Linear and nonlinear solvers for variational phase-field models of brittle fracture

TL;DR

This paper introduces advanced numerical methods, including reformulation, acceleration, and preconditioning, to significantly improve the computational efficiency of variational phase-field models for brittle fracture, achieving 5-6 times faster solutions.

Contribution

It develops a novel combination of reformulated algorithms and preconditioners that substantially accelerates solving nonlinear variational fracture models.

Findings

The new solver is 5-6 times faster on benchmark cases.

Accelerated alternate minimization improves convergence speed.

Preconditioners effectively handle ill-conditioned linear subproblems.

Abstract

The variational approach to fracture is effective for simulating the nucleation and propagation of complex crack patterns, but is computationally demanding. The model is a strongly nonlinear non-convex variational inequality that demands the resolution of small length scales. The current standard algorithm for its solution, alternate minimization, is robust but converges slowly and demands the solution of large, ill-conditioned linear subproblems. In this paper, we propose several advances in the numerical solution of this model that improve its computational efficiency. We reformulate alternate minimization as a nonlinear Gauss-Seidel iteration and employ over-relaxation to accelerate its convergence; we compose this accelerated alternate minimization with Newton's method, to further reduce the time to solution; and we formulate efficient preconditioners for the solution of the linear subproblems arising in both alternate minimization and in Newton's method. We investigate the improvements in efficiency on several examples from the literature; the new solver is 5--6$\times$ faster on a majority of the test cases