Generation of flow nets using fem nodal potentials and bilinear shape functions

✍ Scribed by Yuehui Fan; F. D. Tompkins; E. C. Drumm; R. D. Von Bernuth

• Book ID: 102957581
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 616 KB
• Volume: 16
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0363-9061
• DOI: 10.1002/nag.1610160603

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A method for generating both equipotential lines and streamlines directly based upon nodal potentials and bilinear shape functions is presented. The method involves post‐processing a finite element (FE) solution utilizing typical four‐node isoparametric quadrilateral elements. The application of the method can be important in the interpretation of FE analysis results, especially when inhomogeneous, anisotropic, unconfined or/and other complicated conditions exist. Compared with conventional techniques to generate flow nets which depend upon both the potential and stream functions, the method presented is simpler and more powerful.