Elastodynamic Problems Research Articles

3D simulations of ultrasonic waves in plates using the scaled boundary finite element method and high-order transition elements

It can be difficult to efficiently model ultrasonic waves in 3D structures, especially when the computational model needs to account for complex geometries. This contribution presents a solution based on the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM). It is a numerical tool suitable for elastodynamic problems. A space-tree discretisation, namely quad-trees, is used. This technique allows the decomposition of an image into quadrilaterals or quads, which are extruded to generate the 3D plate geometry. In particular, small quads resolve regions with discontinuities, allowing them to represent fine details in the structure. Moreover, this meshing technique allows for exploiting cell similarities, making the calculation procedure more efficient. The space-tree discretisations are generated from a high-resolution image containing all the information about damaged regions or boundary conditions. The resulting SBFEM polyhedral domains employ transition elements to ensure correct coupling between cells of different sizes. The analytical solution of a cylindrical scatterer serves as a reference to validate the proposed approach. Other examples also demonstrate the validity of the methodology and its flexibility.

Semi-analytical solution for the Lamb’s problem in second gradient elastodynamics

In the present paper, we consider the Lamb-type problem of the dynamic response of isotropic half-space subjected to the time-harmonic vertical point load within the simplified strain gradient elasticity theory (SGET). The classical elastodynamics solution of this problem predicts singular displacements and stresses at the point of the load application. In the present study, we use the technique of Lamé potentials and Hankel transform to solve the high-order motion equations of SGET. An explicit solution accounting for traction and double traction boundary conditions is obtained in the transformed domain. The inverse transformation is performed numerically with accurate capturing of the solution behavior around the Rayleigh pole, which position is defined by the modified scale-dependent Rayleigh equation. Based on obtained results, it is shown that SGET solution is bounded at the epicenter of the load, and that it takes into account the spatial dispersion effects for the propagated waves. These effects are important for the analysis of the high-frequency processes in the structured materials. The intensity of non-classical effects in the solution is controlled by the length scale parameters of gradient model. Based on numerical calculations, we derive the universal non-dimensional relations between the amplitudes of the applied load and maximum displacements on the surface, which can be used to identify the length scale parameters of SGET based on the atomistic calculations or experimental data.

A truly-explicit time-marching formulation for elastodynamic analyses considering locally-adaptive time-integration parameters and time-step values

In this paper, a novel explicit time-marching procedure, which adapts to the properties of the spatially discretized model, is discussed for the time-domain solution of elastodynamic problems. The proposed technique is entirely automated and highly effective, providing a very attractive formulation to analyse complex wave propagation models. The novel approach is second-order accurate, truly explicit, truly self-starting, and it enables adaptive algorithmic dissipation and extended stability limits. In addition, automated subdomain/sub-cycling splitting procedures may also be carried out in the analyses, enhancing the performance of the proposed formulation. In this context, the technique automatically divides the domain of the model into multiple subdomains (according to the properties of the discretized problem), in which different time-step values are applied, still guaranteeing stability and enabling more accurate and efficient analyses. Adaptive values for the time-integration parameters of the method, which are established following the elements of the adopted spatial discretization, are also considered, providing a locally-defined self-adjustable formulation. This approach allows creating a link between the applied spatial and temporal solution procedures, enabling their errors to be better counterbalanced. Expressions for the adaptive time-integration parameters of the method and for the limiting time-step values of the elements of the discretized domain are presented and discussed. At the end of the paper, benchmark analyses are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique, considering illustrative theoretical problems and applied intricate models, which are equivalent to those of real applications in the OIL & GAS industry.

Identifying elastic wave polarization and bandgaps in periodic solid media

We present a new computational method to accurately identify the elastic wave propagation modes and polarizations in periodic solid structures and metamaterials. The method uses the eigenvectors associated with each propagating wave solution to calculate the contribution of each translational and rotational component of the total mass-in-motion. We use this information to identify the dominant wave propagation mode by defining a relative effective modal mass vector. Then, we associate each wave solution with its correct polarization by defining a polarization factor that quantifies the relative orientation between the wave propagation and lattice motion directions and provides a positive numerical value between 0 (pure S-wave) and 1 (pure P-wave). Further, we suggest a graphical representational scheme for easier visualization of the wave polarization within traditional dispersion plots. To validate the method, we compare our predictions against previously published results for various elastodynamic problems. Finally, we use the proposed method to analyze the effect of various lattice and structural parameter perturbations on the elastic wave propagation and polarized bandgap behavior of a square planar beam lattice. Our analysis reveals the emergence of previously unobserved dynamic characteristics, including various polarized bandgaps, fluid-like behavior, and ultralow-frequency SH- and SV-bandgaps that extend to 0 Hz. Our proposed method provides an alternative computational approach to the typically employed visual mode inspection technique and provides a robust method for analyzing the elastic wave response of periodic solid media.

