Introduction to Finite Element Method

4
th
Order Beam Equation
Dr. Aamer Haque

http://math.iit.edu/~ahaque6
ahaque7@iit.edu
Illinois Institute of Technology
July 21, 2009

Outline
z
Euler-Bernoulli Beams
z
Assumptions
z
Statics
z
Kinematics
z
4
th
Order Differential Equation
z
Variational/Weak Form
z
Galerkin Finite Element Method
z
Formulation
z
Basis/shape functions
z
Element assembly
z
Solution
z
Post-processing
z
Application

Euler-Bernoulli Beam Theory
z
Plane sections remain plane after bending
z
Small displacements
z
Linear elastic material (i.e. Hooke's Law)
z
Axial deformation neglected
z
Shear deformation neglected

Statics of Beams
V
f
M M+dM
V+dV
dM
dx
=V
dV
dx
=f

F
y
=0

M
z
=0
V +dV )V+ f dx=0
M+dM)MV dx+f dx
dx
2
=0
y
x
Neglect
2
nd
order
term

Kinematics of Beams
M=EI
d 0
dx
0=
du
dx
0
y
x
Small displacements
u
M=EI
=
d 0
dx
Constitutive model
Geometric model

4
th
Order Differential Equation
Statics
Kinematics
Differential Equation (Valid for continuous regions)

dV
dx
=f
d
2
dx
2
|
EI x)
d
2
dx
2
u x)

=f x)
dM
dx
=V
0=
du
dx
M=EI
d 0
dx
d
2
M
dx
2
+f =0
EI
d
2
u
dx
2
+M=0

Common Boundary Conditions
Fixed End
Pinned End
Roller End
Free End
Static BC Kinematic BC
u=0, 0=0
u=0, M=0
0=0, V =0
V=0, M=0
V , M
u , 0

Discontinuous Material
V
-
f
M
-
M
+
V
+
V
+
V
-
+f dx=0
y
x
M+dM)MV dx+f dx
dx
2
=0
EI
-
EI
+

M
z
=0

dM
dx

=0
V =0

F
y
=0

Discontinuous Load
V
-
M
-
M
+
V
+

dM
dx

=0
V =0

F
y
=0

M
z
=0
V
+
V
-
+f
+ dx
2
+f
- dx
2
=0 M
+
M
-
V
-
dx+f
+
dx
2
dx
4
+f
-
dx
2
3dx
4
=0
y
x
dx
2
f
-
f
+

Point Load
V
-
f
M
-
M
+
V
+

dM
dx

=p
V =p

F
y
=0

M
z
=0
V
+
V
-
+f dx+p=0
M
+
M
-
V
-
dx+f dx
dx
2
+p dx
p
=0
y
x
p
dx
p

Concentrated Applied Moment
V
-
f
M
-
M
+
V
+
M =M
c
V =0

F
y
=0

M
z
=0
V
+
V
-
+f dx=0
M
+
M
-
V
-
dx+f dx
dx
2
+M
c
=0
y
x
M
c

Integrate with a test function
Differential Equation
Multiply by a test function and integrate over each subdomain
Integrate by parts twice
Observations
| EI u' ' ' ' =f

D
i
| EI u' ' ' ' v dx=

D
i
f v dx

x
i1
x
i
EI u' ' v' ' dx+|EI u' ' v '
x
i1
x
i
+| EI u' ' ) ' v
x
i1
x
i
=

x
i1
x
i
f v dx
|EI u' ' v '
x
i1
x
i
+|EI u' ' v'
x
i
x
i+1
=M x
i 1
) v ' x
i1
)+

M x
i
) v ' x
i
)

+M x
i +1
) v ' x
i+1
)
D
i
| EI u' ' )' v
x
i1
x
i
+| EI u' ' ) ' v
x
i
x
i+1
=V x
i1
) v x
i 1
)

V x
i
) v x
i
)

V x
i+1
) v x
i +1
)

Sum over whole domain
Sum up the subdomains to obtain the entire domain
Observe that we have the following expressions for boundary terms
Jumps are zero for all points that are not point loads/moments

D
i
| EI u' ' ' v dx=

D
i
f v dx

x
i1
x
i
EI u' ' v ' ' dx+

i
|EI u' ' v '
x
i1
x
i
+

i
| EI u' ' )' v
x
i1
x
i
=

x
i1
x
i
f v dx
D=
i
D
i
=|0, L

i
|EI u' ' v '
x
i1
x
i
=M 0) v ' 0)+

i

M x
i
) v' x
i
)

+M L) v' L)

i
| EI u' ' )' v
x
i1
x
i
=V 0) v0)

i

V x
i
) v x
i
)

V L) v L)

i
|EI u' ' v '
x
i1
x
i
=M 0) v ' 0)M
c
v ' x
c
)+M L) v' L)

i
| EI u' ' )' v
x
i1
x
i
=V 0) v0)+p v x
p
)V L) v L)

Variational/Weak Form
Trial Functions:
Test Functions:
The goal is to find a solution that satisfies this expression for all
possible test functions
We still need to specify the space of trial and test functions and
also incorporate the boundary conditions

0
L
EI u' ' v ' ' dx=

0
L
f v dx+M
c
v' x
c
)p v x
p
)
M0) v ' 0)M L) v ' L)
u
v
+V 0) v0)+V L) v L)

Function Spaces
H
2
=

v :

