FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

OVERVIEW
FEM PROCEDURE
FORMULATION OF STIFFNESS MATRIX
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
APPLICATIONS
ELEMENTS
STIFFNESS METHOD FOR SPRING ELEMENT
Engineering Problems
Structural analysis
Heat transfer
Fluid flow
Mass transport
Electromagnetic potential
Analytical solutions
using differential equation
for simple geometry, loadings, material
properties etc
solved
What about complex engineering problems (loading, geometry and material
properties are complex)?
Should use numerical method to solve the problem
using digital computer
Example: structural problem
complex?
simple
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
A numerical method for obtaining approximate numerical solution
of problems of engineering and physics by the aid of computer
The finite element method involves modeling the structure using small
interconnected elements called finite elements
nodes
FOR STRUCTURAL PROBLEM, USUALLY ENGINEER SEEK TO
DETERMINE DISPLACEMENTS AND STRESSES THROUGHOUT
THE STRUCTURE
2 GENERAL APPROACHES
FORCE/FLEXIBILITY METHOD USES INTERNAL FORCES AS THE
UNKNOWNS OF THE PROBLEM
equilibrium equation
compatibility equation
resulting in a set of algebraic equations for determined unknown forces
DISPLACEMENT/STIFFNESS METHOD ASSUMES THE DISPLACEMENTS
OF THE NODES AS THE UNKNOWNS OF THE PROBLEM
nodal displacement using equation of equilibrium
law relating forces to displacements
STEPS OF THE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
1. Discretize and Select the Element Types
modeling a body by dividing it into an equivalent system of smaller
bodies or units (finite elements) interconnected at points common to
or more elements (nodal points or nodes) and/or boundary lines and/or
surfaces (discretization)
Element type: line element, plane elements, 3D element, axisymmetric
2. Select a Displacement Function
linier, quadratic, cubic polinomials
3. Define the strain/Displacement and Stress/Strain Relationships

x
=du/dx,
x
=E
x
4. Derive the Element Stiffness Matrix and Equations
direct method, energy method, weighted residual method
{f}=[k]{d}
5. Assemble the Element Equations to obtain the Global Equations and introduce
boundary conditions
element stiffness matrix are added together to obtain global stiffness
matrix (globalization)
{F}=[K]{d}
6 Solve for the Unknown Degrees of Freedom
using elimination method, iterative method etc
7 Solve for the Element Strains and Stresses
Interpret the Results
largest displacement, largest stress etc
OVERVIEW
FEM PROCEDURE
FORMULATION OF STIFFNESS MATRIX
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
APPLICATIONS
ELEMENTS
STIFFNESS METHOD FOR SPRING ELEMENT
THE DISPLACEMENT METHOD YIELD THE FEM CHARACTERISTIC
SYSTEM OF EQUATION
{f} = [k] {d}
Load vector
stiffness matrix
displacement vector
OVERVIEW
FEM PROCEDURE
FORMULATION OF STIFFNESS MATRIX
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
APPLICATIONS
ELEMENTS
STIFFNESS METHOD FOR SPRING ELEMENT
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
OVERVIEW
FEM PROCEDURE
FORMULATION OF STIFFNESS MATRIX
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
APPLICATIONS
ELEMENTS
STIFFNESS METHOD FOR SPRING ELEMENT
OVERVIEW
FEM PROCEDURE
FORMULATION OF STIFFNESS MATRIX
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
APPLICATIONS
ELEMENTS
STIFFNESS METHOD FOR SPRING ELEMENT
ELEMENTS IN FEM
line element
plane element
3D element
in software: bar, beam, rod
in software: QUAD4 etc
in software:tetrahedral
brick
OVERVIEW
FEM PROCEDURE
FORMULATION OF STIFFNESS MATRIX
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
APPLICATIONS
ELEMENTS
STIFFNESS METHOD FOR SPRING ELEMENT
in matrix form
stiffness matrix
Globalization of element stiffness matrix into global stiffness matrix
spring 1
spring 2
in global coordinates
in local coordinate
Global stiffness matrix (combine)
Global stiffness matrix
Example Calculation
N/cm N/cm N
cm
cm
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION