Boundary Element Methods for Engineers:

Part I: Potential Problems

Boundary Element Analysis of Potential Problems

Elements that use the same (shape) functions to interpolate both the geometry and the variations of the
problem variables are known as isoparametric elements. Representation of the boundary geometry is
now by means of a series of parabolas, each fitted through the three nodes of an element, rather than
the straight lines associated with constant and linear elements. The parabolas reduce to straight lines
wherever the boundary is genuinely straight.
In order to find the vector normal, n, to the boundary at a point along an element, it is convenient to
first find the tangent vector S (Figure 2.9). Moving along the boundary as the intrinsic co-ordinate is
varied, the rates of change of the global co-ordinates are
=

d
d

d
d

d
d

and

d
d

, and the tangent vector is

(2.56)

Given Equations 2.54 and 2.55, the rates of change are

d
d

= 3=1

d ( )
d

= 3=1

d ()
d

( 2.57)

and the derivatives of the shape functions are

d1 ( )
d

d2 ( )

= ,

= 2 ,

d3 ( )
d

= + (2.58)
2

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