Hybrid asynchronous isogeometric Perfectly Matched Layer for transient elastodynamics

This paper presents an isogeometric formulation (IGA) of the Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) for two-dimensional time-domain elastodynamics in unbounded media. The displacement-based unsplit-field PML formulation is first discretized in space using B-spline basis functions of increasing polynomial order p, from 2 to 10, able to deal with the strong solution gradients in the thickness of the PML thanks to the high order continuity provided by the B-spline basis functions. In order to keep the high accuracy of IGA, implicit time integration is chosen in the PML subdomains, whereas the physical domain is integrated with an explicit time integration scheme. The domain decomposition is based on a dual formulation and Heterogeneous Asynchronous Time Integrator (HATI) approach. The coupling between non-conforming IGA-patches for the PML subdomains and the physical domain is carried out using a standard mortar method. It enables us to select for the IGA-PML subdomains both the appropriate space discretization and the appropriate time discretization with an implicit time integrator and a larger time step size. The hybrid multi-time step IGA-PML performance in terms of computation time, is assessed for two-dimensional elastodynamic problems in single and multi-layer media depending on the chosen discretization parameters in space and time.

Wave-induced motion of rigid bodies: beads, boats and buildings

The determination of rigid-body motion caused by incident waves is a familiar problem in mechanics. Good examples are the motion of a ship in the presence of water waves and the motion of a rigid structure in the presence of seismic waves. The basic goals are to determine the motion of the rigid body and the effects of the motion on the wave field, assuming linear theory is adequate. Although the underlying mathematical problems are similar, several solution methods have evolved, depending on the physical problems of interest. For ship motions, the standard approach is to decompose the problem into seven subproblems, one for each of the six rigid-body modes and one to take account of the incident wave. This approach is reviewed and then adapted to problems in acoustics and to problems in elastodynamics, such as those that arise in simple examples of soil–structure interaction. It is argued that the resulting approach for elastodynamic problems has clear advantages over those currently in use.

Interaction effects from the elastodynamic scattering by two symmetric spherical cavities

The scattering of harmonic waves has been studied extensively for problems in quantum mechanics, acoustics, electromagnetics, and elasticity. Solutions to elastodynamic problems are the basis for ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation measurement models. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the use of the boundary element method (BEM) in the frequency domain using an off-boundary technique in which the observation points are taken inside the scattering object. This methodology removes both non-integrable singularities from the domain of integration along with avoiding ill-conditioning effects that occur at fictitious eigenfrequencies of which both require using special computationally demanding procedures to obtain solutions. Additionally, we employ both free and half-space fundamental solutions (Green’s displacement tensors) to investigate the elastodynamic scattering of an incident, plane, time-harmonic longitudinal wave in the frequency domain of a homogeneous, isotropic, and linear elastic solid with one or two spherical cavities. The half-space fundamental solution reduces the number of required boundary elements in half, which significantly reduces computational resource requirements. We only consider spherical cavities in this paper to illustrate the full and half-space off-boundary BEM and analyze the interaction effects associated with the elastodynamic scattering by two symmetric spherical cavities. To verify the validity of the free and half-space off-boundary BEM formulations, surface displacement results are compared with existing surface displacement results and show good agreement. Finally, the half-space off-boundary BEM is used to illustrate the interaction effects of the back and forward scattered displacement fields as a function of the distance from the spherical cavities.

Optimal local truncation error method for solution of 2-D elastodynamics problems with irregular interfaces and unfitted Cartesian meshes as well as for post-processing

