The nsBETI method: an extension of the FETI method to non-symmetrical BEM-FEM coupled problems

Abstract

The finite element tearing and interconnecting (FETI) method is recognized as an effective domain decomposition tool to achieve scalability in the solution of partitioned second-order elasticity problems. In the boundary element tearing and interconnecting (BETI) method, a direct extension of the FETI algorithm to the BEM, the symmetric Galerkin BEM formulation, is used to obtain symmetric system matrices, making possible to apply the same FETI conjugate gradient solver. In this work, we propose a new BETI variant labeled nsBETI that allows to couple substructures modeled with the FEM and/or non-symmetrical BEM formulations. The method connects non-matching BEM and FEM subdomains using localized Lagrange multipliers and solves the associated non-symmetrical flexibility equations with a Bi-CGstab iterative algorithm. Scalability issues of nsBETI in BEMBEM and combined BEMFEM coupled problems are also investigated. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.