Fundamentals of Boundary Integral Equation Methods in Elastodynamics

A quantative comparison between the boundary integral equation (BIE) method and the finite difference (FD) method is presented in which each technique is applied to an elliptic boundary‐value problem (BVP) containing a boundary singularity. Two types of singularity have previously been analysed theoretically, namely those due to a discontinuous boundary potential, which we shall refer to as S1, and those due to a sudden change from the specification of boundary potential flux, an S2 singularity. In this paper the analysis is presented for a third type of boundary singularity, namely an S3 singularity: that arising from a discontinuous boundary flux. Such a condition is frequently encountered in the field of heat transfer where, for example, a system or pipe has a change of lagging material.In general, it is found that the BIE method is superior, with regards to the computational time required to achieve a certain degree of accuracy, over standard FD methods even when there is a boundary singularity. Further, the BIE method determines the solution near the singularity much more accurately than the FD method. The FD method does, however, have advantages for a very restrictive class of problems; for example, when the boundary conditions are of the Dirichlet type and the boundary geometry is rectangular. In this case an optimum relaxation parameter can easily be obtained. A soon as Neumann conditions are prescribed, the BIE is far more efficient than the FD, whatever the boundary geometry.It is concluded that, for fast, accurate solutions of general Laplacian boundary‐value problems, the BIE is appreciably superior to the FD and this is even more pronounced when there is a boundary singularity.

The principles and development of the boundary integral equation (BIE) method for solving engineering problems are reviewed, with particular emphasis on applications in three-dimensional stress analysis. Its use in problems of this type is illustrated with the aid of three examples, one a classical stress concentration problem, the other two involving cracked components. Compared with a finite-element method, the BIE approach is shown to be capable of being both more accurate and more economical to use in terms of competing resources required and the cost of data preparation. These advantages may, however, be less clear-cut when predictions of stresses and displacements at a large number of points within a component are required, or when the component concerned has a relatively high surface-to-volume ratio.

Many mathematical problems in science and engineering are defined by ordinary or partial differential equations with appropriate initial-boundary conditions. Among the various methods, boundary integral equation method (BIEM) is probably the most effective. It’s main advantage is that it changes a problem from its formulation in terms of unbounded differential operator to one for an integral/integro-differential operator, which makes the problem tractable from the analytical or numerical point of view. Basically, the review/study of the problem is shifted to a boundary (a relatively smaller domain), where it gives rise to integral equations defined over a suitable function space. Integral equations with singular kernels areamong the most important classes in the fields of elasticity, fluid mechanics, electromagnetics and other domains in applied science and engineering. With the advancesin computer technology, numerical simulations have become important tools in science and engineering. Several methods have been developed in numerical analysis for equations in mathematical models of applied sciences. Widely used methods include: Finite Difference Method (FDM), Finite Element Method (FEM), Finite Volume Method (FVM) and Galerkin Method (GM). Unfortunately, none of these are versatile. Each has merits and limitations. For example, the widely used FDM and FEM suffers from difficulties in problem solving when rapid changes appear in singularities. Even with the modern computing machines, analysis of shock-wave or crack propagations in three dimensional solids by the existing classical numerical schemes is challenging (computational time/memory requirements). Therefore, with the availability of faster computing machines, research into the development of new efficient schemes for approximate solutions/numerical simulations is an ongoing parallel activity. Numerical methods based on wavelet basis (multiresolution analysis) may be regarded as a confluence of widely used numerical schemes based on Finite Difference Method, Finite Element Method, Galerkin Method, etc. The objective of this monograph is to deal with numerical techniques to obtain (multiscale) approximate solutions in wavelet basis of different types of integral equations with kernels involving varieties of singularities appearing in the field of elasticity, fluid mechanics, electromagnetics and many other domains in applied science and engineering.

Acoustic wave scattering by scatterers in layered media is studied using a new method that combines the hybrid ray–mode and boundary integral equation methods. The latter is used to formulate the scattering process and the former is used to provide the Green’s function of the layered environment. Following standard procedures of the boundary integral equation method, integral equations are formulated first for field distributions along the boundaries of the obstacles. By expressing these unknown distributions in terms of appropriate basis functions, the integral equations are then reduced to algebraic equations that are solved numerically. In the integral equations, it is necessary to compute the Green’s function of the layered environment for various arrangements of locations of source and receiver. None of these conventional approaches (rays, modes, and spectral integration) to evaluate the Green’s function are satisfactory for all possible arrangements. Only the newly developed hybrid ray–mode method is best suited for this purpose because it combines rays and modes self-consistently within a single framework and optimizes the advantages of each. Numerical implementation illustrates these aspects.

