐conjugate gradient method smoother. High‐order interpolation and global extrapolation formulas are utilized to construct the multigrid prolongation operator. The extrapolation cascadic multigrid method with the new prolongation operator is easier to implement and more flexible in application than the original one. Finally, several synthetic examples including layered models, models with anisotropic anomalous bodies or layers, are used to validate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. Numerical results show that the extrapolation cascadic multigrid method improves the efficiency of 3D controlled‐source electromagnetic forward modelling a lot, compared with traditional iterative solvers and some state‐of‐the‐art methods or software (e.g., preconditioned flexible generalized minimal residual method, emg3d) in the considered models and grid settings. The efficiency benefit is more evident as the number of unknowns increases, and the proposed method is more efficient at low frequencies. The extrapolation cascadic multigrid method can also be used to solve systems of equations arising from related applications, such as induction logging, airborne electromagnetic, etc.

Out-of-plane impact characteristics of missing rib-plate type anti-tri-chiral honeycomb

Chiral honeycomb structures, renowned for their superior mechanical properties, find extensive application in passive safety protection and beyond. However, existing research predominantly centers on chiral honeycomb structures, neglecting discussions on the energy absorption capabilities of anti-chiral honeycomb structures subjected to out-of-plane impacts. In view of this, an innovative design method is proposed in this paper to construct a series of anti-tri-chiral honeycomb structures (MATCH-θ) with missing rib-plate and excellent crashworthiness by skillfully designing and replacing the nodal elements of the anti-tri-chiral structures. Subsequently, the effects of the constitutive angle θ and the wall thickness t of the cellular elements were investigated using a validated finite element model, revealing the energy absorption mechanism of MATCH-θ. It is shown that this type of structure has better crashworthiness performance compared to the conventional anti-tri-chiral honeycomb structure ATCH-90°. In particular, the MATCH-110° structure with t = 0.1 mm showed a 36% increase in specific energy absorption, a 36% increase in mean crush force, and a 35% increase in crush force efficiency compared to the conventional anti-tri-chiral honeycomb structure ATCH-90° with the same mass. The completion of this study provides valuable insights into the design and optimization of future honeycomb structures for crashworthiness.

A stable decoupled perfectly matched layer for the 3D wave equation using the nodal discontinuous Galerkin method

In outdoor acoustics, the calculations of sound propagating in air can be computationally heavy if the domain is chosen large enough for the sound waves to decay. The computational cost is lowered by strategically truncating the computational domain with an efficient boundary treatment. One commonly used boundary treatment is the perfectly matched layer (PML), which dampens outgoing waves without polluting the computed solution in the inner domain. The purpose of this study is to propose and assess a new perfectly matched layer formulation for the 3D acoustic wave equation, using the nodal discontinuous Galerkin finite element method. The formulation is based on an efficient PML formulation that can be decoupled to further increase the computational efficiency and guarantee stability without sacrificing accuracy. This decoupled PML formulation is demonstrated to be long-time stable, and an optimization procedure for the damping functions is proposed to enhance the performance of the formulation.

Modeling of Ball Screw–Nut Interface Stiffness With Wear (Ball Screw Wear Dynamics)

Abstract The effects of wear, preload loss, and missing balls on the dynamics of ball screw drives in machine tools are modeled and incorporated into the finite element model of the drive assembly for condition monitoring. The contacts between the ball–nut and ball–screw are modeled using Hertzian springs, whose stiffnesses vary as a function of the worn contact area. These contact stiffnesses are then transformed to the finite element nodes on the nut and screw. The frequency response functions at the motor shaft and table, which can be measured by commercial computer numerical control (CNC), are predicted for various faults at different positions of the table. The experimentally validated model demonstrates that the faults primarily affect the first coupled torsional-axial mode of the ball screw drive and can be utilized for automated condition monitoring of ball screw drives.

