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Gives introductory remarks about chapter 1 of this group of 31 papers, from ISEF 1999 Proceedings, in the methodologies for field analysis, in the electromagnetic community. Observes that computer package implementation theory contributes to clarification. Discusses the areas covered by some of the papers ‐ such as artificial intelligence using fuzzy logic. Includes applications such as permanent magnets and looks at eddy current problems. States the finite element method is currently the most popular method used for field computation. Closes by pointing out the amalgam of topics.

Based on the asymptotic solution for predicted natural frequencies of a two‐dimensional elastodynamic problem from the finite element analysis, presents the concept of the asymptotic error, which is an approximate error but tends to the exact error when the characteristic length of elements approaches zero, and a practical error estimator. The present practical error estimator contains two criteria: one is the error estimator criterion, the other the finite element mesh design criterion. Using this practical error estimator, not only can the accuracy of a finite element solution for natural frequencies of a two‐dimensional elastodynamic problem be directly evaluated without any further finite element calculation, but also a new target finite element mesh for the desired accuracy of solution can be immediately designed from the relevant information of an original finite element solution. Generally, for the purpose of designing a new target finite element mesh, this original finite element solution is obtainable from a very coarse mesh of a few elements and usually does not satisfy the accuracy requirement. Since the new target finite element mesh could result in a finite element solution with a desire accuracy, the finite element solution so obtained can be used for a structural design in engineering practice. The related numerical results from vibration problems of three representative plates of different shapes under plane stress conditions have demonstrated the correctness and applicability of the present practical error estimator.

This paper aims to develop a novel trajectory optimization algorithm which is capable of producing high accuracy optimal solution with superior computational efficiency for the hypersonic entry problem.

A two-stage trajectory optimization framework is constructed by combining a convex-optimization-based algorithm and the pseudospectral-nonlinear programming (NLP) method. With a warm-start strategy, the initial-guess-sensitive issue of the general NLP method is significantly alleviated, and an accurate optimal solution can be obtained rapidly. Specifically, a successive convexification algorithm is developed, and it serves as an initial trajectory generator in the first stage. This algorithm is initial-guess-insensitive and efficient. However, approximation error would be brought by the convexification procedure as the hypersonic entry problem is highly nonlinear. Then, the classic pseudospectral-NLP solver is adopted in the second stage to obtain an accurate solution. Provided with high-quality initial guesses, the NLP solver would converge efficiently.

Numerical experiments show that the overall computation time of the two-stage algorithm is much less than that of the single pseudospectral-NLP algorithm; meanwhile, the solution accuracy is satisfactory.

Due to its high computational efficiency and solution accuracy, the algorithm developed in this paper provides an option for rapid trajectory designing, and it has the potential to evolve into an online algorithm.

The paper provides a novel strategy for rapid hypersonic entry trajectory optimization applications.

The paper gives the description of boundary element method (BEM) with subdomains for the solution of convection—diffusion equations with variable coefficients and Burgers’ equations. At first, the whole domain is discretized into K subdomains, in which linearization of equations by representing convective velocity by the sum of constant and variable parts is carried out. Then using fundamental solutions for convection—diffusion linear equations for each subdomain the boundary integral equation (in which the part of the convective term with the constant convective velocity is not included into the pseudo‐body force) is formulated. Only part of the convective term with the variable velocity, which is, as a rule, more than one order less than convective velocity constant part contribution, is left as the pseudo‐source. On the one hand, this does not disturb the numerical BEM—algorithm stability and, on the other hand, this leads to significant improvement in the accuracy of solution. The global matrix, similar to the case of finite element method, has block band structure whereas its width depends only on the numeration order of nodes and subdomains. It is noted, that in comparison with the direct boundary element method the number of global matrix non‐zero elements is not proportional to the square of the number of nodes, but only to the total number of nodal points. This allows us to use the BEM for the solution of problems with very fine space discretization. The proposed BEM with subdomains technique has been used for the numerical solution of one‐dimensional linear steady‐state convective—diffusion problem with variable coefficients and one‐dimensional non‐linear Burgers’ equation for which exact analytical solutions are available. It made it possible to find out the BEM correctness according to both time and space. High precision of the numerical method is noted. The good point of the BEM is the high iteration convergence, which is disturbed neither by high Reynolds numbers nor by the presence of negative velocity zones.

