Symmetric BEM formulations for 2-D steady-state and transit potential problems

This paper presents a new concept for symmetric boundary element method (SBEM) applicable to 2-D steady-state and transit potential problems. Two kinds of SBEM formulations are derived. Symmetry is obtained simply through matrix manipulation, and no hypersingularity appears. Therefore, SBEM is much easier than the traditional symmetric Galerkin BEM. Compared with the traditional asymmetric BEM, the present SBEM can reduce the computational cost for time domain problems only. However, when applied to BEM/FEM coupling procedure, SBEM can reduce the computational cost for both steady-state and time domain problems. Three numerical examples are included to illustrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the present formulations.