Neste trabalho, a técnica de enriquecimento da partição da unidade é estendida e adaptada para duas formulações não-convencionais para a elasticidade plana: a formulação híbrida de tensão (FHT) e a formulação híbrido-mista de tensão (FHMT). Estas formulações são ditas não-convencionais, pois não recorrem a princípios variacionais clássicos. Elementos finitos triangulares e quadrilaterais com enriquecimento nodal são desenvolvidos para avaliação da forma discreta das duas formulações estudadas. Na FHMT, três campos são aproximados de forma independente: tensões e deslocamentos no domínio e deslocamentos no contorno. O conceito de partição da unidade é então utilizado para garantir continuidade de cada um dos campos envolvidos na FHMT e realizar o procedimento de enriquecimento nodal. Funções polinomiais são utilizadas para enriquecer cada uma das aproximações dos campos da FHMT. A sensibilidade das respostas em relação a redes distorcidas é avaliada. Além disso, abordam-se aspectos relativos à convergência e estabilidade da solução numérica. Especificamente para a FHT, dois campos são independentemente aproximados: tensões no domínio e deslocamentos na fronteira estática. As aproximações das tensões, que por definição não estão atreladas a nós, devem primeiramente satisfazer a condição de equilíbrio no domínio. O conceito de partição da unidade é empregado, neste caso, para dar continuidade aos deslocamentos entre as fronteiras dos elementos. O enriquecimento polinomial da partição de unidade é então aplicado às aproximações dos deslocamentos no contorno. Para o campo de tensões no domínio, desenvolve-se uma técnica específica de enriquecimento nodal. Mais uma vez, aspectos relativos à sensibilidade à distorção de redes e convergência são estudados e avaliados. Finalmente, alguns exemplos numéricos são apresentados para ilustrar o desempenho de ambas as abordagens, especialmente quando a técnica de enriquecimento é aplicada. / In the present work, the partition of unity enrichment concept is basically applied to non-conventional stress hybrid-mixed and hybrid formulations in plane elasticity. These formulations are referred to as non-conventional because no variational principles are explored. From these, triangular and quadrilateral finite elements with selective nodal enrichment are then derived. In the stress hybrid-mixed approach, three independent fields are approximated: stress and displacement fields in the domain and displacement fields on the static boundary. The partition of unity concept is then used to provide continuity to all the fields involved. Afterwards, the nodal enrichment feature is explored. Polynomial functions are employed to enrich each one of the approximation fields. Besides, some aspects concerning convergence and stability of the numerical solutions obtained are addressed. On the other hand, in the hybrid approach, two independent fields are approximated: stress fields in the domain and displacement fields on the static boundary. However, the approximation of the stress field must first satisfy the equilibrium condition in the domain without involving nodal values in its definition. Hence, the partition of unity concept is used to provide continuity of displacements between the boundaries of the elements. The partition of unity based nodal enrichment is then applied to the boundary displacement fields. Nevertheless, enrichment of the stress field can also be carried out with exploring a specific and original technique that permits applied the partition of unity concept but in such way as to preserve satisfaction of the equilibrium condition in the domain. Again, convergence and stability aspects of the hybrid approach are briefly addressed. Finally, some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the performance of both approaches derived, especially when combined possibilities of enrichment are explored.