The optimal local truncation error method (OLTEM) with unfitted Cartesian meshes recently developed for the scalar wave and heat equations for heterogeneous materials is extended to a more complex case of a system of the elastodynamics PDEs. Compact 9-point stencils (similar to those for linear finite elements) are used for OLTEM. Compared to our previous results, a new approach is used for the calculation of the right-hand side of the stencil equations due to body forces. It significantly simplifies the analytical derivations of OLTEM for time-dependent problems. There are no unknowns on interfaces between different materials; the structure of the global semi-discrete equations for OLTEM is the same for homogeneous and heterogeneous materials. For the first time we have also developed OLTEM with the diagonal mass matrix. In contrast to many known approaches with some ad-hoc calculations of the diagonal mass matrix, OLTEM offers a rigorous approach which is a particular case of OLTEM with the non-diagonal mass matrix. Another novelty of the article is a new post-processing procedure for the accurate calculations of stresses. It includes the same compact 9-point stencils as those in basic computations and uses the accelerations and the displacements at the grid points along with the PDEs for the stress calculations. OLTEM yields accurate numerical results for heterogeneous materials with big contrasts in the material properties of different components. Numerical experiments for elastic heterogeneous materials show: a) at the same number of degrees of freedom (dof), OLTEM with unfitted Cartesian meshes is more accurate than linear finite elements with similar stencils and conformed meshes; at the engineering accuracy of 0.1 % for the displacements, OLTEM reduces the number of dof by more than 20 times; at the engineering accuracy of 0.1 % for the stresses, OLTEM with the new post-processing procedure reduces the number of dof by more than 104 times compared to linear finite elements; b) at the same number of dof, OLTEM with unfitted Cartesian meshes is even more computationally efficient than high-order finite elements with much wider stencils and conformed meshes. This will lead to a huge reduction in the computation time for elastodynamics problems solved by OLTEM and will allow the direct computations of some complex wave propagation and structural dynamics problems for heterogeneous materials without the scale separation.

The Finite Element Method with High-Order Enrichment Functions for Elastodynamic Analysis

Elastodynamic problems are investigated in this work by employing the enriched finite element method (EFEM) with various enrichment functions. By performing the dispersion analysis, it is confirmed that for elastodynamic analysis, the amount of numerical dispersion, which is closely related to the numerical error from the space domain discretization, can be suppressed to a very low level when quadric polynomial bases are employed to construct the local enrichment functions, while the amount of numerical dispersion from the EFEM with other types of enrichment functions (linear polynomial bases or first order of trigonometric functions) is relatively large. Consequently, the present EFEM with a quadric polynomial enrichment function shows more powerful capacities in elastodynamic analysis than the other considered numerical techniques. More importantly, the attractive monotonic convergence property can be broadly realized by the present approach with the typical two-step Bathe temporal discretization technique. Three representative numerical experiments are conducted in this work to verify the abilities of the present approach in elastodynamic analysis.

PGD reduced-order modeling for structural dynamics applications

We propose in this paper a Proper Generalized Decomposition (PGD) approach for the solution of problems in linear elastodynamics. The novelty of the work lies in the development of weak formulations of the PGD problems based on the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Mechanics, the main objective being to devise numerical methods that are numerically stable and energy conservative. We show that the methodology allows one to consider the Galerkin-based version of the PGD and numerically demonstrate that the PGD solver based on the Hamiltonian formulation offers better stability and energy conservation properties than the Lagrangian formulation. The performance of the two formulations is illustrated and compared on several numerical examples describing the dynamical behavior of a one-dimensional bar.

A study on singular boundary integrals and stability of 3D time domain boundary element method

The paper presents a novel numerical scheme to effectively solve the weak, strong, and hyper-singular time-space integrals in the 3D time domain boundary element method (BEM). To deal with the singularities of P- or S-wavefront elements, the element subdivision method is used to identify non-zero valued sub-elements on the wavefronts, and the non-zero valued sub-elements containing source points are solved by the power series expansion method, which achieves the effect of obtaining satisfactory accuracy with fewer Gaussian points. In the present scheme, the non-uniform rational B-Spline (NURBS) basis functions are used to determine the physical coordinates of each sub-element with very high precision. Numerical results show that the proposed scheme can effectively implement a high-precision singular time-space integral solution under a unified framework. In addition, this paper uses the time-weighting method to improve the time integration algorithm to solve the instability problem. The validity and accuracy of the algorithm are verified by dynamics examples of the finite elastic body and infinite elastic body, and the effects of different weight points and integration schemes in the time-weighting method on the stability are discussed. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for large-scale elastodynamics problems is also examined using the 27 spherical cavities problem.

Wave Propagation and Scattering around a Radially Inhomogeneous Cylindrical Inclusion in a Full Space

The geological structure, such as inclusions, may strongly affect the wave propagation and underground motions during earthquakes. Previous studies mainly focus on geological inclusion with the homogeneous medium. In this paper, the propagation and scattering of incident plane SH waves in and around an inhomogeneous cylindrical inclusion with a radially-varying modulus is studied. In terms of a radial wave function expansion, a rigorous analytical approach is formulated for general computation for the elastodynamic problem. A comprehensive set of numerical examples are presented to illustrate the sensitivity of the underground motion to the rigidity profile of the geological inclusion.

