A mixed multiscale FEM for the eddy current problem with T,Φ-Φ and vector hysteresis

Purpose This work introduces an efficient and accurate technique to solve the eddy current problem in laminated iron cores considering vector hysteresis. Design/methodology/approach The mixed multiscale finite element method based on the based on the T,Φ-Φ formulation, with the current vector potential T and the magnetic scalar potential Φ allows the laminated core to be modelled as a single homogeneous block. This means that the individual sheets do not have to be resolved, which saves a lot of computing time and reduces the demands on the computer system enormously. Findings As a representative numerical example, a single-phase transformer with 4, 20 and 184 sheets is simulated with great success. The eddy current losses of the simulation using the standard finite element method and the simulation using the mixed multiscale finite element method agree very well and the required simulation time is tremendously reduced. Originality/value The vector Preisach model is used to account for vector hysteresis and is integrated into the mixed multiscale finite element method for the first time.

Online Coupled Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method for the Poroelasticity Problem in Fractured and Heterogeneous Media

In this paper, we consider the poroelasticity problem in fractured and heterogeneous media. The mathematical model contains a coupled system of equations for fluid pressures and displacements in heterogeneous media. Due to scale disparity, many approaches have been developed for solving detailed fine-grid problems on a coarse grid. However, some approaches can lack good accuracy on a coarse grid and some corrections for coarse-grid solutions are needed. In this paper, we present a coarse-grid approximation based on the generalized multiscale finite element method (GMsFEM). We present the construction of the offline and online multiscale basis functions. The offline multiscale basis functions are precomputed for the given heterogeneity and fracture network geometry, where for the construction, we solve a local spectral problem and use the dominant eigenvectors (appropriately defined) to construct multiscale basis functions. To construct the online basis functions, we use current information about the local residual and solve coupled poroelasticity problems in local domains. The online basis functions are used to enrich the offline multiscale space and rapidly reduce the error using residual information. Only with appropriate offline coarse-grid spaces can one guarantee a fast convergence of online methods. We present numerical results for poroelasticity problems in fractured and heterogeneous media. We investigate the influence of the number of offline and online basis functions on the relative errors between the multiscale solution and the reference (fine-scale) solution.

Higher Order Multiscale Finite Element Method for Heat Transfer Modeling

In this paper, we present a new approach to model the steady-state heat transfer in heterogeneous materials. The multiscale finite element method (MsFEM) is improved and used to solve this problem. MsFEM is a fast and flexible method for upscaling. Its numerical efficiency is based on the natural parallelization of the main computations and their further simplifications due to the numerical nature of the problem. The approach does not require the distinct separation of scales, which makes its applicability to the numerical modeling of the composites very broad. Our novelty relies on modifications to the standard higher-order shape functions, which are then applied to the steady-state heat transfer problem. To the best of our knowledge, MsFEM (based on the special shape function assessment) has not been previously used for an approximation order higher than p = 2, with the hierarchical shape functions applied and non-periodic domains, in this problem. Some numerical results are presented and compared with the standard direct finite-element solutions. The first test shows the performance of higher-order MsFEM for the asphalt concrete sample which is subject to heating. The second test is the challenging problem of metal foam analysis. The thermal conductivity of air and aluminum differ by several orders of magnitude, which is typically very difficult for the upscaling methods. A very good agreement between our upscaled and reference results was observed, together with a significant reduction in the number of degrees of freedom. The error analysis and the p-convergence of the method are also presented. The latter is studied in terms of both the number of degrees of freedom and the computational time.