Continued Coupling of Isogeometric Analysis with the Elastic-Plastic Impact Code (EPIC)

  • Gerlach, Charles (Southwest Research Inst)

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This work demonstrates a new kind of computational coupling between Isogeometric analysis and a legacy Finite Element code. With minimal changes to the Finite Element code, solutions of spline level smoothness can be achieved. The coupling library, being given the Isogeometric spline discretization of the problem, will create a first-order finite element mesh as an approximant to the splines, and will then compute the projection between the two spatial discretizations. The Finite Element code will then compute nodal forces from the first-order mesh, but when it comes time for the forces to update the nodal positions and velocities, the forces will be passed to the library, which will project the forces onto the spline discretization, update the spline’s velocities and positions, project those back onto the Finite Element mesh and then send the updated Finite Element nodal positions and velocities back. A similar interface can update contact interfaces, allowing problems involving contact to be computed. Erosion of the finite elements, or conversion into mesh-free particles will be demonstrated. This presentation will discuss the specific coupling between the Isogeometric library written by Coreform LLC, and the Elastic Plastic Impact Code (EPIC). The ease of implementation will be discussed, and examples computed with and without the current coupling will be presented.