The Virtual Element Method for Engineers

O'Hare, T.J.; Augarde, C.E.

The Virtual Element Method for Engineers

O'Hare, T.J.; Augarde, C.E.

Authors

Ted O'Hare ted.o'hare@durham.ac.uk
PGR Student Doctor of Philosophy

Professor Charles Augarde charles.augarde@durham.ac.uk
Head Of Department

Abstract

The virtual element method (VEM) is a relatively new technique, similar to the finite element method (FEM), but having no restriction on the number of element sides. This has numerous advantages, particularly regarding greater meshing flexibility, however the VEM literature is generally very mathematically advanced in presentation, making it difficult to understand the method from an engineering perspective. In an attempt to address this, here we demonstrate the process for constructing the stiffness matrix for a single virtual element, sacrificing a degree of rigour and focusing only on the lowest-order (linear) VEM for plane linear elasticity. By highlighting the method’s links to the FEM during the explanation, it is hoped that the formulation presented here improves accessibility to engineers.

Citation

O'Hare, T., & Augarde, C. (2022, April). The Virtual Element Method for Engineers. Paper presented at UKACM 2022, Nottingham, England

Presentation Conference Type	Conference Paper (unpublished)
Conference Name	UKACM 2022
Conference Location	Nottingham, England
Start Date	Apr 20, 2022
End Date	Apr 22, 2022
Deposit Date	Mar 22, 2022
Public URL	https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1136799
Publisher URL	https://sites.google.com/view/ukacm2022/conference-programme