Estudo comparativo das técnicas de elementos finitos e equação integral na modelagem eletromagnética bidimensional

Abstract

The Finite Element and the Integral Equation numerical methods are commonly used in electromagnetic investigations in Geophysics. In those cases it is important to determine which algorithm is fastest for each geophysical model. In this work we compare computer times for two-dimensional modeling with both methods. The models studied here are formed by conductive rectangular bodies in a resistive half-space, energized by an infinite current line located on the surface and parallel to the strike of the inhomogeneities. The currents in all models operate in a frequency of 1000Hz. After validating and optimizing our codes, we analyze the processing times for several models, varying the number of bodies, their sizes and their tilt. We also investigated which parts of the programs demmand the greatest computer times. We found that the Finite Element method performs faster than the Integral Equation method in all models except those with low conductivity bodies or with inclined bodies.