The solution of elastodynamic problems using modified radial integration boundary element method (MRIBEM)

In this paper, the modified radial integration boundary elements method (MRIBEM) is applied to analyze two-dimensional (2D) elastodynamic problems. The boundary and domain variables are approximated by Lagrangian shape functions and global radial basis functions (RBFs), respectively. As a key idea of this study, the domain integrals that result from implying the inertia force effect are computed by means of a modified radial integration method (MRIM). With the MRIBEM, we are able to deal with problems with concave shapes when the domain variables are approximated by global RBFs by defining an auxiliary point or, in case of complex domain shapes, two or more auxiliary points as the origin for radial integration. Two-time marching schemes, i.e. Newmark method and the Houbolt method, are implemented for the solution of governing differential equations along time. The performance of the proposed method is examined in the solution of four numerical examples.

Indirect boundary element formulation with dual reciprocity in elastodynamics

In this paper, a new indirect boundary element formulation for two-dimensional elastodynamic problems is presented. The formulation makes use of a static fundamental solution. For accurate solution, the location of the fictitious boundary is chosen to be the same as problem boundary. The relevant fundamental solution is integrated over lines. The method is combined with the Dual Reciprocity Method (DRM), for handling the domain integral concerning to the domain inertia terms. A suitable approximation (traditional function C-R is used) for the inertia terms (or, domain accelerations), is used to transform the domain integral to the boundary. The discretization is performed on the boundary, or a boundary-like geometry. The method is easy to code and efficient as presented by the numerical examples.

Hybrid 3D-plane finite element modeling for elastodynamics

The coupling of three-dimensional (3D) and plane (2D) finite element (FE) models to form a single hybrid 3D–2D model is considered for linear elastodynamic problems. The 2D model is used to represent a large thin 3D computational domain where the solution behaves approximately in a 2D (plane-elasticity) way. Problems where the normal displacement is important in the thin region (bending) are excluded. The hybrid model, if designed properly, is a more efficient way to solve the full 3D model over the entire problem. This paper focuses on the way the 3D–2D coupling is performed, and on the coupling error generated. The Panasenko technique is used to couple the 3D and 2D models. This method has been used previously for mixed-dimensional coupling in steady-state problems, as well as for 2D–1D coupling of acoustic waves. Here it is being used for the first time for the 3D–2D coupling of time-dependent elastic problems. The hybrid formulation is derived, and is shown to be well-posed. It is shown that the Panasenko method is extremely simple to implement in the framework of FE analysis, yet the resulting coupling yields a rather small error level, provided the 3D–2D interface is sensibly placed. The numerical accuracy and efficiency of the method are explored for a couple of example problems. In particular, it is shown that spurious reflections from the interface back into the 3D region are negligible. • A hybrid 3D–2D model is constructed for elastodynamics. • The 3D–2D coupling is performed using the Panasenko technique. • The hybrid formulation is shown to be well posed. • Numerical experimentation is performed with a few configurations. • Excellent agreement is obtained between the proposed and reference models.

A time-domain POD approach based on numerical implicit and explicit Green’s functions for 3D elastodynamic analysis

This paper is concerned with the development of time integration methods based on numerical Green’s functions applied in conjunction with the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) technique to solve three-dimensional elastodynamic problems discretized by the FEM. The convolution integral in the velocity expression of these methods is firstly carried out through integration by parts, and then approximated numerically, resulting in a simpler and more accurate convolution than that reported in the literature. To compute the solution samples, required by the POD technique, the Implicit Green’s functions Approach (ImGA)-Newmark method rewritten in terms of the ultimate spectral radius is employed. The proposed ImGA scheme is truly self-starting and easy to implement with just one free parameter. To solve the reduced-order model, a new highly accurate time integration scheme based on the Explicit Green’s functions Approach (ExGA)-Runge–Kutta method is proposed, considering the Gauss–Lobatto-Legendre (GLL) points to perform both the time integration of the Green’s functions and the approximation of the convolution integrals. To verify the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed formulation, the numerical results are compared with those from the full-order model. Moreover, undamped solution samples are utilized to build a reduced-order model that can take into account a Rayleigh damping matrix.

