Mathematical and numerical analysis of reduced order interface conditions and augmented finite elements for mixed dimensional problems

Abstract

In this paper, we are interested in the mathematical properties of methods based on a fictitious domain approach combined with reduced-order interface coupling conditions, which have been recently introduced to simulate 3D-1D fluid-structure or structure-structure coupled problems. To give insights on the approximation properties of these methods, we investigate them in a simplified setting by considering the Poisson problem in a two-dimensional domain with non-homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions on small inclusions. The approximated reduced problem is obtained using a fictitious domain approach combined with a projection on a Fourier finite-dimensional space of the Lagrange multiplier associated to the Dirichlet boundary constraints, obtaining in this way a Poisson problem with defective interface conditions. After analyzing the existence of a solution of the reduced problem, we prove its convergence towards the original full problem, when the size of the holes tends towards zero, with a rate which depends on the number of modes of the finite-dimensional space. In particular, our estimates highlight the fact that to obtain a good convergence on the Lagrange multiplier, one needs to consider more modes than the first Fourier mode (constant mode). This is a key issue when one wants to deal with real coupled problems, such as fluid-structure problems for instance. Next, the numerical discretization of the reduced problem using the finite element method is analyzed in the case where the computational mesh does not fit the small inclusion interface. As is standard for these types of problem, the convergence of the solution is not optimal due to the lack of regularity of the solution. Moreover, convergence exhibits a well-known locking effect when the mesh size and the inclusion size are of the same order of magnitude. This locking effect is more apparent when increasing the number of modes and affects the Lagrange multiplier convergence rate more heavily. To resolve these issues, we propose and analyze a stabilized method and an enriched method for which additional basis functions are added without changing the approximation space of the Lagrange multiplier. Finally, the properties of numerical strategies are illustrated by numerical experiments.