This paper aims to investigate the application of adaptive integration in element-free Galerkin methods for solving problems in structural and solid mechanics to obtain accurate reference solutions.

An adaptive quadrature algorithm which allows user control over integration accuracy, previously developed for integrating boundary value problems, is adapted to elasticity problems. The algorithm allows the development of a convergence study procedure that takes into account both integration and discretisation errors. The convergence procedure is demonstrated using an elasticity problem which has an analytical solution and is then applied to accurately solve a soft-tissue extension problem involving large deformations.

The developed convergence procedure, based on the presented adaptive integration scheme, allows the computation of accurate reference solutions for challenging problems which do not have an analytical or finite element solution.

This paper investigates the application of adaptive quadrature to solid mechanics problems in engineering analysis using the element-free Galerkin method to obtain accurate reference solutions. The proposed convergence procedure allows the user to independently examine and control the contribution of integration and discretisation errors to the overall solution error. This allows the computation of reference solutions for very challenging problems which do not have an analytical or even a finite element solution (such as very large deformation problems).

The Motz problem can be considered as a benchmark problem for testing the performance of numerical methods in the solution of elliptic problems with boundary singularities. The purpose of this paper is to address the solution of the Motz problem using the radial basis function (RBF) method, which is a truly meshfree scheme.

Both the global RBF collocation method (also known as Kansa's method) and the recently proposed local RBF‐based differential quadrature (LRBFDQ) method are considered. In both cases, it is shown that the accuracy of the solution can be significantly increased by using special functions which capture the behavior of the singularity. In the case of global collocation, the functional space spanned by the RBF is enlarged by adding singular functions which capture the behavior of the local singular solution. In the case of local collocation, the problem is modified appropriately in order to eliminate the singularities from the formulation.

The paper shows that the exponential convergence both with increasing resolution and increasing shape parameter, which is typical of the RBF method, is lost in problems containing singularities. The accuracy of the solution can be increased by collocation of the partial differential equation (PDE) at boundary nodes. However, in order to restore the exponential convergence of the RBF method, it is necessary to use special functions which capture the behavior of the solution near the discontinuity.

The paper uses Motz's problem as a prototype for problems described by elliptic partial differential equations with boundary singularities. However, the results obtained in the paper are applicable to a wide range of problems containing boundaries with conditions which change from Dirichlet to Neumann, thus leading to singularities in the first derivatives.

The paper shows that both the global RBF collocation method and the LRBFDQ method, are truly meshless methods which can be very useful for the solution of elliptic problems with boundary singularities. In particular, when complemented with special functions that capture the behavior of the solution near the discontinuity, the method exhibits exponential convergence both with resolution and with shape parameter.

Variable density flows play an important role in many technological devices and natural phenomena. The purpose of this paper is to develop a robust and accurate method for low Mach number flows with large density and temperature variations.

Low Mach number approximation approach is used in the paper combined with a predictor-corrector method and accurate compact scheme of fourth and sixth order. A novel algorithm is formulated for the projection method in which the boundary conditions for the pressure are implemented in such a way that the continuity equation is fulfilled everywhere in the computational domain, including the boundary nodes.

It is shown that proposed implementation of the boundary conditions considerably improves a solution accuracy. Assessment of the accuracy was performed based on the constant density Burggraf flow and for two benchmark cases for the natural convection problems: steady flow in a square cavity and unsteady flow in a tall cavity. In all the cases the results agree very well with exemplary solutions.

A staggered or half-staggered grid arrangement is usually used for the projection method for both constant and low Mach number flows. The staggered approach ensures stability and strong pressure-velocity coupling. In the paper a high-order compact method has been implemented in the framework of low Mach number approximation on collocated meshes. The resulting algorithm is accurate, robust for large density variations and is almost free from the pressure oscillations.

