Finite Element Analysis for

Mechanical and Aerospace Design

Prof. Nicholas Zabaras

Materials Process Design and Control Laboratory
Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
101 Frank H. T. Rhodes Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3801

Email: zabaras@cornell.edu
URL: http://mpdc.mae.cornell.edu/

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 Isoparametric finite elements
• The basis functions used in the definition of the
mapping Te, do not have to be the same as those
used for the approximation of functions.
• Let M be the number of basis functions used to define
Te and let Ne be the number of basis functions
(nodes) used in the approximation of functions.
• Polynomials used to define geometry can be of higher
order (M>Ne), equal (M=Ne) or lower (M<Ne) than
those used for the approximation of the main fields.
This defines super-parametric, isoparametric and sub-
parametric finite elements, respectively.

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Sub-, iso- and super-parametric finite elements

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 Quadrilateral elements: Bi-linear
• We use tensor product of
polynomials as discussed in
1D (Lagrange family)

1 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (1 − ξ )(1 − η )
N
4
 2 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (1 + ξ )(1 − η )
N
4
 3 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (1 + ξ )(1 + η )
N
4
 4 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (1 − ξ )(1 + η )
N
4

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 Quadrilateral elements: Bi-quadratic
• We use tensor product of
polynomials as discussed in
1D (Lagrange family)
1 (ξ ,η ) =
N
1 2
(ξ − ξ )(η 2 − η ), N  5 (ξ ,η ) = 1
(1 − ξ 2 )(η 2 − η )
4 2
 2 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (ξ 2 + ξ )(η 2 − η ), N
N  6 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (ξ 2 + ξ )(1 − η 2 )
4 2
 3 (ξ ,η ) =
N
1 2
(ξ + ξ )(η 2 + η ), N  7 (ξ ,η ) = 1
(1 − ξ 2 )(η 2 + η )
4 2
 4 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (ξ 2 − ξ )(η 2 + η ), N
N  8 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (ξ 2 − ξ )(1 − η 2 )
4 2
 9 (ξ ,η ) =
N (1 − ξ 2 )(1 − η 2 )

• Note that here we have one

internal node (9).

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 Quadratic eight node element
• These type of elements
are not derived from
tensor product of 1D
polynomials. They are
called serendipity
elements.
• To derive the shape
function for node 1, we
need a polynomial that
vanishes on the
following lines:
1 − ξ ,1 − η ,1 + ξ + η
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1 (ξ ,η= 1  5 (ξ ,η= 1
N ) (1 − ξ )(1 − η )(−1 − ξ − η ), N ) (1 − ξ 2 )(1 − η )
4 2
 2 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (1 + ξ )(1 − η )(−1 + ξ − η ), N
N  6 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (1 + ξ )(1 − η 2 )
4 2
 3 (ξ ,η= 1  7 (ξ ,η=
(1 + ξ )(1 + η )(−1 + ξ + η ), N
1
(1 − ξ 2 )(1 + η )
N )
4
)
2
 4 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (1 − ξ )(1 + η )(−1 − ξ + η ), N
N  8 (ξ ,η ) = 1 (1 − ξ )(1 − η 2 )
4 2
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 Quadrature rules
• Quadrature rules are defined from the 1D Gauss rules
presented earlier as follows:

Ω
(
1 1
)
∫ G (ξ ,η )d ξ dη = ∫−1 ∫−1 G (ξ ,η )d ξ dη

N
N  N '

∑  ∑ G (ξ n ,η m )wn  wm ∑ G (ξ l ,ηl ) wl
=
i i l

m 1 =
= n 1  =l 1

• Here we re-labeled
(m,n) with a single
index l=1

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 Triangular elements
• We first consider triangular with straight sides. We
consider the mapping from a right-isosceles master
triangle. By inspection, we can write the basis
functions as:

1 (ξ ,η ) =1 − ξ − η
N
 2 (ξ ,η ) = ξ
N
 3 (ξ ,η ) = η
N

• The coordinate mapping is then defined from:

3
 j (ξ ,η )
x = ∑ xj N
j =1
3
 j (ξ ,η ),
y = ∑ yj N
j =1

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 Triangular elements
3
 j (ξ ,η )
x = ∑ xj N
j =1
3
 j (ξ ,η ),
y = ∑ yj N
j =1