Neste trabalho, a técnica de enriquecimento da partição da unidade é estendida e adaptada para duas formulações não-convencionais para a elasticidade plana: a formulação híbrida de tensão (FHT) e a formulação híbrido-mista de tensão (FHMT). Estas formulações são ditas não-convencionais, pois não recorrem a princípios variacionais clássicos. Elementos finitos triangulares e quadrilaterais com enriquecimento nodal são desenvolvidos para avaliação da forma discreta das duas formulações estudadas. Na FHMT, três campos são aproximados de forma independente: tensões e deslocamentos no domínio e deslocamentos no contorno. O conceito de partição da unidade é então utilizado para garantir continuidade de cada um dos campos envolvidos na FHMT e realizar o procedimento de enriquecimento nodal. Funções polinomiais são utilizadas para enriquecer cada uma das aproximações dos campos da FHMT. A sensibilidade das respostas em relação a redes distorcidas é avaliada. Além disso, abordam-se aspectos relativos à convergência e estabilidade da solução numérica. Especificamente para a FHT, dois campos são independentemente aproximados: tensões no domínio e deslocamentos na fronteira estática. As aproximações das tensões, que por definição não estão atreladas a nós, devem primeiramente satisfazer a condição de equilíbrio no domínio. O conceito de partição da unidade é empregado, neste caso, para dar continuidade aos deslocamentos entre as fronteiras dos elementos. O enriquecimento polinomial da partição de unidade é então aplicado às aproximações dos deslocamentos no contorno. Para o campo de tensões no domínio, desenvolve-se uma técnica específica de enriquecimento nodal. Mais uma vez, aspectos relativos à sensibilidade à distorção de redes e convergência são estudados e avaliados. Finalmente, alguns exemplos numéricos são apresentados para ilustrar o desempenho de ambas as abordagens, especialmente quando a técnica de enriquecimento é aplicada. / In the present work, the partition of unity enrichment concept is basically applied to non-conventional stress hybrid-mixed and hybrid formulations in plane elasticity. These formulations are referred to as non-conventional because no variational principles are explored. From these, triangular and quadrilateral finite elements with selective nodal enrichment are then derived. In the stress hybrid-mixed approach, three independent fields are approximated: stress and displacement fields in the domain and displacement fields on the static boundary. The partition of unity concept is then used to provide continuity to all the fields involved. Afterwards, the nodal enrichment feature is explored. Polynomial functions are employed to enrich each one of the approximation fields. Besides, some aspects concerning convergence and stability of the numerical solutions obtained are addressed. On the other hand, in the hybrid approach, two independent fields are approximated: stress fields in the domain and displacement fields on the static boundary. However, the approximation of the stress field must first satisfy the equilibrium condition in the domain without involving nodal values in its definition. Hence, the partition of unity concept is used to provide continuity of displacements between the boundaries of the elements. The partition of unity based nodal enrichment is then applied to the boundary displacement fields. Nevertheless, enrichment of the stress field can also be carried out with exploring a specific and original technique that permits applied the partition of unity concept but in such way as to preserve satisfaction of the equilibrium condition in the domain. Again, convergence and stability aspects of the hybrid approach are briefly addressed. Finally, some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the performance of both approaches derived, especially when combined possibilities of enrichment are explored.

