| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 513744 | Finite Elements in Analysis and Design | 2015 | 12 Pages |
•A software system for large scale fracture mechanics analysis is proposed.•A PC/WS and a supercomputer are used simultaneously to perform their optimum tasks.•A submodel scheme in which a crack is contained in the submodel is developed.•In crack propagation analysis, only remeshing is performed for the submodel only.•A 100 million node finite element fracture mechanics analysis is presented.
A software system for performing large-scale finite element fracture mechanics analyses is presented in this paper. The method is based on a submodel technique in which the large-scale finite element mesh is divided into two parts. One is the submodel which only represents the crack and its vicinity. The other is the global model for the whole structure. They are generated separately and connected. It is assumed that we use a supercomputer at a remote site and a PC/Workstation at a local site. The local PC/Workstation is used to perform pre/post-processings. The remote supercomputer is used to carry out the large-scale finite element analyses. In a crack propagation analysis, a number of remeshing steps are involved. We have developed a software system that the remeshings are performed only for the submodel. The global model stays the same during the analysis. Also, we minimize the amount of data which are transferred between the computers at the remote and the local site. In this paper, we present 100 million node finite element fracture mechanics analysis on a section model of nuclear pressure vessel, demonstrating the capabilities of present software system.
