8/22/2020 Python script for static deflection of a beam using finite elements | Mechanics and Machines

Mechanics and Machines

FEA, FUNDAMENTALS

PYTHON SCRIPT FOR STATIC DEFLECTION OF

A BEAM USING FINITE ELEMENTS
JANUARY 11, 2018 | JUSTIN VERDIRAME | LEAVE A COMMENT

Below we present a simple script for calculating the static de ection of a beam with a variety of
boundary conditions and load types.  The nite element method is implemented using Python with the
numpy library and plot are made using matplotlib.  This code can be easily modi ed for other boundary
conditions or loads.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

import numpy as np

E=200e9 #Young's modulus

rho=7800. #density
L=1. #total length
b=0.010 #beam depth
h=0.005 #beam height
A=b*h #beam cross sectional area
I=b*h**3/12 #beam moment of inertia
N=40 #number of elements
Nnodes=N+1 #number of nodes
ell=L/N #length of beam element
Nmodes=12 #number of modes to keep
mass=rho*L*A #total mass
Irot=1/12*mass*L**2 #rotary inertia
x=np.arange(0,ell+L,ell)

K_e=E*I/ell**3*np.array([[12, 6*ell, -12, 6*ell],

www.mechanicsandmachines.com/?p=705 1/5
8/22/2020 Python script for static deflection of a beam using finite elements | Mechanics and Machines

[6*ell, 4*ell**2, -6*ell, 2*ell**2],

[-12, -6*ell, 12, -6*ell], #x2
[6*ell, 2*ell**2, -6*ell, 4*ell**2]]) #theta2

bcs = 'clamped-clamped' # 'clamped-clamped' # 'clamped-sliding' # simplysupported #

'cantilever' Input boundary conditions here

loadcase = 'uniformpres' #'pointforce' # 'pointmoment' # 'unifromdistribmoment'

Input load case here
# 'uniformpres' # 'concmomenteachnode'

K=np.zeros((2*(N+1),2*(N+1)))
# M=zeros(2*(N+1),2*(N+1))

for i in range(1,N+1):
K[(2*(i-1)+1-1):(2*(i-1)+4), (2*(i-1)+1-1):(2*(i-1)+4)]=K[(2*(i-1)+1-1):(2*(i-
1)+4)][:,(2*(i-1)+1-1):(2*(i-1)+4)]+K_e

f=np.zeros((2*Nnodes,1))

if loadcase == 'pointforce':
print('Load: concentrated force at x=L/2')
#load: concentrated force on center of beam
f[Nnodes-1]=1
elif loadcase == 'pointmoment':
print('Load: concentrated moment at x=L/2')
#load: concentrated moment on center of beam
f[Nnodes]=1
elif loadcase == 'uniformdistribmoment':
print('Load: uniformly distributed moment')
#load: uniform distributed moment on entire beam
m=1.0
m_el=np.zeros((4,1))
m_el[:,0] = np.array([-m,0,m,0])
for i in range(1,N+1):
f[2*(i-1)+1-1:2*(i-1)+4]=f[2*(i-1)+1-1:2*(i-1)+4]+m_el
elif loadcase == 'concmomenteachnode':

www.mechanicsandmachines.com/?p=705 2/5
8/22/2020 Python script for static deflection of a beam using finite elements | Mechanics and Machines

print('Load: Concentrated moment on each node')

#load: concentrated moment on each node
f[1:2*Nnodes:2]=1
elif loadcase == 'uniformpres':
print('Uniform pressure')
#load: uniform distributed load on entire beam
q=-rho*A*9.81
q_el=np.zeros((4,1))
q_el[:,0] = np.array([q*ell/2, q*ell**2/12, q*ell/2, -q*ell**2/12])
for i in range(1,N+1):
f[2*(i-1)+1-1:2*(i-1)+4]=f[2*(i-1)+1-1:2*(i-1)+4]+q_el
else:
print('Unknown loading')

