Procedural modeling buildings for finite element method simulation

Finite element methods for heat simulation at urban scale require mesh-volume models, where the meshing process requires a special attention in order to satisfy FEM requirements. In this paper we propose a procedural volume modeling approach for automatic creation of mesh-volume buildings, which are suitable for FEM simulations at urban scale. We develop a basic rule-set library and a building generation procedure that guarantee conforming meshes. In this way, urban models can be easily built for energy analysis. Our test-case shows a street created with building prototypes that fulfill all the requirements for being loaded in a FEM numerical platform such as Cast3M (www-cast3m.cea.fr).

Self-adaptive macroslip array for friction force prediction in contact interfaces with non-conforming meshes

The steady-state nonlinear forced response (NFR) of finite element (FE) models with friction joints is usually computed in the frequency domain through the combination of node-to-node contact elements and the Harmonic Balance Method (HBM). In the current state of the art, rare are the cases where the friction forces are estimated for contact interfaces with non-conforming mesh grids. This need is nowadays taking place due to the improving capability of commercial FE software to manage any kind of boundary condition (i.e., either coupling or contact), without requiring coincident pairs of nodes at the joint interfaces. Such an advantage becomes a drawback when the analysts are requested to investigate the NFR of the assembly by using build-in codes, where the contact forces prediction usually requires node-to-node contact elements whose parameters (i.e., the contact stiffnesses and friction coefficients) can be easily identified by means of experiments. This paper addresses the mentioned limitation, and proposes a novel self-adaptive macroslip array (SAMA) model for the estimation of the nonlinear friction forces on FE contact interfaces with non-conforming meshes. The SAMA model consists on a set of node-to-node contact elements ordered in parallel, whose contact parameters and normal preloads are identified through a step-by-step self-adaptive weighting algorithm that depends on the topology of the meshes in contact. The goodness of the proposed model is assessed on the calculation of the NFR of a bladed disk with shroud contacts, under the hypotheses of cyclic symmetry and HBM. The nonlinear dynamic behavior of the bladed disk is evaluated in two different cases. First, in the case of lack of node-to-node congruence at the contact interface for the structure being in its undeformed configuration, and second, in the case of a relevant static misalignment of the contact interfaces due to the application of large static loads.

A projected super-penalty method for the $$C^1$$-coupling of multi-patch isogeometric Kirchhoff plates

This work focuses on the development of a super-penalty strategy based on the $$L^2$$ L 2 -projection of suitable coupling terms to achieve $$C^1$$ C 1 -continuity between non-conforming multi-patch isogeometric Kirchhoff plates. In particular, the choice of penalty parameters is driven by the underlying perturbed saddle point problem from which the Lagrange multipliers are eliminated and is performed to guarantee the optimal accuracy of the method. Moreover, by construction, the method does not suffer from boundary locking, especially on very coarse meshes. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed coupling algorithm to Kirchhoff plates by studying several benchmark examples discretized by non-conforming meshes. In all cases, we recover the optimal rates of convergence achievable by B-splines where we achieve a substantial gain in accuracy per degree-of-freedom compared to other choices of the penalty parameters.

Some multiple flow direction algorithms for overland flow on general meshes

After recalling the most classical multiple flow direction algorithms (MFD), we establish their equivalence with a well chosen discretization of Manning–Strickler models for water flow. From this analogy, we derive a new MFD algorithm that remains valid on general, possibly non conforming meshes. We also derive a convergence theory for MFD algorithms based on the Manning–Strickler models. Numerical experiments illustrate the good behavior of the method even on distorted meshes.

An Improved Immersed Boundary Method for Simulating Flow Hydrodynamics in Streams with Complex Terrains

Three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations have gained substantial popularity in recent years for stream flow modelling. The complex terrain in streams is usually represented by a 3D mesh conforming to the terrain geometry. Such terrain-conforming meshes are time-consuming to generate. In this work, an immersed boundary method is developed in an existing terrain-conforming CFD model named U2RANS as an alternative, in which terrains are represented implicitly in the Cartesian background mesh. An improved two-layer wall function is proposed in the framework of the k-ε turbulence model, with the aim of producing accurate and smooth wall shear stress distribution and paving the way for future model development on sediment transport and scour modeling. The improvement overcomes the inherent discontinuity and nonlinearity of the two-layer velocity profile, which causes error in the estimation of shear velocity. The new algorithm utilizes a distance control on the image point in immersed boundary method and a modification of velocity prediction in the laminar layer. The improved immersed boundary method is tested with 1D, 2D, and 3D cases, and comparisons with flume experiments show promising results.