Three-Dimensional MT Conductive Anisotropic and Magnetic Modeling Using A − ϕ Potentials Employing a Mixed Nodal and Edge-Based Element Method

Magnetotelluric (MT) sounding is a geophysical technique widely utilized in mineral resource surveys, where conductivity and magnetic permeability serve as essential physical parameters for forward modeling and inversion. However, the effects of conductive anisotropy and non-zero magnetic susceptibility are usually ignored. In this study, we present a three-dimensional (3D) MT modeling algorithm using Coulomb-gauged electromagnetic potentials, incorporating a mixed nodal and edge-based finite element method capable of simulating MT responses for conductive anisotropic and magnetic anomalies. Subsequently, the algorithm’s accuracy was validated in two steps: first, it was compared with analytical solutions for a 1D magnetic model; then, a comparison was made with previously published numerical results for a 3D generalized conductive anisotropic model. The results of two tests show that the maximum relative error is below 0.5% for both models. Furthermore, representative models were computed to comprehensively analyze the responses of MT. The findings illustrate the relationship between anisotropic parameters and electric fields and emphasize the significance of considering the impact of magnetic susceptibility in magnetite-rich regions.

Modelling of courtyard acoustics using the nodal discontinuous Galerkin finite element method to validate a newly developed PML

Evaluating the acoustics of courtyards has gained increasing attention from a sustainable urban design perspective, which requires numerical predictions tools for estimation of noise pollution and assessment of the influence of acoustic conditions. Accurate modeling of the acoustics of a courtyard is scarce because of the variety of factors to include: meteorological effects, building material properties, and geometry of the inner façades. We consider the nodal Discontinuous Galerkin finite element method framework in a 3D static and uniform medium and use it to model the sound propagation in a courtyard. A new and efficient Perfectly Matched Layer formulation is implemented at the open boundary of the courtyard model to absorb outgoing acoustic waves and this way limiting the size of the computational domain. The numerical results are validated against experimental measurements carried out in a scaled model of a courtyard with an elementary design to implement an accurate corresponding numerical model. The experiments were conducted in an anechoic chamber where the meteorological effects are controlled, and the courtyard facades are modelled as flat surfaces with known material properties.

Accelerated iterative DG finite element solvers for large-scale time-harmonic acoustic problems

Finite element methods are widely used to solve time-harmonic wave propagation problems, but solving large cases can be extremely difficult even with the computational power of parallel computers. In this work, the linear system resulting from the finite element discretization is solved with iterative solution methods, which are efficient in parallel but can require a large number of iterations. In standard discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods, the numerical solution is discontinuous at the interfaces between the elements. In hybridizable DG methods, additional unknowns are introduced at the interfaces between the finite elements, and the physical unknowns are eliminated from the global system, resulting in a hybridized system. We have recently proposed a new strategy, called CHDG, where the additional unknowns correspond to transmission variables, whereas in the standard approach they are numerical fluxes. This strategy improves the properties of the hybridized system for faster iterative solution procedures. In this talk, we present and study a 3D CHDG implementation with nodal finite element basis functions. The resulting scheme has properties amenable to efficient parallel computing. Numerical results are presented to validate the method, and preliminary 3D computational results are proposed.

Using wave based SEA methods to model noise and vibration in underwater structures across a broad frequency range

Modelling noise and vibration transmission in underwater structures is often challenging due to the large size of the structures and the need for analysis across a broad frequency range. Finite Element and Boundary Element methods are useful at lower frequencies but are typically not computationally tractable for system level models at mid and high frequencies. Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) methods are widely used for modeling structures in air at mid and high frequencies. However, traditional SEA methods often do not contain enough detail to describe wave propagation in heavy fluid loaded structures in underwater applications. This paper discusses the use of a more general 'wave based' SEA method that uses periodic structure theory to accurately calculate the wavetypes of typical underwater structures. The paper illustrates the method by initially considering simple structural sections and showing the effects of: curvature, heavy fluid-loading, panel stiffeners/ribs. The method is then applied to a simplified full scale submarine model and comparisons are made with a nodal finite element model. The domain of validity and the hypotheses of the method are then discussed.

Research on optimization of flatness evaluation method for antenna array of a radar vehicle

Abstract Radar vehicles play an important role in providing radar services in the aviation field. The flatness of the antenna array is one of the key factors in ensuring the detection accuracy of radar vehicles for airborne targets. In this paper, the mechanical structure of a new type of radar antenna truck is designed, the stress analysis under various working conditions is carried out, the mechanical performance of the whole vehicle is checked, and the evaluation method of the flatness of the antenna array is discussed. Using ANSYS to carry out static finite element analysis and using the deformation results of each element node in ANSYS, the evaluation method based on the multiple regression function is applied to the calculation scheme of antenna array flatness. The final results show that the safety factor of the radar vehicle structure can reach more than 1.75 under extreme working conditions and more than 2.0 under other working conditions. It can work safely. Through the optimization of the shape evaluation method, the accuracy of the final shape calculation result is less than 10mm. The precision of shape error processing is improved.

