An element implementation of the boundary face method for 3D potential problems

This work presents a new implementation of the boundary face method (BFM) with shape functions from surface elements on the geometry directly like the boundary element method (BEM). The conventional BEM uses the standard elements for boundary integration and approximation of the geometry, and thus introduces errors in geometry. In this paper, the BFM is implemented directly based on the boundary representation data structure (B-rep) that is used in most CAD packages for geometry modeling. Each bounding surface of geometry model is represented as parametric form by the geometric map between the parametric space and the physical space. Both boundary integration and variable approximation are performed in the parametric space. The integrand quantities are calculated directly from the faces rather than from elements, and thus no geometric error will be introduced. The approximation scheme in the parametric space based on the surface element is discussed. In order to deal with thin and slender structures, an adaptive integration scheme has been developed. An adaptive method for generating surface elements has also been developed. We have developed an interface between BFM and UG-NX(R). Numerical examples involving complicated geometries have demonstrated that the integration of BFM and UG-NX(R) is successful. Some examples have also revealed that the BFM possesses higher accuracy and is less sensitive to the coarseness of the mesh than the BEM. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.