Geometry-agnostic model reduction with GNN-generated reduced POD bases and boosted PGD enrichment for (non)linear structural elastodynamics

Abstract

This contribution proposes a new and significantly enhanced extension of a recently-introduced hybrid Graph Neural Network (GNN)-based reduced-order modeling approach for the numerical solution of time-dependent partial differential equations on non-parametric finite element meshes. Building upon previous proof-of-concept work, this more generalized framework presents a number of key novelties: tight integration of graph-based learning with physical information via direct imposition of finite element operators as node and edge level features; introduction of a Grassmannian subspace distance measure as a dedicated training objective; incorporation of a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) for a more efficient and lightweight architecture; hybridization with other Galerkin-based reduced-order methods such as the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD); and a first treatment of nonlinear problems. A novel, on-the-fly enrichment mechanism, modified from a classical Proper General Decomposition (PGD) and dubbed ”Boosted PGD”, is additionally introduced to improve prediction accuracy at low computational cost via additional greedy corrective modes. The efficacy of the overall methodology is assessed on two challenging datasets featuring significant geometric and topological variations that include highly heterogeneous spatial discretizations. A variety of performance studies demonstrate very competitive accuracy and computational cost in simulating highly-dynamic behavior when compared to conventional full-order finite element models, including a remarkable capacity to generalize to configurations well outside of the topological scope of the original training and validation sets. Results imply that solvers constructed from such an approach may enable more scalable and robust mechanical simulations for complex, real-world engineering applications related to iterative design.