This volume demonstrates that boundary element methods are both elegant and efficient in their application to time dependent time harmonic problems in engineering and therefore worthy of considerable development.

The boundary element method (BEM) is a modern numerical techniquewhich has enjoyed increasing popularity over the last two decades,and is now an established alternative to traditional computationalmethods of engineering analysis. The main advantage of the BEM isits unique ability to provide a complete solution in terms ofboundary values only, with substantial savings in modelling effort. This two-volume book set is designed to provide the readers with acomprehensive and up-to-date account of the boundary element methodand its application to solving engineering problems. Each volume isa self-contained book including a substantial amount of materialnot previously covered by other text books on the subject. Volume 1covers applications to heat transfer, acoustics, electrochemistryand fluid mechanics problems, while volume 2 concentrates on solidsand structures, describing applications to elasticity, plasticity,elastodynamics, fracture mechanics and contact analysis. The earlychapters are designed as a teaching text for final yearundergraduate courses. Both volumes reflect the experience of theauthors over a period of more than twenty years of boundary element research. This volume, Applications in Thermo-Fluids and Acoustics, provides acomprehensive presentation of the BEM from fundamentals to advancedengineering applications and encompasses: Steady and transient heat transfer Potential and viscous fluid flows Frequency and time-domain acoustics Corrosion and other electrochemical problems. A unique feature of this book is an in-depth presentation of BEMformulations in all the above fields, including detaileddiscussions of the basic theory, numerical algorithms and practicalengineering applications of the method. Written by an internationally recognised authority in the field,this is essential reading for postgraduates, researchers andpractitioners in civil, mechanical and chemical engineering andapplied mathematics.

For the past several decades, the study of free boundary problems has been a very active subject of research occurring in a variety of applied sciences. What these problems have in common is their formulation in terms of suitably posed initial and boundary value problems for nonlinear partial differential equations. Such problems arise, for example, in the mathematical treatment of the processes of heat conduction, filtration through porous media, flows of non-Newtonian fluids, boundary layers, chemical reactions, semiconductors, and so on. The growing interest in these problems is reflected by the series of meetings held under the title "Free Boundary Problems: Theory and Applications" (Ox ford 1974, Pavia 1979, Durham 1978, Montecatini 1981, Maubuisson 1984, Irsee 1987, Montreal 1990, Toledo 1993, Zakopane 1995, Crete 1997, Chiba 1999). From the proceedings of these meetings, we can learn about the different kinds of mathematical areas that fall within the scope of free boundary problems. It is worth mentioning that the European Science Foundation supported a vast research project on free boundary problems from 1993 until 1999. The recent creation of the specialized journal Interfaces and Free Boundaries: Modeling, Analysis and Computation gives us an idea of the vitality of the subject and its present state of development. This book is a result of collaboration among the authors over the last 15 years.

Heat transfer problems in industry are usually of a very complex nature, simultaneously involving different transfer modes such as conduction, convection, radiation and others. Because of this, very few problems can be solved analytically and one generally has to resort to numerical analysis. The boundary element method is a numerical technique which has been receiving growing attention for solving heat transfer problems because of its unique ability to confine the discretization process to the boundaries of the problem region. This allows major reductions in the data preparation and computer effort necessary to solve complex industrial problems. The purpose of this book is to present efficient algorithms used in conjunction with the boundary element method for the solution of steady and transient, linear and non-linear heat transfer problems. It represents the state-of-the-art of boundary element applications in the field of heat transfer, and constitutes essential reading for researchers and practising engineers involved with this important topic.

Nonlinear stress analysis (a branch of solid mechanics) is an essential feature in the design of such diverse structures as aircraft, bridges, machines, and dams. Computational techniques have become vital tools in dealing with the complex, time-consuming problems associated with nonlinear stress analysis. Although finite element techniques are widely used, boundary element methods (BEM) offer a powerful alternative, especially in tackling problems of three-dimensional plasticity. This book describes the application of BEM in solid mechanics, beginning with basic theory and then explaining the numerical implementation of BEM in nonlinear stress analysis. The book includes a state-of-the-art CD-ROM containing BEM source code for use by the reader. This book will be especially useful to stress analysts in industry, research workers in the field of computational plasticity, and postgraduate students taking courses in engineering mechanics.

Fluids play an important role in environmental systems appearing as surface water in rivers, lakes, and coastal regions or in the subsurface as well as in the atmosphere. Mechanics of environmental fluids is concerned with fluid motion, associated mass and heat transport as well as deformation processes in subsurface systems. In this reference work the fundamental modelling approaches based on continuum mechanics for fluids in the environment are described, including porous media and turbulence. Numerical methods for solving the process governing equations as well as its object-oriented computer implementation are discussed and illustrated with examples. Finally, the application of computer models in civil and environmental engineering is demonstrated.

This book Boundary Elements in Fluid Dynamics is the second volume of the two volume proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Modelling of Seas and Coastal Regions and Boundary Elements and Fluid Dynamics, held in Southampton, U.K., in April 1992. The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is now fully established as an ac curate and successful technique for solving engineering problems in a wide range of fields. The success of the method is due to its advantages in data reduction, as only the boundary of the region is modelled. Thus moving boundaries may be more easily handled, which is not the case if domain methods are used. In addition, the method is easily able to model regions to extending to infinity. Fluid mechanics is traditionally one of the most challenging areas of engi neering, the simulation of fluid motion, particularly in three dimensions, is always a serious test for any numerical method, and is an area in which BEM analysis may be used taking full advantage of its special characteris tics. The conference includes sections on turbomachinery, aerodynamics, viscous flow and turbulence models, and special flow situations. The organisers would like to thank the International Scientific Advisory Committee, the conference delegates and all of those who have actively supported the meet ing.