This study aims to overcome the involved challenging issues and provide high-precision eigensolutions. General eigenproblems in the system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) serve as mathematical models for vector Sturm-Liouville (SL) and free vibration problems. High-precision eigenvalue and eigenfunction solutions are crucial bases for the reliable dynamic analysis of structures. However, solutions that meet the error tolerances specified are difficult to obtain for issues such as coefficients of variable matrices, coincident and adjacent approximate eigenvalues, continuous orders of eigenpairs and varying boundary conditions.

This study presents an h-version adaptive finite element method based on the superconvergent patch recovery displacement method for eigenproblems in system of second-order ODEs. The high-order shape function interpolation technique is further introduced to acquire superconvergent solution of eigenfunction, and superconvergent solution of eigenvalue is obtained by computing the Rayleigh quotient. Superconvergent solution of eigenfunction is used to estimate the error of finite element solution in the energy norm. The mesh is then, subdivided to generate an improved mesh, based on the error.

Representative eigenproblems examples, containing typical vector SL and free vibration of beams problems involved the aforementioned challenging issues, are selected to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the proposed method. Non-uniform refined meshes are established to suit eigenfunctions change, and numerical solutions satisfy the pre-specified error tolerance.

The proposed combination of methodologies described in the paper, leads to a powerful h-version mesh refinement algorithm for eigenproblems in system of second-order ODEs, that can be extended to other classes of applications in damage detection of multiple cracks in structures based on the high-precision eigensolutions.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of numerical boundary condition implementation on local error and convergence in L2-norm of a finite volume discretization of the transient heat conduction equation subject to several boundary conditions, and for cases with volumetric heat generation, using both fully implicit and Crank-Nicolson time discretizations. The goal is to determine which combination of numerical boundary condition implementation and time discretization produces the most accurate solutions with the least computational effort.

The paper studies several benchmark cases including constant temperature, convective heating, constant heat flux, time-varying heat flux, and volumetric heating, and compares the convergence rates and local to analytical or semi-analytical solutions.

The Crank-Nicolson method coupled with second-order expression for the boundary derivatives produces the most accurate solutions on the coarsest meshes with the least computation times. The Crank-Nicolson method allows up to 16X larger time step for similar accuracy, with nearly negligible additional computational effort compared with the implicit method.

The findings can be used by researchers writing similar codes for quantitative guidance concerning the effect of various numerical boundary condition approximations for a large class of boundary condition types for two common time discretization methods.

The paper provides a comprehensive study of accuracy and convergence of the finite volume discretization for a wide range of benchmark cases and common time discretization methods.

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to seek improved solution techniques for combined boundary‐initial value problems (IVPs) associated with the time‐dependent creep deformation and rupture of engineering structures at high temperatures and hence to reconfigure a parallel iterative preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) solver and the DAMAGE XXX software, for 3‐D finite element creep continuum damage mechanics (CDM) analysis.Design/methodology/approach — The potential to speed up the computer numerical solution of the combined BV‐IVPs is addressed using parallel computers. Since the computational bottleneck is associated with the matrix solver, the parallelisation of a direct and an iterative solver has been studied. The creep deformation and rupture of a tension bar has been computed for a range of the number of degrees of freedom (ndf), and the performance of the two solvers is compared and assessed.Findings — The results show the superior scalability of the iterative solver compared to the direct solver, with larger speed‐ups gained by the PCG solver for higher degrees of freedom. Also, a new algorithm for the first trial solution of the PCG solver provides additional speed‐ups.Research limitations/implications — The results show that the ideal parallel speed‐up of the iterative solver of 16, relative to two processors, is achieved when using 32 processors for a mesh of ndf = 153,238. Originality/value — Techniques have been established in this paper for the parallelisation of CDM creep analysis software using an iterative equation solver. The significant computational speed‐ups achieved will enable the analysis of failures in weldments of industrial significance.