Publications

Thermal contact algorithms in SIERRA mechanics : mathematical background, numerical verification, and evaluation of performance

Carnes, Brian C.; Copps, Kevin D.

We examine algorithms for the finite element approximation of thermal contact models. We focus on the implementation of thermal contact algorithms in SIERRA Mechanics. Following the mathematical formulation of models for tied contact and resistance contact, we present three numerical algorithms: (1) the multi-point constraint (MPC) algorithm, (2) a resistance algorithm, and (3) a new generalized algorithm. We compare and contrast both the correctness and performance of the algorithms in three test problems. We tabulate the convergence rates of global norms of the temperature solution on sequentially refined meshes. We present the results of a parameter study of the effect of contact search tolerances. We outline best practices in using the software for predictive simulations, and suggest future improvements to the implementation.