Este trabalho trata da combinação entre a formulação híbrida-mista de tensão (FHMT) (Freitas et al. (1996)), para a elasticidade plana, com o método dos elementos finitos generalizados (MEFG), Duarte et al. (2000). O MEFG se caracteriza como uma forma não-convencional do método dos elementos finitos (MEF) que resulta da incorporação a este de conceitos e técnicas dos métodos sem malha, como o enriquecimento nodal proposto do método das nuvens “hp”. Como na FHMT são aproximados dois campos no domínio (tensão e deslocamento) e um no contorno (deslocamento), diferentes possibilidades de enriquecimento nodal são exploradas. Para a discretização do modelo híbrido-misto empregam-se elementos finitos quadrilaterais com funções de forma bilineares para o domínio e elementos lineares para o contorno. Essas funções são enriquecidas por funções polinomiais, trigonométricas, polinômios que proporcionam distribuição de tensões auto-equilibradas ou mesmo funções especiais relacionadas às soluções dos problemas de fratura. Uma extensão do teste numérico abordado em Zienkiewicz et al. (1986) é proposta como investigação inicial das condições necessárias para garantia de estabilidade da resposta numérica. O estudo da estabilidade é completado com a análise da condição de Babuška-Brezzi (inf-sup). Esta condição é aplicada nos elementos finitos quadrilaterais híbridos-mistos enriquecidos por meio de um teste numérico, denominado de inf-sup teste, desenvolvido com base no trabalho de Chapelle e Bathe (1993). Exemplos numéricos revelam que a FHMT é uma interessante alternativa para obtenção de boas estimativas para os campos de tensões e deslocamentos, usando-se enriquecimento sobre alguns nós de malhas pouco refinadas / This work presents a combination of hybrid-mixed stress model formulation (HMSMF) (Freitas et al. (1996)), to treat plane elasticity problems, with generalized finite element method (GFEM), (Duarte et al. (2000)). GFEM is characterized as a nonconventional formulation of the finite element method (FEM). GFEM is the result of the incorporation of concepts and techniques from meshless methods. One example of these techniques is the nodal enrichment that was formulated in the “hp” clouds method. Since two fields in domain (stress and displacement) and one in boundary (displacement) are approximated in the HMSMF, different possibilities of nodal enrichment are tested. For the discretization of the hybrid-mixed model quadrilateral finite elements with bilinear shape functions for the domain and linear elements for the boundary were employed. These functions are enriched with polynomial functions, trigonometric functions, polynomials that generate self-equilibrated stress distribution, or, even special functions connected with solutions of fracture problems. An extension of the numerical test cited in Zienkiewicz et al. (1986) is proposed as initial investigation of necessary conditions to assure the stability of the numerical answer. The stability study is completed with the analysis of the Babuška-Brezzi (inf-sup) condition. This last condition is applied to hybrid-mixed enrichment quadrilaterals finite elements by means of a numerical test, denominated inf-sup test, which was developed based on paper of Chapelle and Bathe (1993). Numerical examples reveal that HMSMF is an interesting alternative to obtain good estimates of the stress and displacement fields, using enrichment over some nodes of poor meshes

It has been hypothesized that increasing the number of active sites on a cochlear implant electrode array will enable the recipient to distinguish a higher number of pitch precepts, thus creating a more natural sound. While DSP processing strategies for cochlear implants have evolved significantly to address this, technology for the actual electrode array has remained relatively constant and limits the number of physical electrodes possible. Previous work introduced the concept of using Thin-Film Array (TFA) technology to allow for much higher site densities, although the original devices proved unreliable during surgical insertion tests. This work presents a new method of combining polyimide-based TFA's with supporting silicone insertion platforms to create assembled electrode arrays that are a more viable option for surgical insertion. The electrical and mechanical properties of these assemblies are investigated with physical deformation tests and finite element analysis in COMSOL to quantify how they will perform upon insertion into the cochlea, and the preliminary results of a surgical insertion study into human cadaveric temporal bones will be discussed.

Establishing process-structure-property relationships is an important objective in the paradigm of materials design in order to reduce the time and cost needed to develop new materials. A method to link phase field (process-structure relations) and microstructure-sensitive finite element (structure-property relations) modeling is demonstrated for subsolvus polycrystalline IN100. A three-dimensional (3D) experimental dataset obtained by orientation imaging microscopy performed on serial sections is utilized to calibrate a phase field model and to calculate inputs for a finite element analysis. Simulated annealing of the dataset realized through phase field modeling results in a range of coarsened microstructures with varying grain size distributions that are each input into the finite element model. A rate dependent crystal plasticity constitutive model that captures the first order effects of grain size, precipitate size, and precipitate volume fraction on the mechanical response of IN100 at 650°C is used to simulate stress-strain behavior of the coarsened polycrystals. Model limitations and ideas for future work are discussed.

