Internal variables and their sensitivities in three-dimensional linear elasticity by the boundary contour method (Q1577244)

The authors derive integral representations of displacements, displacement gradients as well as second-order derivatives of displacements (curvatures) in three-dimensional elasticity. The results are obtained by the boundary contour method where the surface integrals over boundary elements are transformed, through an application of Stokes' theorem, into line integrals on the bounding contours of these elements. Taking the material derivative of integral representations in standard BEM with respect to a shape design variable, and then converting the resulting equations into their boundary contour versions, the authors derive design sensitivities of displacements and their gradients at interior points in terms of boundary contour integrals. The numerical results on internal variables and their sensitivities agree very well with analytical solutions.