A new transformation technique for evaluating nearly singular integrals

Accurate evaluation of nearly singular integrals plays an important role in the overall accuracy of the Boundary Element Method (BEM). A new approach for the evaluation of nearly singular integrals particularly those with severe near singularity is described in this paper. This method utilizes a degenerate mapping to first reduce near singularity and then employs a variable transformation to further smooth out the resultant integrand. The accuracy and efficiency of the method are demonstrated through several examples that are commonly encountered in the applications of the BEM. Comparison of this method with some of the existing methods is also presented