The high-order smooth interpolated reproducing kernel particle method for elastodynamics problems

Combining the interpolation reproducing kernel particle method (IRKPM) with the integral weak form of elastodynamics, we present a high-order smooth interpolated reproducing kernel particle method for an elastodynamics plane problem. The shape function of IRKPM not only has the interpolation property at any point but also has a high-order smoothness not lower than that of the kernel function. This new method overcomes the difficulties of most meshless methods in dealing with essential boundary conditions and ensures high numerical accuracy. For time domain integration, we use the classical Newmark average acceleration method. By numerical examples we demonstrate that the proposed method has the advantages of higher accuracy, smaller scale of solving problem, and direct application of boundary conditions.

Simulation of non-linear structural elastodynamic and impact problems using minimum energy high-order bases

We present the application of simultaneous diagonalization and minimum energy (SDME) high-order finite element modal bases for simulation of transient non-linear elastodynamic problem, including impact cases with Hookean and neo-Hookean hyperelastic materials. The bases are constructed using procedures for simultaneous diagonalization of the internal modes and Schur complement of the boundary modes from the standard nodal and modal bases, constructed using Lagrange and Jacobi polynomials, respectively. The implementation of these bases in a high-order finite element code is straightforward, since the procedure is applied only to the one-dimensional expansion bases. Non-linear transient structural problems with large deformation , hyperelastic materials and impact are solved using the obtained bases with explicit and implicit time integration procedures. Iterative solutions based on preconditioned conjugate gradient methods are considered. The performance of the proposed bases in terms of the number of iterations of pre-conditioned conjugate gradient methods and computational time are compared with the standard nodal and modal bases. The SDME bases are accurate and provide better conditioned equations for iterative solutions in general, leading to substantial reduction in processing time over an order of magnitude compared to other modal bases. Our numerical tests obtained speedups up to 41 using the considered bases when compared to the standard modal basis. Results for a two-dimensional impact problem approximated with the SDME bases showed that the implicit Newmark method performed much better in terms of processing time and contact stress error when compared to the standard explicit central difference method with lumped mass matrix . • Application of simultaneous diagonalization procedure and minimum energy highorder bases to non-linear structural and impact transient problems. • Simple modifications of high-order bases improve conditioning of system of equations obtained from the high-order approximation of the considered problems, with remarkable gains in performance of iterative solvers. • Light variation on the number of pre-conditioned gradient iterations in terms of the polynomial order. • Speed-ups over 40 when compared to the standard modal Jacobi high-order bases used in high-order interpolation.

A mixed-mode energy-based elastoplastic fatigue induced damage model for the peridynamic theory

In recent years a considerable effort has been dedicated to the development of analysis tools that enable the design of damage tolerant structures, particularly in aerospace applications where weight reduction is a crucial requirement. One of these tools developed in recent years is the peridynamic theory, employed to solve numerically complex elastodynamics problems. One of its advantages reported in the literature is the natural ability to simulate the initiation and crack growth without the need for additional numerical procedures commonly employed in other numerical approaches, like in the conventional finite element formulation. Within this context, this paper presents a novel elastoplastic fatigue-induced damage model whose formulation is based on a strain energy framework combined with a smeared crack approach to simulate the damage process without the need of knowing the location of the crack tip and its length within the domain. The proposed model also can predict the mixed-mode damage propagation in ductile materials without knowing a priori the mixity mode ratio. This approach incorporates an analytical methodology based on the material properties that correlate the strain energy calculated away from the crack tip to the expected propagation rate predicted by the Paris Law. The accuracy of the proposed model is verified by comparing the results obtained using an in-house peridynamic FORTRAN code with the experimental results available in the open literature. Some improvements for the peridynamic material parameters are also presented in this paper, which is also verified by using the in-house code.

Boundary integral equation methods for the solution of scattering and transmission 2D elastodynamic problems

Abstract We introduce and analyse various regularized combined field integral equations (CFIER) formulations of time-harmonic Navier equations in media with piece-wise constant material properties. These formulations can be derived systematically starting from suitable coercive approximations of Dirichlet-to-Neumann operators (DtN), and we present a periodic pseudodifferential calculus framework within which the well posedness of CIER formulations can be established. We also use the DtN approximations to derive and analyse OS methods for the solution of elastodynamics transmission problems. The pseudodifferential calculus we develop in this paper relies on careful singularity splittings of the kernels of Navier boundary integral operators, which is also the basis of high-order Nyström quadratures for their discretizations. Based on these high-order discretizations we investigate the rate of convergence of iterative solvers applied to CFIER and OS formulations of scattering and transmission problems. We present a variety of numerical results that illustrate that the CFIER methodology leads to important computational savings over the classical CFIE one, whenever iterative solvers are used for the solution of the ensuing discretized boundary integral equations. Finally, we show that the OS methods are competitive in the high-frequency high-contrast regime.