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Lecture Notes in

Engineering

Edited by C. A. Brebbia and S. A. Orszag

77

s. Amini. P. J. Harris, D. T. Wilton

Coupled Boundary and Finite

Element Methods for the Solution
of the Dynamic Fluid-Structure
Interaction Problem

Springer-Verlag
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Series Editors
C. A. Brebbia . S. A. Orszag
Consulting Editors

J. Argyris . K.-J. Bathe' A. S. Cakmak . J. Connor' R. McCrory

C. S. Desai K.-P. Holz . F. A. Leckie' G. Pinder' A. R. S. Pont
J. H. Seinfeld . P. Silvester P. Spanos' W. Wunderlich . S. Yip
Authors

Dr. Siamak Amini

Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Science
University of Salford
Salford, Lancashire, M 5 4 WT

UK

Dr. Paul John Harris

School of Mathematics and Statistics
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT

UK

Dr. David T. Wilton

Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics
Polytechnic South West
Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA

UK

ISBN 978-3-642-51727-3 (eBook)

ISBN 978-3-540-55562-9
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-51727-3
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Preface
This text considers the problem of the dynamic fluid-structure interaction between a finite
elastic structure and the acoustic field in an unbounded fluid-filled exterior domain.
The exterior acoustic field is modelled through a boundary integral equation over the
structure surface. However, the classical boundary integral equation formulations of this
problem either have no solutions or do not have unique solutions at certain characteristic
frequencies (which depend on the surface geometry) and it is necessary to employ modified
boundary integral equation formulations which are valid for all frequencies. The particular
approach adopted here involves an arbitrary coupling parameter and the effect that this
parameter has on the stability and accuracy of the numerical method used to solve the
integral equation is examined.
The boundary integral analysis of the exterior acoustic problem is coupled with a finite
element analysis of the elastic structure in order to investigate the interaction between
the dynamic behaviour of the structure and the associated acoustic field. Recently there
has been some controversy over whether or not the coupled problem also suffers from
the non-uniqueness problems associated with the classical integral equation formulations
of the exterior acoustic problem. This question is resolved by demonstrating that .the
solution to the coupled problem is not unique at the characteristic frequencies and that
it is necessary to employ an integral equation formulation valid for all frequencies.
Numerical results are presented and discussed for both the uncoupled acoustic problem
and the coupled fluid-structure interaction problem for a number of axisymmetric and fully
three-dimensional problems. In particular, the method is applied to the coupled problem
of a piezoelectric ring sonar transducer transmitting an acoustic signal in water for which
reasonable agreement between the theoretical predictions and some experimental results
is observed.

Contents
1 INTRODUCTION

2 INTEGRAL EQUATION FORMULATIONS OF THE EXTERIOR

HELMHOLTZ PROBLEM

2.1
2.2

2.3
2.4

Introduction..................................
3
Basic Integral Equation Formulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4
2.2.1 Indirect Integral Equation Formulations of the Exterior Helmholtz
Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , 6
2.2.2 Direct Integral Equation Formulations of the Exterior Helmholtz
Problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
9
Basic Integral Equation Theory . . . . . .
Improved Integral Equation Formulations.
15
2.4.1 Indirect Formulations . . . . . . . .
16
2.4.2 The Method of Schenck and Related Direct Formulations .
17
18
2.4.3 The Burton and Miller Formulation . . .
2.4.4 Modified Green's Function Formulations
22
2.4.5 Comparison of Approaches . . . . . . . .
23

3 NUMERICAL SOLUTION OF THE EXTERIOR HELMHOLTZ PROBLEM

25
3.1

3.2
3.3

3.4
3.5

Numerical Methods for Solving Integral Equations.

3.1.1 Nystrom Method . . . . . .
3.1.2 Degenerate Kernel Method. . . . . . . . .
3.1.3 Projection Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.1.4 An Application of the Collocation Method
Surface Representation . . . . .
Numerical Quadrature . . . . . . . .
3.3.1 Axisymmetric Elements . . .
3.3.2 Three-Dimensional Elements.
The Choice of the Coupling Parameter
Numerical Results. . . . . . . . . . . .

25
25
26
27
29
32
35
36
38
40
50

4 THE DYNAMIC FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION PROBLEM 57

4.1
4.2

4.3
4.4
4.5

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Finite Element Analysis of the Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.2.1 Finite Element Analysis of an Axisymmetric Structure ..
4.2.2 Finite Element Analysis of a Three-Dimensional Structure
The Coupled Equations of Motion . . . . . .
The Conditioning of the Coupled Equations
Numerical Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

57
58
59
62
65
68
71

VI

5 THE DETERMINATION OF THE RESPONSE FROM SONAR TRANSDUCERS

84
5.1 An Introduction to Piezoelectric Sonar Transducers .
5.2 Loading on the Structure. . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3 Experimental Determination of the Response.
5.4 Results and Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . .

REFERENCES
APPENDIX A. An Analytical Solution for a Hollow Elastic Sphere in an
Acoustic Medium

84
85
86
87
95

106