Analysis of linear elastic wave propagation in piping systems by a combination of the boundary integral equations method and the finite element method

The combined methodology of boundary integral equations and finite elements is formulated and applied to study the wave propagation phenomena in compound piping systems consisting of straight and curved pipe segments with compact elastic supports. This methodology replicates the concept of hierarchical boundary integral equations method proposed by L. I. Slepyan to model the time-harmonic wave propagation in wave guides, which have components of different dimensions. However, the formulation presented in this article is tuned to match the finite element format, and therefore, it employs the dynamical stiffness matrix to describe wave guide properties of all components of the assembled structure. This matrix may readily be derived from the boundary integral equations, and such a derivation is superior over the conventional derivation from the transfer matrix. The proposed methodology is verified in several examples and applied for analysis of periodicity effects in compound piping systems of several alternative layouts.