Damage of thin target plates impacted by conical projectiles with varying apex angles in ballistic application: experimental, FEA and ANN integrated approach

In the current study, an experimental setup consisting of smoothbore 30-caliber powder gun was employed to launch spherical projectiles (3 g/ϕ9) in the ballistic range of velocities from 500 to 1700 m/s and obliquity (0, 33 and 65°), impacting 2 mm thin Steel 1006 target plates. Crater dimensions (major and minor dia.) obtained from series of FE simulations run for the above configuaration was validated by corresponding experimental data. Subsequently, a fullscale 3D FE model considering 8-noded hexahedral elements was used to discretize SS304 conical projectiles (replacing spherical projectile) with various apex angles viz. 40°, 60°, 80° and 100° impacting on single (3 mm) and double layer (1.5 mm each) steel 1006 targets (replacing 2 mm target) in LS dyna. The material behavior was characterized using J–C strength and damage models, along with Gruneisen Equation of State. An erosion algorithm was used in the explicit FE code LS-DYNA to remove undesirable elements. In the next stage, Adam and Nadam optimizers have been employed in ANN models developed using Python code within the Tensor-Flow framework. The Keras Tuner library in the Tensor-Flow framework was used for hyper parameter tuning. The ANN models trained using simulation data successfully predicted the residual KE of conical projectiles with intermediate apex angles of 90°, 70°, and 50° across twelve different impact scenarios. The models with Adam and Nadam optimizers achieved mean squared error (MSE)/coefficient of determination (R2)/mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values of 109.44/0.998/6.72 and 91.19/0.998/7.76, respectively.

Fatigue life prediction method for bolted joints based on equivalent structural stress under tensile–compressive loading

In this study, load amplitude–life (Fa–N) curves were obtained through tensile–compressive fatigue tests of bolted joints. It was observed that the correlation coefficient squared (R2) value of the Fa–N curve with the same geometric and pre-tightening parameters was high, but the R2 value of the Fa–N curve with all the parameters was low, indicating poor correlation and inability to meet the engineering requirements. Therefore, an equivalent structural stress model for the bolted joint was first developed based on a mechanical model with a strict mathematical definition to normalize these Fa–N curves, which considered the bolted joint loads as the input conditions and integrated the geometric and pre-tightening parameters. Subsequently, a classical beam–shell equivalent finite element model of the bolted joint was constructed. The nodal loads in the bolted connection zone were coupled with the forces and moments of the beam element nodes through finite element simulation, and the equivalent structural stress (σs) of the bolted joint was then obtained based on the equivalent structural stress model. Consequently, the equivalent structural stress–life (Ss–N) curve and probabilistic stress–life (P–Ss–N) curve normalized for different Fa–N curves were obtained by fitting the data of σs and N. Lastly, the accuracy of the fatigue life prediction method based on equivalent structural stress was verified by conducting the vibration fatigue test on the bolted joint structure of the subway antenna bracket.

Multi‐parameter design optimization of crash box for crashworthiness analysis

AbstractThis study focuses on the optimization process of crash box design. The design optimization process is resource‐intensive and requires multiple dynamic simulations. Numerous design parameters can be varied to satisfy the crashworthiness objectives. Therefore an intelligent and robust machine learning (ML) framework has been developed. This framework can be employed to assist in the optimization of various crashworthiness components with different crashworthiness objectives.Here, a reinforcement learning‐based (RL) machine learning framework is developed. It consists of a finite element method (FEM) surrogate and RL environment. The FEM surrogate is trained using data from FEM simulations as well as synthetic data generated by a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). An inverse problem is solved for optimizing the geometrical parameters of the boundary value problem while the RL is receiving input from the FEM surrogate. RL has proven to be accurate in many fields due to its ability to explore and exploit the learned dynamics. Conventional algorithms require numerous iterations and tuned functions to achieve appropriate results and need to be initialized after a slight change in the problem. Due to an optimization of input parameters in an inverse problem, RL is chosen for the present investigation.For the simulation data needed, the crash box is designed with linear first‐order accurate four nodal shell elements. Also, bilinear elastoplastic material along with geometrical nonlinearity is used to simulate the dynamic deformation process.The RL agents learn to vary the crash box design parameters and search for the optimal parameters. The optimal parameters are based on the user‐defined crashworthiness objectives.