if bcs == 'clamped-clamped':
print('BCs: clamped-clamped')
#clamped-clamped beam BCs
K=np.delete(K,[2*Nnodes-2,2*Nnodes-1],0) #K[1:2,:]=[]
K=np.delete(K,[2*Nnodes-2,2*Nnodes-1],1) #K[:,1:2]=[]
f=np.delete(f,[2*Nnodes-2,2*Nnodes-1]) #f[1:2]=[]
K=np.delete(K,[0,1],0) #K[1:2,:]=[]
K=np.delete(K,[0,1],1) #K[:,1:2]=[]
f=np.delete(f,[0,1]) #f[1:2]=[]

elif bcs == 'simplysupported':

print('BCs: simply supported')
#simply supported beam BCs
K=np.delete(K,[2*Nnodes-2],0) #K[1:2,:]=[]
K=np.delete(K,[2*Nnodes-2],1) #K[:,1:2]=[]
f=np.delete(f,[2*Nnodes-2]) #f[1:2]=[]
K=np.delete(K,[0],0) #K[1:2,:]=[]
K=np.delete(K,[0],1) #K[1:2,:]=[]
f=np.delete(f,[0]) #f[1:2]=[]

elif bcs == 'cantilever':

print('BCs: cantilever')
#cantilever beam BCs
K=np.delete(K,[0,1],0) #K[1:2,:]=[]
K=np.delete(K,[0,1],1) #K[:,1:2]=[]
f=np.delete(f,[0,1]) #f[1:2]=[]

www.mechanicsandmachines.com/?p=705 3/5
8/22/2020 Python script for static deflection of a beam using finite elements | Mechanics and Machines

elif bcs == 'clamped-sliding':

print('BCs: clamped-sliding')
#clamped-sliding beam BCs
K=np.delete(K,[2*Nnodes-1],0) #K[1:2,:]=[]
K=np.delete(K,[2*Nnodes-1],1) #K[:,1:2]=[]
f=np.delete(f,[2*Nnodes-1]) #f[1:2]=[]
K=np.delete(K,[0,1],0) #K[1:2,:]=[]
K=np.delete(K,[0,1],1) #K[:,1:2]=[]
f=np.delete(f,[0,1]) #f[1:2]=[]
else:
print('Unknown boundary conditions.')

dx_vec=np.linalg.solve(K,f)

if bcs == 'clamped-clamped':
print('BCs output: clamped-clamped')
#clamped-clamped
dx=np.hstack([0., dx_vec[0:2*Nnodes-5:2], 0.])
dtheta=np.hstack([0., dx_vec[1:2*Nnodes-4:2], 0.])
elif bcs == 'simplysupported':
print('BCs output: simply-supported')
#simply-supported
dx=np.hstack([0., dx_vec[1:2*Nnodes-4:2], 0.])
dtheta=np.hstack([dx_vec[0:2*Nnodes-3:2], dx_vec[2*Nnodes-3]])
elif bcs == 'cantilever':
print('BCs output: cantilever')
#cantilever
dx=np.hstack([0., dx_vec[0:2*Nnodes-2:2]])
dtheta=np.hstack([0., dx_vec[1:2*Nnodes-1:2]])
elif bcs == 'clamped-sliding':
print('BCs output: clamped-sliding')
#clamped-sliding beam BCs
dx=np.hstack([0., dx_vec[0:2*Nnodes-3:2]])
dtheta=np.hstack([0., dx_vec[1:2*Nnodes-4:2], 0.])
else:
print('Output: Unknown boundary conditions.')

plt.figure(1)
plt.subplot(211)

www.mechanicsandmachines.com/?p=705 4/5
8/22/2020 Python script for static deflection of a beam using finite elements | Mechanics and Machines

plt.plot(x,dx)
plt.ylabel('displacement [m]')
#plt.title(['BCs: ' bcs 'Load case: ' loadcase])
plt.show()

plt.subplot(212)
plt.plot(x,dtheta)
plt.ylabel('slope [radians]')
plt.xlabel('X [m]')

BEAM BENDING FEA FINITE ELEMENT MATPLOTLIB NUMPY PYTHON SCIPY SCRIPT

STATIC DEFLECTION

www.mechanicsandmachines.com/?p=705 5/5