Nodeless variable finite element method for stress analysis using flux-based formulation

A nodeless variable element is combined with an adaptive meshing technique to improve solution accuracy of the finite element method for analyzing two-dimensional elasticity problems. The nodeless variable element employs quadratic interpolation functions to provide higher solution accuracy without requiring additional actual nodes. The fluxbased formulation is developed for the nodeless variable finite element to reduce the complexity in deriving the finite element equations as compared to the conventional finite element method. The superconvergent patch recovery procedure is implemented to compute accurate stresses from the nodeless variable finite element solutions. The effectiveness of the combined procedure for providing higher solution convergence rate from the proposed formulation is evaluated by two well-known examples.