1 (ξ ,η ) =1 − ξ − η
N
 2 (ξ ,η ) = ξ
N
 3 (ξ ,η ) = η
N 1
=ξ {( y 3 − y1 )( x − x1 ) − ( x3 − x 1)( y − y1 )}
2 Ae
• Inverting this mapping gives:
1
η
= {−( y 2 − y1 )( x − x1 ) + ( x2 − x 1)( y − y1 )}
2 Ae

area
of Ω e

• Can you recognize these as the linear shape functions of

the 4 node quadrilateral element? (take nodes 3 ≡ 4 )
ξ = N 2e ( x, y ) ∂ξ ∂ξ ∂η ∂η
Using these, one can now easily compute , , , ,| J |
η = N3e ( x, y ) ∂x ∂y ∂x ∂y
and thus the element stiffness and load
1− ξ −η =N1e ( x, y )

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 Area coordinates
• The expressions for ξ ,η ,1 − ξ − η can
easily be interpreted as ratios of
areas. We will see this interpretation
to be useful in deriving higher order
triangular elements.
• Let us join the points (ξ ,η ) and (x,y)
with the vertices of the triangles

Ω and Ωe , respectively. We denote
a i , ai as the areas of the subtriangles
opposite node in Ωe , and Ω  , respectively.

• We define the area coordinates on Ω 

i ζ 1 =1 − ξ − η
as: i =
= ζ a
 , i 1, 2,3, where 
A = 1/ 2 is the ζ2 =ξ
A
ζ3 =η
area of the master element.
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 Area coordinates
• Since |J| is constant (the ratio of the
 , ), the map T
areas of Ωe , and Ω e
transforms areas uniformly, thus:
a i ai
ζ= = =
, i 1, 2,3,
i 
A Ae

• This is only true for triangles with

straight sides.

ζ 1 =1 − ξ − η
ζ2 =ξ
ζ3 =η

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 Area coordinates
• Several interesting properties
of area coordinates are
shown in the figures.
• At a given point, the line
ζ i = cons tan t is parallel to the
side of the element
opposite node i.
• The boundary segments of
the element are defined by
ζ= =
i 0, i 1, 2,3.
• The vertices of the triangle
are (1,0,0), (0,1,0) and
(0,0,1).
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 Higher-degree shape functions
 , can be used to
• The area coordinates ζ i on Ω
determine higher degree shape functions ψ i (ζ ).

1 = 2ζ (ζ − 1 ), N
N  4 = 4ζ ζ
1 1 1 2
2 Quadratic shape
 2 = 2ζ (ζ − 1 ), N
N  5 = 4ζ ζ functions
2 2 2 3
2
 3 = 2ζ (ζ − 1 ), N
N  6 = 4ζ ζ
3 3 3 1
2

1 = 9 ζ (ζ − 2 )(ζ − 1 )
N 1 1 1
2 3 3
= 4 27 ζ ζ (ζ − 1 )
N 1 2 1
2 3 Cubic shape
= 5 27 ζ ζ (ζ − 1 )
N functions
1 2 2
2 3
10 = 27ζ ζ ζ
N 1 2 3

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Shape functions on triangles using area coordinates
• The coordinate transformation is now having the form:
N
x(ξ ,η ) ≡ x(ζ 1 , ζ 2 , ζ 3 ) =
e
 j (ζ , ζ , ζ )
∑ xj N 1 2 3
j =1
N
y (ξ ,η ) ≡ y (ζ 1 , ζ 2 , ζ 3 ) =
e
 j (ζ , ζ , ζ ),
∑ yj N 1 2 3
j =1

• The calculations here defer from those used in

quadrilaterals because of the redundant area
coordinate ζ 1 =−
1 ζ 2 − ζ 3.
• Calculation of derivatives proceeds as:
1 ∂ N
∂N 1 ∂ζ ∂ N 1 ∂ζ 1 ∂ζ
∂N
= 1 + 2 + 3
∂x ∂ζ 1 ∂x ∂ζ 2 ∂x ∂ζ 3 ∂x
• Alternatively, one can use ζ 1 =−
1 ζ 2 − ζ 3 , ζ 2 ≡ ξ , ζ 3 ≡ η , and
proceed exactly as was done before for quadrilaterals.
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Quadrature integration formulas for triangles
• We use particular quadrature rules appropriate for the
area coordinates introduced earlier.
N
∫ G (ζ 1 , ζ 2 , ζ 3 ) d ζ 2 d ζ 3 ( note ζ 1 =−
1 ζ 2 − ζ 3 ) =∑ G (ζ 1l , ζ 2l , ζ 3l )
int

wl
 l =1  
Ω int egration
quadrature
po int s in weights

Ω
Polynomials
Linear Quadratic Cubic up to this
degree are
integrated
exactly

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