Discussion Closed This discussion was created more than 6 months ago and has been closed. To start a new discussion with a link back to this one, click here.

Reflection of elastic waves

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Hello,
I am simulating rayleigh surface waves with the structural mechanics module in time domain but cannot get rid of the wave reflections at the boundary next to the surface. I tried of course infinite domains, but the performance was pretty bad even for a simple Pwave example that I tested. Therefore, I tried low-reflecting boundary conditions, also with user defined rayleigh surface wave speed for this boundary condition. This works much better than infinite domains but the reflection makes my data not meaningful as it is still relatively large.

My question: Has anybody experience with simulating elastic waves in solids and getting rid of reflections? How should one choose the parameter(s) for infinite domains?

This is a very obvious problem but I could not find any information to get a satisfying solution.

Thank you so much for your time and help!

Best regards, Merlin.

4 Replies Last Post May 4, 2016, 11:07 a.m. EDT
COMSOL Moderator

Hello Merlin Morlock

Your Discussion has gone 30 days without a reply. If you still need help with COMSOL and have an on-subscription license, please visit our Support Center for help.

If you do not hold an on-subscription license, you may find an answer in another Discussion or in the Knowledge Base.


Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 9 years ago Mar 20, 2016, 7:39 a.m. EDT
Have you got any solution to this problem?

I tried myself to simulate ultrasonic waves in time domain

1) PML no effect, seems it could only be used in Frequency domain. I think COMSOL should give us some warning like "PML is not applicable in time-dependant analysis" at least, instead of saying nothing.
2) Infinite elements, no effect. Maybe it can only be used for static and diffusion type problems but not wave problems?
3) Low reflecting BC, some effect. Still there exists reflection, but better than PML and Infinite elements.

So, I suppose there is no perfect solution in time-dependant analysis?
Have you got any solution to this problem? I tried myself to simulate ultrasonic waves in time domain 1) PML no effect, seems it could only be used in Frequency domain. I think COMSOL should give us some warning like "PML is not applicable in time-dependant analysis" at least, instead of saying nothing. 2) Infinite elements, no effect. Maybe it can only be used for static and diffusion type problems but not wave problems? 3) Low reflecting BC, some effect. Still there exists reflection, but better than PML and Infinite elements. So, I suppose there is no perfect solution in time-dependant analysis?

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 9 years ago May 1, 2016, 12:43 p.m. EDT
I have run a few small tests in both 2D and 2D axisymmetric for simple beam and cylindrical geometries and noticed a few things. For the 2D beam case with an initial displacement or force on the incident boundary, if you place a periodic - continuity condition on the two outside boundaries you are left with a symmetric and flat stress wave-front and the low-reflecting boundary will not reflect any of the incident stress wave. For the axisymmetric case, if you place a symmetric boundary condition on the outside boundary you will again be left with a single flat stress wave-front and the low-reflecting boundary works well with zero elastic wave reflection. I think that the problem arises when the outside faces are left free and the wave-front is symmetric, but not flat which is how it would actually be in a real-world test. Maybe the low-reflecting boundary condition has problems with elastic waves coming in from different directions?
I have run a few small tests in both 2D and 2D axisymmetric for simple beam and cylindrical geometries and noticed a few things. For the 2D beam case with an initial displacement or force on the incident boundary, if you place a periodic - continuity condition on the two outside boundaries you are left with a symmetric and flat stress wave-front and the low-reflecting boundary will not reflect any of the incident stress wave. For the axisymmetric case, if you place a symmetric boundary condition on the outside boundary you will again be left with a single flat stress wave-front and the low-reflecting boundary works well with zero elastic wave reflection. I think that the problem arises when the outside faces are left free and the wave-front is symmetric, but not flat which is how it would actually be in a real-world test. Maybe the low-reflecting boundary condition has problems with elastic waves coming in from different directions?

Henrik Sönnerlind COMSOL Employee

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 9 years ago May 2, 2016, 7:44 a.m. EDT
Hi,


Maybe the low-reflecting boundary condition has problems with elastic waves coming in from different directions?


This is so. The low-reflecting boundary is ideal only for normal incidence, but is does a decent job also for oblique waves if the angle of incidence is not too large. The theory can be found in the users guide for Structural Mechanics Module.

Regards,
Henrik
Hi, [QUOTE] Maybe the low-reflecting boundary condition has problems with elastic waves coming in from different directions? [/QUOTE] This is so. The low-reflecting boundary is ideal only for normal incidence, but is does a decent job also for oblique waves if the angle of incidence is not too large. The theory can be found in the users guide for Structural Mechanics Module. Regards, Henrik

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 9 years ago May 4, 2016, 11:07 a.m. EDT
Thanks for the reply Henrik. In my experience the best method for reducing reflection from boundaries during transmission/absorption tests involving elastic waves is to make the incident and transmission domains very large compared to the absorption region (spherical cavity scattering). This is of course more expensive with respect to computation time. Is there a better method for cancelling boundary reflections? Maybe boundaries with the same geometry as the scattered waves like a hemispherical shape?
Thanks for the reply Henrik. In my experience the best method for reducing reflection from boundaries during transmission/absorption tests involving elastic waves is to make the incident and transmission domains very large compared to the absorption region (spherical cavity scattering). This is of course more expensive with respect to computation time. Is there a better method for cancelling boundary reflections? Maybe boundaries with the same geometry as the scattered waves like a hemispherical shape?

Note that while COMSOL employees may participate in the discussion forum, COMSOL® software users who are on-subscription should submit their questions via the Support Center for a more comprehensive response from the Technical Support team.