TY - JOUR
T1 - A novel implementation of efficient inertia relief analysis using smoothed finite element method for unconstrained structures
AU - Huo, Shuhao
AU - Zhu, Shuai
AU - Liu, Minyang
AU - Bai, Yingchun
AU - Wang, Qiong
AU - Ren, Peng
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2026/7
Y1 - 2026/7
N2 - Inertia relief analysis is essential for simulating unconstrained structures subjected to external loads, such as aerospace and automotive systems, where traditional displacement boundary conditions are infeasible. This study systematically integrates the inertia relief technology into the framework of Smooth Finite Element Method (S-FEM). Key contributions include a stabilized S-FEM formulation for inertia relief, and a systematic comparison of computational performance against standard FEM. By smoothing strain fields at element boundaries, S-FEM enhances solution accuracy and mesh adaptability. Approaches for handling inertia relief in cases with and without fictitious constraints are presented, effectively eliminating the rigid-body modes of free-floating systems. Using the mass center of the structure as the reference point, the global acceleration vector is constructed via the rigid-body mode matrix. The consistent mass matrix is adopted instead of the lumped mass matrix to ensure the accuracy of inertial force calculations. The high-performance Pardiso solver is employed to efficiently resolve the resulting symmetric indefinite linear systems, which provides stable and efficient support for solving complex models. Five benchmark cases are utilized to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method. Results underscore the framework’s potential for industrial applications requiring rapid analysis of mobile structures without artificial constraints.
AB - Inertia relief analysis is essential for simulating unconstrained structures subjected to external loads, such as aerospace and automotive systems, where traditional displacement boundary conditions are infeasible. This study systematically integrates the inertia relief technology into the framework of Smooth Finite Element Method (S-FEM). Key contributions include a stabilized S-FEM formulation for inertia relief, and a systematic comparison of computational performance against standard FEM. By smoothing strain fields at element boundaries, S-FEM enhances solution accuracy and mesh adaptability. Approaches for handling inertia relief in cases with and without fictitious constraints are presented, effectively eliminating the rigid-body modes of free-floating systems. Using the mass center of the structure as the reference point, the global acceleration vector is constructed via the rigid-body mode matrix. The consistent mass matrix is adopted instead of the lumped mass matrix to ensure the accuracy of inertial force calculations. The high-performance Pardiso solver is employed to efficiently resolve the resulting symmetric indefinite linear systems, which provides stable and efficient support for solving complex models. Five benchmark cases are utilized to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method. Results underscore the framework’s potential for industrial applications requiring rapid analysis of mobile structures without artificial constraints.
KW - Computational solid mechanics
KW - Gradient smoothing technique
KW - Inertia relief analysis
KW - Smoothed finite element method
KW - Unconstrained structural systems
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105035669806
U2 - 10.1016/j.enganabound.2026.106770
DO - 10.1016/j.enganabound.2026.106770
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105035669806
SN - 0955-7997
VL - 188
JO - Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements
JF - Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements
M1 - 106770
ER -