A hybrid formulation of the 2.5D elastodynamic scattering problem combining the finite-element method and boundary integral equation method is presented and validated. The formulation of the 2.5D boundary integral equation method that is used was presented in detail by Papageorgiou and Pei (1998) and is an extension of the discrete wavenumber boundary integral equation method originally proposed by Kawase (1988) for 2D scattering problems. Modeling of the wave field in the domain of the scatterer is based on the variational principle of virtual displacements, and discretization of the domain is accomplished using the finite-element method.The formulation may be used to study the wave field in models of sedimentary deposits (e.g., valleys) or topography (e.g., canyons or ridges) with a 2D variation in structure but obliquely incident plane waves. The hybrid method exploits the versatility of the finite element method for modeling the scatterer and the effectiveness of the boundary integral equation method for taking care of the radiation condition in the half-space. The advantage of the 2.5D formulation is that it provides the means for calculations of 3D wave fields in scattering problems by requiring a storage comparable to that of the corresponding 2D calculations.

One popular approach to solve the sea surface scattering and propagation in a ducting environment is the parabolic wave equation (PWE) method. An alternative method is the boundary integral equations (BIE) method. The implementation of the BIE in inhomogeneous media (ducting environments) is not straightforward, however, since the Green's function for such a medium is not usually known. In this paper, a closed-form approximation of the Green's function for a two-dimensional (2-D) ducting environment made up of a duct having a linear-square refractive index profile below a medium of constant refractive index, recently published, is used. This paper demonstrates how the BIE method can model the combined effects of surface roughness and medium inhomogeneity. Furthermore, it illustrates its capability of accurately predicting scattering in all directions including backscattering. Then, the PWE combined with the Split-Step Fourier (SSF) method is compared with this method.

Applying the concept of minimum potential energy and the variational method proposed in this paper, one can derive the governing equation and transversality conditions for the critical slip surface of a cohesive land slope described by simplified Janbu's model where both horizontal and vertical inter-slice forces are neglected. The governing equation, transversality conditions and boundary conditions were solved by the boundary integral equation method, which is a one dimensional BIEM, so that the critical slip surface and its associated minimal factor of safety can be determined effectively. By comparison of the results gotten from the boundary integral equation method and other numerical methods, it can be concluded, that, for some simplified cases, by using the boundary integral equation method on slope stability analysis of a cohesive land slope, a more reasonable result can be obtained.

Eddy current nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of airframe structures involves the detection of electromagnetic field irregularities due to non-conducting inhomogeneities in an electrically conducting material. Usually, the eddy current NDE problem can be formulated by the boundary integral equations (BIE) and discretized into matrix equations by the method of moments (MoM) or the boundary element method (BEM). The fast multipole method (FMM) is a well-established and effective method for accelerating numerical solutions of the matrix equations. Accelerated by the FMM, the BIE method can now solve large-scale electromagnetic wave propagation and diffusion problems. The traditional BIE method requires O(N) operations to compute the system of equations and another O(N) operations to solve the system using direct solvers, with N being the number of unknowns; in contrast, the BIE method accelerated by the two-level FMM can potentially reduce the operations and memory requirement to O(N). Moreover, several approaches have been proposed for the field calculation in the presence of flaws in three dimensional NDE; however, seldom work has been done in applying efficient methods to seek rapid solution in eddy current NDE simulation. As elaborated in the dissertation, we introduce a fast multipole BIE method for two-dimensional diffusive scalar problem and an efficient BIE method for three-dimensional eddy current NDE. Firstly, we work with the two-dimensional Helmholtz equation with a complex wave number for non-trivial boundary geometry. We describe the FMM acceleration procedure of the BIE method and its features briefly, explaining that the FMM is not only efficient in meshing complicated geometries, accurate for solving singular fields or

Real-world groundwater modeling deals with heterogeneous and anisotropic aquifer systems. Numerical models, particularly the finite difference and finite element methods, are extensively used for modeling such a complex aquifer system. The finite difference method is an age-old straightforward approach, whereas the finite element method is more idealistic, relatively new, and has emerged as a popular approach. The unique advantages with the finite element method are (i) an irregular-shaped domain can be discretized into elements with a matching boundary, (ii) a node can be connected with the neighboring nodes in any direction. Thus, the finite element analysis allows water/solute to flow more freely toward the surrounding nodes along nodal links. On the other hand, the mathematical formulation of the finite element technique follows a set of rules step by step. Conventionally, this idealistic approach uses shape functions and integration techniques to develop element matrices, which, in turn, are assembled to form the global matrix. This conventional global matrix was found to be inconsistent with the basic partial differential equation representing the mass balance in a nodal domain as a control volume. As a result, the matrix solution, particularly for nonlinear problems (e.g., vadose zone flow, density dependent flow, and so forth) becomes unstable and computationally burdensome. To overcome the limitations of the conventional finite element method for real-world groundwater modeling, a new approach, called the direct-formulation finite element (DFFE) method, has been developed. In this approach, a two-dimensional model domain is discretized into triangular elements. Element matrices are formed directly based on flow principles and material properties of elements without using shape functions and integration process. The DFFE method is robust. The global matrix is consistent, and the solution is stable and efficient. The results obtained from this approach were found in a good agreement with that obtained from analytical and other widely used models.