0
L
| v' ' )
2
+ v' )
2
+v
2
dx

H
0
2
=vH
2
: v0)=v ' 0)=v L)=v' L)=0
v :|0, L-
uC
4
|0, L)
A classical solution to the differential equation requires
A weak solution only requires that the solution and its
first two derivatives be square integrable
Continuity requirement
uC
1
| 0, L)

All Essential Boundary Conditions
u0)=u
0
Find uH
2
vH
0
2

0
L
EI u' ' v ' ' dx=

0
L
f v dx+M
c
v' x
c
)p v x
p
)
M0) v ' 0)M L) v ' L)
+V 0) v0)+V L) v L)
u L)=u
L
00)=0
0
0 L)=0
L

All Natural Boundary Conditions
M 0)=M
0
Find uH
2
vH
2

0
L
EI u' ' v ' ' dx=

0
L
f v dx+M
c
v' x
c
)p v x
p
)
M0) v ' 0)M L) v ' L)
+V 0) v0)+V L) v L)
M L)=M
L
V 0)=V
0
V L)=V
L

The Galerkin FEM Method
The Galerkin method finds a solution from a finite dimensional
subspace of the space of trial functions
Since the space is finite dimensional, every function in it can
be written as a linear combination of basis functions
We will formulate the Galerkin FEM for the natural BCs
Other BCs will be enforced in the solution process
Also, it is easier to formulate using shape functions instead of
basis functions
H
h
H
2
u
h
x)=

j=1
N
o
j
!
j
x)

Galerkin FEM Variational Problem
M 0)=M
0
Find u
h
H
h
v
h
H
h

0
L
EI u
h
' ' v
h
' ' dx=

0
L
f v
h
dx+M
c
v
h
' x
c
)p v
h
x
p
)
M0) v
h
' 0)M L) v
h
' L)
+V 0)v
h
' 0)+V L)v
h
' L)
M L)=M
L
V 0)=V
0
V L)=V
L

Shape Functions
The FEM solution has the following continuity requirement
Cubic Hermite polynomials are the lowest order polynomials
that satisfy the continuity requirement
Consider the FEM approximation on a single element
It can be expanded in terms of the shape functions
Matrix notation (used extensively in engineering!)
u
h
x)=

j=1
4
o
j
m
j
x) , xD
i
=| x
i 1
, x
i

uC
1
| 0, L)
D
i
u
h
x)=N o N=
|
m
1
m
2
m
3
m
4
o=
|
u
i 1
0
i 1
u
i
0
i

B=
|
m
1
' ' m
2
' ' m
3
' ' m
4
' '

u
h
' ' x)=Bo

Cubic Hermite Shape Functions
m
1
m
3
m
2
m
4
m
1
)=
1
4
23+
3
) m
3
)=
1
4
2+3
3
)
m
2
)=
1
4
1
2
+
3
)
m
4
)=
1
4
1+
2
+
3
)
=
2x x
i 1
+x
i
)
h
h=x
i
x
i 1

Cubic Hermite Basis Functions
x
i1
x
i
x
i+1

Local Element Variational Form
Consider the variational problem over an element and ignore
the boundary terms for now (they will be incorporated in the
assembly process)

x
i1
x
i
EI u
h
' ' v
h
' ' dx=

x
i1
x
i
f v
h
dx
u
h
x)=N o , u
h
' ' x)=Bo , v
h
x)=N w, v
h
' ' x)=Bw

x
i1
x
i
EI Bo) Bw) dx=

x
i1
x
i
f N wdx

x
i1
x
i
EI w
T
B
T
Bodx=

x
i1
x
i
f w
T
N
T
dx
w
T

x
i1
x
i
EI B
T
Bodx=w
T

x
i1
x
i
f N
T
dx

x
i1
x
i
EI B
T
Bodx=

x
i1
x
i
f N
T
dx
|

x
i1
x
i
EI B
T
B

odx=

x
i1
x
i
f N
T
dx

Local Element Stiffness Matrix
and Load Vector

K
ij
e
=

x
i1
x
i
EI m
i
' ' m
j
' ' dx

F
i
e
=

x
i1
x
i
f m
i
dx
i , j=1,2,3,4

K
e
=

x
i1
x
i
EI B
T
Bdx

F
e
=

x
i1
x
i
f N
T
dx
N=
|
m
1
m
2
m
3
m
4

B=
|
m
1
' ' m
2
' ' m
3
' ' m
4
' '

Components of Local Element Stiffness Matrix and Load Vector

Matrix Notation

Constant Stiffness and Load

F
e
=
|
w L
e
2

w L
e
2
12
w L
e
2
w L
e
2
12

For constant material parameters and load,
the integration can be performed exactly

K
e
=
EI
L
e
3
|
12 6 L
e
12 6 L
e
6 L
e
4 L
e
2
6 L
e
2 L
e
2
12 6 L
e
12 6 L
e
6 L
e
2 L
e
2
6 L
e
4 L
e
2

EI =const. f =w=const.

Cantilever Beam 2 Elements
w
y
x
u0)=00)=0
M L)=V L)=0

Global System
|
1 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 0 0
0 0

K
33
1
+

K
11
2

K
34
1
+

K
12
2

K
13
2

K
14
2
0 0

K
43
1
+

K
21
2

K
44
1
+

K
22
2

K
23
2

K
24
2
0 0

K
31
2

K
32
2

K
33
2

K
34
2
0 0

K
41
2

K
42
2

K
43
2

K
44
2

|
u
0
0
0
u
1
0
1
u
2
0
2

=
|
0
0

F
3
1
+

F
1
2

F
4
1
+

F
2
2

F
3
2

F
4
2


Results