A three-dimensional B-spline wavelet finite element method for structural vibration analysis

In this study, a three-dimensional (3-D) B-spline wavelet finite element method (WFEM) is proposed by combining the wavelet theory and 3-D finite element method (FEM). Owing to the semi-orthogonality and multi-resolution analysis of spline wavelet over the solution domain, a cuboid with uniform distribution nodes is established for the 3-D B-spline wavelet on the interval (BSWI) element. The governing equations of vibration for the elastic structures are derived by introducing the 3-D B-spline wavelet theory into the displacement components of each node. A procedure for assembling the BSWI elements is presented by redefining the index element node functions. Numerical studies including the vibration analysis of solid and hollow beams and plates under different boundary conditions are performed to show the performance of the present method. A comprehensive comparison of the predicted vibration characteristics obtained by the present method, traditional FEM, and reference data is presented to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the 3-D B-spline WFEM. The core of the present method is involving the 3-D B-spline wavelet to replace the polynomial interpolation functions in the traditional FEM, which enhances computational accuracy during the vibration analysis of the elastic structures.