In past few years, we have resorted to the methodology of special-purpose computer in order to accelerate the Boundary Integral Equation Method (BIEM). Here we applied a special-purpose computer MDGRAPE-2 to the acceleration of the BIEM for three-dimensional elastostatics. The formulation was developed so that MDGRAPE-2 can evaluate the layer-potentials of the BIEM. The implemented BIEM code using MDGRAPE-2 and the iterative solver GMRES was nearly 70 or more times faster than the naive BIEM code in solving a boundary value problem with 3.9 million unknowns.

A numerical comparison of finite difference (FD) and finite element (FE) methods for a stochastic ordinary differential equation is made. The stochastic ordinary differential equation is turned into a set of ordinary differential equations by applying polynomial chaos, and the FD and FE methods are then implemented. The resulting numerical solutions are all non-negative. When orthogonal polynomials are used for either continuous or discrete processes, numerical experiments also show that the FE method is more accurate and efficient than the FD method.

Three-dimensional shape design optimization is demonstrated using the boundary integral equation method. Design sensitivities are obtained directly by differentiating the boundary integral equations with respect to normals to the surfaces at the design variable points. Coon's patches are employed in order to represent continuously changing design surfaces. The Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) method which requires first-order derivative information has been adopted for the optimization part of the problems. Two examples, a perforated plate under biaxial stresses and a cantilever beam with end shear loading, are demonstrated for the smoothing of stress peaks and stress levelling.

Time-domain analysis of electromagnetic wave fields by boundary integral equation method

It is well known that elliptic boundary value problems containing boundary singularities are notoriously difficult to treat numerically, as standard numerical methods lose accuracy in the neighbourhood of the singular point. Consequently, considerable effort has been made in seeking modifications of such numerical methods enabling special treatment to be given to the singularities. In this paper we discuss the use of the Motz technique [4] and the singularity subtraction technique incorporated with the local mesh refinement technique for the numerical solution of singular boundary value problems which are relevant to fracture mechanics. Both techniques for determining the stress intensity and higher order factors (SIFs) are described and successfully applied to the Motz anti-plane crack problem [4]. The problem has been used as a model problem by many applied mathematicians to test different numerical methods for the treatment of elliptic boundary value problems with boundary singularities. Whiteman and Papamichael [8], Rosser and Papamichael [6] used conformal transformation methods to tackle the problem, Symm [7] and Xanthis et al [9] used the boundary integral equation methods, El Misiery and Ortiz [2] used the Tau-lines method [3].

We simulated dynamic rupture propagation along various nonplanar fault models of the 1999 Izmit, Turkey, earthquake using a boundary integral equation method. These models were inferred from geological and geodetic observations. Based on these results, we modeled seismic-wave propagation around the fault system using a finite difference method. We focused on the effect of different fault geometries on the rupture process and seismic-wave propagation. Numerical simulation results imply a rapid and continuous rupture propagation from the Izmit–Sapanca Lake segment to the Sapanca–Akyazi segment. The rupture under Sapanca Lake appears to have propagated not on a disconnected fault segment but along a smooth fault structure with a bend of only a few degrees. The observational complexity of the surface breaks, however, can be best simulated by a highly segmented fault model. This infers that fault geometric characters observed in the field reflect near-surface structure and that seismological and geodetic features are controlled by global fault structure at depth. Then we investigated the effect of frictional parameters and the initial stress field. In order to explain near-field seismograms at station SKR, located a distance of a few kilometers from the fault, we had to force the rupture to propagate at shallow depth close to the station. In order to obtain this, we had to introduce a finite cohesive force in the friction law that allows stress accumulation and release in the shallow crust. The external stress field had to be large enough for the rupture to propagate at very rapid speed. Our simulation results show that it is important to include detailed fault geometry in the numerical simulation, and to constrain frictional parameters and the initial stress field, for understanding of the full dynamic process of an earthquake.