Dispersion analysis of the gradient weighted finite element method for acoustic problems in one, two, and three dimensions

This paper reports a detailed analysis on the numerical dispersion error in solving one-, two-, and three-dimensional acoustic problems governed by the Helmholtz equation using the gradient weighted finite element method (GW-FEM) in comparison with the standard FEM and the modified methods presented in the literatures. The discretized system equations derived based on the gradient weighted operation corresponding to the considered method are first briefed. The discrete dispersion relationships relating the exact and numerical wave numbers defined in different dimensions are then formulated, which will be further used to investigate the dispersion effect mainly caused by the approximation of field variables. The influence of nondimensional wave number and wave propagation angle on the dispersion error is detailedly studied. Comparisons are made with the classical FEM and high-performance algorithms. Results of both theoretical and numerical experiments show that the present method can effectively reduce the pollution effect in computational acoustics owning to its crucial effectiveness in handing the dispersion error in the discrete numerical model.