Title: Isogeometric Analysis and Generalized Elements

Speaker: Professor David Benson (University of California, San Diego)

Date/Time: Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 10am – 11am      

Location: CSRI Building/Room 90 (Sandia NM)

Brief Abstract: Many of the formulations of current research interest, including  isogeometric methods and the extended finite element method use nontraditional basis functions. Some, such as subdivision surfaces, may  not have convenient analytical representations.  The concept    of an  element, if appropriate at all, no longer coincides with the  traditional definition. Developing new software for each new class of  basis functions is a large research burden, especially if the problems   involve large deformations, nonlinear materials, and contact.  The objective of this paper is to present a method that separates as much  as possible the generation and evaluation of the basis functions from  the analysis, resulting in a formulation that can be implemented within  the traditional structure of a finite element program but that permits  the use of arbitrary sets of basis functions that are defined only  through the input file. Elements ranging from a traditional linear  four-node tetrahedron through a higher-order element combining X-FEM  and isogeometric analysis may be specified entirely through an input  file without any additional programming. Examples of this framework to  applications with Lagrange elements, isogeometric elements and XFEM  basis functions for fracture are presented.

CSRI POC: Guglielmo Scovazzi, 505-844-0707