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Adaptive error analysis in seepage problems
Author(s) -
Burkley V. J.,
Bruch J. C.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
international journal for numerical methods in engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.421
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1097-0207
pISSN - 0029-5981
DOI - 10.1002/nme.1620310708
Subject(s) - estimator , finite element method , polygon mesh , algorithm , computer science , adaptive mesh refinement , error analysis , mathematics , mathematical optimization , flow (mathematics) , structural engineering , statistics , computational science , engineering , geometry , computer graphics (images)
Numerical experiments in adapting variations of a computationally simple error estimator (the Zienkiewicz‐Zhu estimator) to an existing finite element code are shown. The error estimator used allows both overall and local errors to be estimated. From the local estimates of error, refinements of the mesh are calculated to reach a prescribed error tolerance. These calculated refinements are used by a mesh refiner to produce a modified mesh which lowers the overall error to the prescribed value while keeping the mesh as crude as possible. The physical example on which these numerical experiments are performed is that of free surface flow through an earth dam with a toe drain. It is also shown how the problem formulation affects the error analysis and how the choice of computational scheme affects the mesh adaptation.