Wave propagation in infinite domains. With applications to structure interaction. (Q883712)

The author presents the theoretical basis and some important applications of a new numerical methodolgy for the analysis of wave propagation in infinite domains. Physicists and engineers are interested in a reliable simulation of processes in which waves propagate in solids or fluids. The governing equations are obtained from fundamental laws for compressible fluids, whereas in an elastic medium the waves propagate in the form of oscillations of the stress field. The dynamical behaviour of the infinite space itself could be reproduced by the so-called absorbing boundary conditions. The introduced numerical model to handle such classes of problems is based on a coupled finite element/scaled boundary finite element (FE/SBFE) algorithm. Applying the scaled boundary transformation and Galerkin weighted residual method, the governing partial differential equations are reformulated as SBFE equations in displacement (solids) or pressure (fluids) with an introduced radial coordinate as independent variable. This work is split into Part I -- the discussion of theoretical fundamentals -- followed by an exemplary presentation of applications in Part II. The first part gives also a short overview of physical governing equations and the theoretical background of FEM and BEM. The focal point here is the formulation of elastodynamic equations in time domain. From the multiplicity of possible applications, three fields are chosen for this work: wave propagation, the simulation of dynamic behaviour of offshore wind turbines, and finally the seismic analysis of a multi-story building taking into account the soil-structure interaction.