This monograph focuses on the numerical methods needed in the context of developing a reliable simulation tool to promote the use of renewable energy. One very promising source of energy is the heat stored in the Earth’s crust, which is harnessed by so-called geothermal facilities. Scientists from fields like geology, geo-engineering, geophysics and especially geomathematics are called upon to help make geothermics a reliable and safe energy production method. One of the challenges they face involves modeling the mechanical stresses at work in a reservoir. The aim of this thesis is to develop a numerical solution scheme by means of which the fluid pressure and rock stresses in a geothermal reservoir can be determined prior to well drilling and during production. For this purpose, the method should (i) include poroelastic effects, (ii) provide a means of including thermoelastic effects, (iii) be inexpensive in terms of memory and computational power, and (iv) be flexible with regard to the locations of data points. After introducing the basic equations and their relations to more familiar ones (the heat equation, Stokes equations, Cauchy-Navier equation), the “method of fundamental solutions” and its potential value concerning our task are discussed. Based on the properties of the fundamental solutions, theoretical results are established and numerical examples of stress field simulations are presented to assess the method’s performance. The first-ever 3D graphics calculated for these topics, which neither requiring meshing of the domain nor involving a time-stepping scheme, make this a pioneering volume.

Methods of Fundamental Solutions in Solid Mechanics presents the fundamentals of continuum mechanics, the foundational concepts of the MFS, and methodologies and applications to various engineering problems. Eight chapters give an overview of meshless methods, the mechanics of solids and structures, the basics of fundamental solutions and radical basis functions, meshless analysis for thin beam bending, thin plate bending, two-dimensional elastic, plane piezoelectric problems, and heat transfer in heterogeneous media. The book presents a working knowledge of the MFS that is aimed at solving real-world engineering problems through an understanding of the physical and mathematical characteristics of the MFS and its applications. - Explains foundational concepts for the method of fundamental solutions (MFS) for the advanced numerical analysis of solid mechanics and heat transfer - Extends the application of the MFS for use with complex problems - Considers the majority of engineering problems, including beam bending, plate bending, elasticity, piezoelectricity and heat transfer - Gives detailed solution procedures for engineering problems - Offers a practical guide, complete with engineering examples, for the application of the MFS to real-world physical and engineering challenges

A self-contained and systematic development of an aspect of analysis which deals with the theory of fundamental solutions for differential operators, and their applications to boundary value problems of mathematical physics, applied mathematics, and engineering, with the related computational aspects.

This reference explains hybrid-Trefftz finite element method (FEM). Readers are introduced to the basic concepts and general element formulations of the method. This is followed by topics on non-homogeneous parabolic problems, thermal analysis of composites, and heat conduction in nonlinear functionally graded materials. A brief summary of the fundamental solution based-FEM is also presented followed by a discussion on axisymmetric potential problems and the rotordynamic response of tapered composites. The book is rounded by chapters that cover the n-sided polygonal hybrid finite elements and analysis of piezoelectric materials. Key Features - Systematic presentation of 9 topics - Covers FEMs in two sections: 1) hybrid-Trefftz method and 2) fundamental FEM solutions - Bibliographic references - Includes solutions to problems in the numerical analysis of different material types - Includes solutions to some problems encountered in civil engineering (seepage, heat transfer, etc). This reference is suitable for scholars involved in advanced courses in mathematics and engineering (civil engineering/materials engineering). Professionals involved in developing analytical tools for materials and construction testing can also benefit from the methods presented in the book.

There is a need to solve problems in solid and fluid mechanics that currently exceed the resources of current and foreseeable supercomputers. The issue revolves around the number of degrees of freedom of simultaneous equations that one needs to accurately describe the problem, and the computer storage and speed limitations which prohibit such solutions. The goals of tHis symposium were to explore some of the latest work being done in both industry and academia to solve such extremely large problems, and to provide a forum for the discussion and prognostication of necessary future direc tions of both man and machine. As evidenced in this proceedings we believe these goals were met. Contained in this volume are discussions of: iterative solvers, and their application to a variety of problems, e.g. structures, fluid dynamics, and structural acoustics; iterative dynamic substructuring and its use in structural acoustics; the use of the boundary element method both alone and in conjunction with the finite element method; the application of finite difference methods to problems of incompressible, turbulent flow; and algorithms amenable to concurrent computations and their applications. Furthermore, discussions of existing computational shortcomings from the big picture point of view are presented that include recommendations for future work.

Methods of mathematical modelling applied in contemporary computational mechanics can be divided into purely numerical and analytical-numerical procedures. In this book, the first part is a general presentation of the boundary collocation approach and its numerous variants and in the second part the method is applied to many engineering problems.