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We have recently developed a novel multi-level boundary element method (MLBEM) for steady heat diffusion in irregular two-dimensional domains (Numerical Heat Transfer Part B: Fundamentals, 46 : 329–356, 2004). This presentation extends the MLBEM methodology to three-dimensional problems. First, we outline a 3-D MLBEM formulation for steady heat diffusion and discuss the differences between multi-level algorithms for two and three dimensions. Then, we consider an example problem that involves heat conduction in a semi-infinite three-dimensional domain. We investigate the performance of the MLBEM formulation using a single-patch approach. The MLBEM algorithms are shown facilitate fast and accurate numerical solutions with no loss of the solution accuracy. More dramatic speed-ups can be achieved provided that patch-edge corrections are also evaluated using multi-level technique.Copyright © 2005 by ASME

Previous work on the development of multi-level boundary element methods (MLBEM) has produced dramatic computational efficiencies compared to traditional methods. However, for problems involving the oscillatory kernels associated with the Helmholtz equation, the performance improvements demonstrated to date have been limited due to the presence of coarse mesh Nyquist constraints. In the present paper, we examine an extension of the original Helmholtz MLBEM to remove these limitations, based on a polar decomposition of the kernels and field variables originally proposed by Brandt. In this initial numerical implementation of these ideas, the algorithm is applied to a pair of two-dimensional half-space problems and, therefore, is limited to the fast evaluation of Rayleigh integrals. In general, excellent performance is achieved. For example, in the second problem with a non-dimensional wave number equal to 105 , we obtain speed-up factors of approximately 300,000 versus a traditional BEM approach, while maintaining comparable levels of accuracy.Copyright © 2005 by ASME

Higher-order boundary element methods (BEM) are presented for three-dimensional steady convective heat diffusion at high Peclet numbers. An accurate and efficient boundary element formulation is facilitated by the definition of an influence domain due to convective kernels. This approach essentially localizes the surface integrations only within the domain of influence which becomes more narrowly focused as the Peclet number increases. The outcome of this phenomenon is an increased sparsity and improved conditioning of the global matrix. Therefore, iterative solvers for sparse matrices become a very efficient and robust tool for the corresponding boundary element matrices. In this paper, we consider an example problem with an exact solution and investigate the accuracy and efficiency of the higher-order BEM formulations for high Peclet numbers in the range from 1,000 to 100,000. The bi-quartic boundary elements included in this study are shown to provide very efficient and extremely accurate solutions, even on a single engineering workstation.Copyright © 2004 by ASME

In this presentation, we re-visit the poly-region boundary element methods (BEM) proposed earlier for the steady Navier-Stokes [1] and Boussinesq [2] flows, and develop a novel higher-order BEM formulation for the thermoviscous fluid flows that involves the definition of the domains of kernel influences due to steady Oseenlets. We introduce region-by-region implementation of the steady-state Oseenlets within the poly-region boundary element fequatramework, and perform integration only over the (parts of) higher-order boundary elements and volume cells that are influenced by the kernels. No integration outside the domains of the kernel influences are needed. Owing to the properties of the convective Oseenlets, the kernel influences are very local and propagate upstream. The localization becomes more prominent as the Reynolds number of the flow increases. This improves the conditioning of the global matrix, which in turn, facilitates an efficient use of the iterative solvers for the sparse matrices [3]. Here, we consider quartic boundary elements and bi-quartic volume cells to ensure a high level resolution in space. Similar to the previous developments [4–6], coefficients of the discrete boundary integral equations are evaluated with the sufficient precision using semi-analytic approach to ensure exceptional accuracy of the boundary element formulation. To demonstrate the attractiveness of the poly-region BEM formulation, we consider a numerical example of the well-known Rayleigh-Benard problem governed by the Boussinesq equations.Copyright © 2004 by ASME

A new space-time multi-level boundary element method (MLBEM) is developed for transient heat diffusion problems in two-dimensions. This approach extends the MLBEM approach for steady heat diffusion [1] to accommodate fast time convolution algorithm [2]. The space-time MLBEM algorithm developed in this presentation provides fast, accurate and memory efficient numerical solutions for time-dependent heat diffusion problems. Conventional BEM approaches using M boundary elements result in operation counts of order O(M2N2) for the discrete time convolution over N time steps. Here we focus on the formulation for linear problems of transient heat diffusion and demonstrate reduced computational complexity to order O(M log MN3/2) for a two-dimensional model problem using the multi-level boundary element algorithm. Memory requirements are also significantly reduced, while maintaining the same level of accuracy as the conventional time domain BEM approach.

A new algorithm is developed to evaluate the time convolution integrals that are associated with boundary element methods (BEM) for transient diffusion. This approach, which is based upon the multi-level multi-integration concepts of Brandt and Lubrecht, provides a fast, accurate and memory efficient time domain method for this entire class of problems. Conventional BEM approaches result in operation counts of order O(N2 ) for the discrete time convolution over N time steps. Here we focus on the formulation for linear problems of transient heat diffusion and demonstrate reduced computational complexity to order O(N3/2 ) for a couple of two-dimensional model problems using the multi-level convolution BEM. Memory requirements are also significantly reduced, while maintaining the same level of accuracy as the conventional time domain BEM approach.Copyright © 2004 by ASME

Recently, we have developed multi-level boundary element methods (MLBEM) for the solution of the Laplace and Helmholtz equations that involve asymptotically decaying non-oscillatory and oscillatory singular kernels, respectively. The accuracy and efficiency of the fast boundary element methods for steady-state heat diffusion and accoustics problems have been investigated for square domains. The current work extends the MLBEM methodology to the solution of Stokes equation in more complex two dimensional domains. The performance of the fast boundary element method for the Stokes flows is first investigated for a model problem in a unit square. Then, we study the performance of the MLBEM algorithm in a C-shaped domain.Copyright © 2004 by ASME

A fast, accurate and efficient multi-level boundary element method is developed to solve general boundary value problems. Here we concentrate on problems of two-dimensional steady potential flow and present a fast direct boundary element formulation. This novel method extends the pioneering work of Brandt and Lubrecht on multi-level multi-integration (MLMI) in several important ways to address problems with mixed boundary conditions. We utilize bi-conjugate gradient methods (BCGM) and implement the MLMI approach for fast matrix and matrix transpose multiplication for every iteration loop. Furthermore, by introducing a C-cycle multigrid algorithm, we find that the number of iterations for the bi-conjugate gradient methods is independent of the boundary element mesh discretization for problems of steady-state heat diffusion considered in this paper. As a result, the computational complexity of the proposed method is proportional to only N · log(N), where N is the number of degrees of freedom.Copyright © 2003 by ASME

Higher-order boundary element methods (BEM) are presented for time-dependent convective diffusion in two dimensions. The time-dependent convective diffusion free-space fundamental solutions originally proposed by Carslaw and Jaeger are used to obtain the boundary integral formulation. Boundary element method solutions up to the Peclet number 106 are obtained for an example problem of unsteady convection-diffusion that possesses an exact solution. We investigate the convergence rate and accuracy of the higher-order boundary element formulations. An extremely high accuracy of the BEM solutions for highly convective flows is demonstrated. Moreover, it is shown that the use of time-dependent convective kernels provides an automatic upwinding for the entire range of Peclet numbers and also leads to very efficient algorithms as the Peclet number increases.Copyright © 2003 by ASME