Multicomputer finite element method analysis of usual structures models

Author(s)

Valério da Silva Almeida

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC/SBD)
• Defense date: 1999-03-24

Examining board members

João Batista de Paiva; Miguel Luiz Bucalem; Humberto Breves Coda

• Advisor: João Batista de Paiva

Abstract

This work presents an adaptation of conventional finite element method (FEM) computing procedures to multicomputers. It is presented the procedure which the linear system of equations is split among the processor and its solution. It was improved a public software called PIM (Parallel Iterative Method) is used to solve this system of equations. These improvements explore efficiently the usual features of the FEM systems of equations: sparseness and symmetry. To improve the solution of the system, two different preconditioners are used: a generic Incomplete Cholesky (IC) and the Polynomial preconditioning (POLY(0) or Jacobi). It is carried out a full adaptation of the method to parallel computing with a program developed to analyse floor structures. The improved PIM is also used to solve the system of equations of a tri-dimensional truss. It is presented the speed-up, the efficiency and the time used in the resolution of the systems of equations for the floor and for the truss. It is also presented a study of performance in sequential processing of the generic (IC) and the generic Neumann series preconditioners in the analysis of plates in bending and in plane actions. (AU)