Mode superposition with submodeling

SUMMARY We investigate a new approach for local enhancement of mode superpositions, which builds on the concept of submodeling. To this end, we impose a multiscale split on the reduced solution into a global part defined by the mode superposition method and a local part defined by a patch problem solved in a subspace of the finite element space associated with a subdomain around some region of interest. The patch problem yields a local correction on the modal approximation. We describe the basics of this approach and evaluate the accuracy of the approximation in elastostatic numerical examples. We also demonstrate how the submodeling technique may be applied as a post‐processing operation on a set of reduced solutions, for example, from dynamics simulation, to enhance accuracy in some domain of interest. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.