A method to handle mesh switches for non-linear structural analysis in explicit dynamics

This paper describes a method to change the space-time scales for multi-domain calculations in explicit dynamics. The interest of such a method, inspired by mesh refinement techniques, is to improve only when necessary the space (and time) discretisation of one or more sub-domains, during a significant phase of calculation. The fields transfer between the meshes and the reequilibrating of the solution after the mesh switch will be particularly developed. The criterion used to decide the switch mesh will be based on the maximum plastic strain. The proposed method will be illustrated with two examples in the non-linear case. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.