On the Properties of Mixed Consistently and Non-Consistently First Order Edge Finite Elements

In this paper, we discuss the properties of the mixed consistently and non-consistently linear (Whitney) edge nite elements for 3D eddy-current analysis. We report that by mixing these two types of nite elements the computational resources and efforts can be greatly reduced for the same accuracy of the results. Due to the nature of the edge-based shape functions which has the constant rotation and are divergence-free, we further show that the use of the mixed method is justi ed only for eddy-current analysis. The proposed mixed method was successfully applied for eddy-current non-destructive evaluation of thin cracks inside conductive materials