An evaluation of the direct boundary element method and the method of fundamental solutions

The advantages and limitations of the direct boundary element method (DBEM) and the method of fundamental solutions (MFS) are compared, will illustrating examples. The salient features of the two methods are discussed. The formulations are described with the aim of illustrating the relative merits of each. The evaluation covers robustness, numerical accuracy, model development and implementation, as well as the ease of applying the impedance boundary condition (IBC). As a test problem, the case of two circular conductors carrying a total impressed current per conductor is considered. A wide range of frequencies and separating distances is examined to show the behavior of each method for skin and proximity effect problems.>