There are two big challenges which restrict the extensive application of fully coupled geomechanics-reservoir modeling. The first challenge is computational effort. Consider a 3-D simulation combining pressure and heat diffusion, elastoplastic mechanical response, and saturation changes; each node has at least 5 degrees of freedom, each leading to a separate equation. Furthermore, regions of large p, T and σ′ gradients require small-scale discretization for accurate solutions, greatly increasing the number of equations. When the rock mass surrounding the reservoir region is included, it is represented by many elements or nodes. These factors mean that accurate analysis of realistic 3-D problems is challenging, and will so remain as we seek to solve larger and larger coupled problems involving nonlinear responses. To overcome the first challenge, the displacement discontinuity method is introduced wherein a large-scale 3-D case is divided into a reservoir region where Δp, ΔT and non-linear effects are critical and analyzed using FEM, and an outside region in which the reservoir is encased where Δp and ΔT effects are inconsequential and the rock may be treated as elastic, analyzed with a 3D displacement discontinuity formulation. This scheme leads to a tremendous reduction in the degrees of freedom, yet allows for reasonably rigorous incorporation of the reactions of the surrounding rock. The second challenge arises from some forms of numerical instability. There are actually two types of sharp gradients implied in the transient advection-diffusion problem: one is caused by the high Peclet numbers, the other by the sharp gradient which appears during the small time steps due to the transient solution. The way to eliminate the spurious oscillations is different when the sharp gradients are induced by the transient evolution than when they are produced by the advective terms, and existing literature focuses mainly on eliminating the spurious spatial temperature oscillations caused by advection-dominated flow. To overcome the second challenge, numerical instability sources are addressed by introducing a new stabilized finite element method, the subgrid scale/gradient subgrid scale (SGS/GSGS) method.

There are two big challenges which restrict the extensive application of fully coupled geomechanics-reservoir modeling. The first challenge is computational effort. Consider a 3-D simulation combining pressure and heat diffusion, elastoplastic mechanical response, and saturation changes; each node has at least 5 degrees of freedom, each leading to a separate equation. Furthermore, regions of large p, T and σ′ gradients require small-scale discretization for accurate solutions, greatly increasing the number of equations. When the rock mass surrounding the reservoir region is included, it is represented by many elements or nodes. These factors mean that accurate analysis of realistic 3-D problems is challenging, and will so remain as we seek to solve larger and larger coupled problems involving nonlinear responses. To overcome the first challenge, the displacement discontinuity method is introduced wherein a large-scale 3-D case is divided into a reservoir region where Δp, ΔT and non-linear effects are critical and analyzed using FEM, and an outside region in which the reservoir is encased where Δp and ΔT effects are inconsequential and the rock may be treated as elastic, analyzed with a 3D displacement discontinuity formulation. This scheme leads to a tremendous reduction in the degrees of freedom, yet allows for reasonably rigorous incorporation of the reactions of the surrounding rock. The second challenge arises from some forms of numerical instability. There are actually two types of sharp gradients implied in the transient advection-diffusion problem: one is caused by the high Peclet numbers, the other by the sharp gradient which appears during the small time steps due to the transient solution. The way to eliminate the spurious oscillations is different when the sharp gradients are induced by the transient evolution than when they are produced by the advective terms, and existing literature focuses mainly on eliminating the spurious spatial temperature oscillations caused by advection-dominated flow. To overcome the second challenge, numerical instability sources are addressed by introducing a new stabilized finite element method, the subgrid scale/gradient subgrid scale (SGS/GSGS) method.

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[Truncated abstract] The scaled boundary finite element method is a novel computational method developed by Wolf and Song which reduces partial differential equations to a set of ordinary linear differential equations. The method, which is semi-analytical, is suitable for solving linear elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic partial differential equations. The method has proved to be very efficient in solving various types of problems, including problems of potential flow and diffusion. The method out performs the finite element method when solving unbounded domain problems and problems involving stress singularities and discontinuities. The scaled boundary finite element method involves solution of a quadratic eigenproblem, the computational expense of which increases rapidly as the number of degrees of freedom increases. Consequently, to a greater extent than the finite element method, it is desirable to obtain solutions at a specified level of accuracy while using the minimum number of degrees of freedom necessary. In previous work, no systematic study had been performed so far into the use of elements of higher order, and no consideration made of p adaptivity. . . The primal problem is solved normally using the basic scaled boundary finite element method. The dual problem is solved by the new technique using the fundamental solution. A guaranteed upper error bound based on the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality is derived. A iv goal-oriented p-hierarchical adaptive procedure is proposed and implemented efficiently in the scaled boundary finite element method.