CHAPTER 1

OVERVIEW

Shacheendra Kishor Labh

Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical and Automobile Engineering
IOE, Pashchimanchal Campus

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Introduction
Finite Element Method is a computational technique used to obtain approximate solution
to boundary value problems in engineering.
• The study of most physical phenomenon involves two major tasks:
1. Mathematical formulation of the physical process
2. Numerical analysis of the mathematical model
• Every physical phenomenon cab be described in terms of algebraic, differential or
integral equations relating various quantities of interest.
• The mathematical formulation of a physical process requires background in related
subject and certain mathematical tools.
• Finding exact solutions to the governing equation is a formidable task. Hence
approximate methods of analysis provide alternative means of finding solutions.
• The finite difference method, variational method and finite element method are the
most frequently used methods.
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Historical background
• Ancient mathematicians predicted the value of π to accuracies of almost 40
significant digits by representing the circle as a polygon of a finitely large number of
sides.
• In 1941, Hrenikoff introduced the so called framework method, in which a plane
elastic medium was represented as a collection of bars and beams.
• In 1943, Courant used piecewise continuous functions defined over a subdomain to
approximate an unknown function.
• A significant step was taken by Boeing in the 1950’s when the used triangular stress
elements to model airplane wings.
• The term “finite element” was first used by Clough in 1960.
• In 1960’s investigators started to apply the finite element method to other areas of
engineering such as heat transfer, fluid dynamics etc.
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Mathematical modelling of physical system
• The field of Mechanics can be subdivided into three major areas: Theoretical, Applied, and
Computational.
• Theoretical Mechanics deals with fundamental laws and principles of mechanics
studied for their intrinsic scientific value.
• Applied Mechanics transfers this theoretical knowledge to scientific and engineering
applications, especially through the construction of mathematical models of physical
phenomena.
• Computational Mechanics solves specific problems by simulation through numerical
methods implemented on digital computers.
• Due to the complexity of physical systems, some approximation must be made in the
process of turning physical reality into a mathematical model.
• There are two common branches of the general modelling solution process as shown in
Figure 1.

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Mathematical modelling of physical system

Figure 1: Modeling of a physical system

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Approaching a problem in FEM
• For structural problems, our goal is to determine displacements and stresses
throughout the structure , which is in equilibrium and is subjected to applied
loads.
• There are two general direct approaches to structural mechanics problems:
• force or flexibility method (uses internal forces as unknown)
• Displacement or stiffness method (uses displacements as unknown)
• These two direct approaches result in different unknowns in the analysis and
different matrices associated with their formulation.
• Another method that can be used to develop the governing equations for both
structural and non structural problems is the variational method.
• One of the principles used in variational approach is the theorem of minimum
potential energy that applies to material behaving in a linear elastic manner.
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Approaching a problem in FEM
• Another approach for solving continuum problems is Method of Weighted
Residual (MWR) in which we integrate the weighted residual of the of the
governing equation and obtain weak formulation.
• The general process for approaching a problem in Finite Element Method is:
1. Discretize and select element type

1 dimensional elements

2 dimensional elements

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Approaching a problem in FEM

3 dimensional elements
2. Define displacement function
3. Define stress-strain and stress displacement relations
4. Derive the element stiffness matrix and equations
5. Assemble the element equations to obtain global matrix
6. Solve for the unknown variables
7. Interpret the result
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Steps in FEM
The general steps used in solving a problem using Finite Element Method are:
1. Pre processing
Define geometric domain
Select element type
Material properties
Geometric properties of the elements
Meshing the model
Physical constraints (boundary conditions)
Define loadings
2. Solution
Compute the unknown value of primary field variables
3. Post Processing
Analysis and evaluation of the solutions, sorting, printing and plotting results.
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Advantages of FEM

The advantages of using FEM to solve problems in engineering are:

1. Numerically integrate or solve differential equations
2. Very general and hence flexible
3. Highly systematic and structured
4. Model irregular shaped bodies
5. Handle high number of boundary conditions
6. Model bodies composed of several different material.

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Applications of FEM

The applications of FEM in different fields of engineering are:

1. Mechanical Vibration
2. Structural problems
3. Solid mechanics
4. Computational Fluid Dynamics
5. Heat transfer
6. Distribution of electric and magnetic fields
7. Aerodynamics

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References

• Hutton, D.V. (2004). Fundamentals of finite element analysis. McGraw-hill.

• Logan, D. L. (2016). A first course in the finite element method. Cengage
Learning.
• Moaveni, S. (2011). Finite element analysis theory and application with ANSYS,
3/e. Pearson Education India.
• Bathe, K. J. (2006). Finite element procedures. Klaus-Jurgen Bathe.

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