Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis

1D FEM using MATLAB

(alessandro.reali@unipv.it)

Given the 1D differential problem:

u (x) = p
u(a) = c

u(b) = d

x [a, b]

in the following it is reported a simple MATLAB code which solves it by

means of the finite element method.

function u = fem1d(nel,a,b,c,d,p)
%----------------------------------------------------------------% MATLAB program
% to solve with linear finite elements the ODE:
%
-u = p = const, x in [a,b]
% with boundary conditions:
%
u(a) = c and u(b) = d
%
% syntax: u = fem1d(nel,a,b,c,d,p)
% input:
%
nel = number of elements to be used
%
a,b = domain limits
%
c,d = Dirichlet b.c. values
%
p = uniform body load
% output:
%
u = ODE solution
%
% (by Alessandro Reali)
%----------------------------------------------------------------nnode = nel + 1; % total number of nodes
%----------------------------------------% input data for nodal coordinate values
%-----------------------------------------

h = (b - a)/nel;
coord = a:h:b;
%----------------------------------------% initialization of matrices and vectors
%----------------------------------------f_gl = zeros(nnode,1);
% initialization of global sr-h-s
k_gl = zeros(nnode,nnode); % initialization of global stiffnes
%----------------------------------------------------------------% computation of element matrices and vectors and their assembly
%----------------------------------------------------------------for iel = 1:nel % loop over the total number of elements
k_el = el_stiff(h); % compute element stiffness
f_el = el_rhs(h,p); % compute element r-h-s
for i = 1:2 % assemble stiffness and r-h-s
f_gl(iel-1+i) = f_gl(iel-1+i) + f_el(i);
for j = 1:2
k_gl(iel-1+i,iel-1+j) = k_gl(iel-1+i,iel-1+j) + k_el(i,j);
end
end
end
%---------------------------% apply boundary conditions
%---------------------------k_gl(1,:) = 0;
k_gl(1,1) = 1;
f_gl(1) = c;
k_gl(nnode,:) = 0;
k_gl(nnode,nnode) = 1;
f_gl(nnode) = d;
%-------------------------% solve the linear system
%-------------------------u = k_gl\f_gl;

%----------------% exact solution

%-----------------x = a:h/100:b;
c1 = (d + p*b^2/2 - c - p*a^2/2)/(b - a);
c2 = c + p*a^2/2 - a*c1;
exact = -p/2*x.^2 + c1*x + c2;
%-----------------------------------% plot both exact and FEM solutions
%-----------------------------------figure(1)
plot(coord,u,x,exact)
title(-d^2u/dx^2 = f)
xlabel(x)
ylabel(u)
legend(f.e. solution,exact solution)
%-----------------------------------------------------------------

function [k_el] = el_stiff(e_length)

%----------------------------------------------------------------% element stiffness matrix for -u = f using linear elements
% e_length = element length
%----------------------------------------------------------------k_el=[1 -1; -1 1]/e_length;
return
%----------------------------------------------------------------

function [f_el]=el_rhs(e_length,p)
%----------------------------------------------------------------% element right-hand-side for f(x)=p using linear elements
% e_length = element length
% p = uniform body load
%----------------------------------------------------------------f_el=[1; 1]*p*e_length/2;
return
%-----------------------------------------------------------------

Homework
Extend the code fem1d including:
the possibility of imposing Neumann boundary conditions;
the possibility of applying a non-uniform body load p = p(x);
the possibility of employing a non-uniform mesh.
With your modified code, solve the following problem using 3, 4 and 5
elements and discussing your mesh choices (compare your results with those
obtained from a uniform mesh choice).

8
x [0, 1]

u (x) = x
u(0) = 0

u (1) = 1/20