Imposing periodic boundary condition on arbitrary meshes by polynomial interpolation

In order to predict the effective properties of heterogeneous materials using the finite element approach, a boundary value problem (BVP) may be defined on a representative volume element (RVE) with appropriate boundary conditions, among which periodic boundary condition is the most efficient in terms of convergence rate. The classical method to impose the periodic boundary condition requires identical meshes on opposite RVE boundaries. This condition is not always easy to satisfy for arbitrary meshes. This work develops a new method based on polynomial interpolation that avoids the need of matching mesh condition on opposite RVE boundaries. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.