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CƠ SỞ LÝ THUYẾT PHƯƠNG PHÁP PHẦN TỬ HỮU HẠN

INITIATION TO THE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
THEORETICAL COURSE
PGS.TS. LÊ ĐÌNH TUÂN tuan-ledinh@hcmut.edu.vn

3/2020
 Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Static hypothesis
3. Boundary conditions
4. Variational approach
4.1. Admissible kinetic displacement
4.2. Approximation of the displacement field
4.3. Minimization of the potential energy
4.4. Expression of the deformation energy
4.5. Expression of the work of the internal and external forces P
4.6. Determination of the numerical system to solve
5. Reference element
5.1. Definition
5.2. About the Jacobian
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 6. Computation of the elementary systems

6.1. Total energy of the system

6.2. Expression of the elementary systems
6.3. Assembly of the elementary systems
7. Resolution
7.1. Resolution of the numerical system
7.2. Computation of strains and stresses
8. Numerical integration
8.1. Definition
8.2. Example
8.3. Results computation

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 1-Introduction

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 1. Introduction
The Finite Element Method can approach the exact solution of a continuous problem
by solving a discretised problem with a finite number of unknown attached to the
nodes of the discretised model.
Two types of matrix methods are available following the type of unknown :
- Force method: the nodal forces are unknown
- Displacement method: the nodal displacements are unknown
The displacement method is explained hereafter (it is the common method).
These methods are executed in 2 steps :
- Elementary step: characterization of the finite element
- Global step: assembly of the elements & computation of the global behaviour
of the structure

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 1. Introduction (2)
These methods are executed in 3 steps:
- Pre-processing : creation or importation of a CAD, choice of the finite
element, applications of the boundary conditions and loads.
- Calculation : computation & assembly of the elementary systems
representing the structural behaviour ; resolution of the system & computation of
the results.
- Post-processing : the results are visualised and analysed (criteria,...).

For example:
Tresca, von Mises, Tsai-Hill, Hanshin…

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 1. Introduction (3)
Thực nghiệm
Thiết kế
Hình học / CAD
Tính toán Phù hợp với kết
quả thực nghiệm
Tính toán cho
mỗi phần tử
Ke, Me, Ce, pe(t)
Tiền xử lý
  ráp HT tổng thể (
Lắp Hậu xử lý
Lưới PTHH
Kiểm tra tương
Các điều kiện biên (uk) quan các kết quả
Giải
  HT tổng thể
Các tải trọng (Fk(t)) Trị riêng: i , Xi
Đáp ứng: Phân tích kết quả
Ứng xử vật liệu Xuất kết quả đồ họa
Tính các kết quả
Lựa chọn loại phần tử khác
ij,  ij …
Các giả thuyết Code PTHH
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 2-Static hypothesis

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 2. Static hypothesis
The following description of the method is based on linear static analysis:
- small strains and rotations,
- small displacements.
Aim of the analysis:
- find the displacement field u of a structure enclosed in a volume V and
submitted to internal and external forces and prescribed displacements,
- calculate strains ε & stresses σ from
the displacement field u

Volumic force
Surface force
F dV
t dS

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 3-Boundary conditions

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 3. Boundary conditions (BCs)
Two types of boundary conditions can be applied to the structure:
- prescribed displacements on some points of the structure, also named as
kinematics BCs (điều kiện biên động học).
- prescribed forces on some points of the structure, also named as static BCs
or equilibrium BCs.
Note 1: A point can not be submitted to both kinematics & static BCs.
Note 2: All the points on which no displacement &
no non-zero force were prescribed must have a zero
force prescribed to each of their degrees of freedom

Dirichlet conditions / Neumann conditions ?

Essential BCs / Natural BCs ?

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Essential boundary conditions are conditions that are imposed explicitly on the
solution and natural boundary conditions are those that automatically will be
satisfied after solution of the problem. In the case of Finite Element approximations,
the essential conditions will be exactly satisfied but the natural conditions only up to
the order of the method . In many cases, the essential conditions correspond to
Dirichlet boundary conditions when the problem is written as a boundary value
problem for a partial differential equation. The natural condition corresponds to a
Neumann condition, a stress-free condition, or something similar, depending on the
problem.

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 

  u = 

V fi dV  = \u

u

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 4-Variational approach

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 4.1 Admissible kinematic displacement
To solve the static problem, an admissible displacement field must be supposed
on the structure: the shape of the equations used to described the field must be
suitable to the searched type of field (linear, quadratic, …); it must :
- verify the continuity between elements (displacements continuity in case of
volume elements  C0 continuity ; displacements and rotations continuities in
case of shell elements  C1 continuity).
- verify the kinematic boundary conditions (i.e : the prescribed displacements)

  0 C1 continuity
Admissible ! Not admissible !

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 4.2 Approximation of the displacement field
The approached displacement field ũ of the real field u is defined as :

ũ(M) = uii(M)
where:
ui - generalized coordinates of the structure (points where the displacement
fits the real displacement)
i - weight functions or shape functions
M - any point of the structure

ũ(M) = u11(M) + u22(M) +…+ unn(M)

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 4.2 Approximation of the displacement field (2)
When an element uses the same interpolation function for displacements and
geometry, it is an iso-parametric element.
If there are more nodes defining the geometry than displacements, it is
super-parametric.
If there are less nodes defining the geometry than displacements, it is
sub-parametric.

Geometrical interpolation nodes

Displacements interpolation nodes
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 4.2 Approximation of the displacement field (3)
Characteristics of the weight functions :
- When M is positioned at generalised coordinates:

u(M = ui) = ũ(M = ui) = ui i (M)

Kronecker delta
and so, i (ui) = ii = 1
ji (ui) = ij = 0
- At any point M, the error between the exact & the approached displacement
field is given by:
e(M) = u(M) –ũ(M)
- The error e must be negligible to have u ≈ ũ.

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 4.2 Approximation of the displacement field (4)
In linear static finite element analysis :
- the displacement field is approached : this is the kinematic approach, using
kinematic elements,
- the total potential energy of the structure is the functional to minimize to
reduce the error between the exact and approached displacement field,
- the generalized coordinates are the displacements of the mesh nodes (i.e. dof),
- the displacement field of a finite element is a
combination of the nodal degrees of freedom q
of this finite element.
- strains ε & stresses σ are calculated from
the approached displacement field ũ .

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 4.3 Minimization of the potential energy
The total potential energy Π(u) is equal to the difference between the
deformation energy Σ of the structure & the work of the internal and external
forces W applied to the structure
Π(u) = Σ −W
Π(u) is stationary: it does not vary between 2 equilibrium positions for very close
configurations of the structure.

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 4.4 Expression of the strain energy
- The density of the strain energy Σv is calculated as follow:

- The linear relation between Stresses & Strains (Hooke’s law):

- The density of the strain energy Σv can be expressed relatively to the strains :

- The strain energy Σ is calculated :

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 4.5 Expression of the work of the internal and external forces W
- The work of the volumic forces (internal) Wint is calculated as follow:

- The work of the surface forces (external) Wext is calculated as follow:

- The work of the nodal forces Wnodal applied to the structure:

 The total work W of the forces applied to the structure:

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 4.6 Determination of the numerical system to solve
- The displacements are linked to the generalised displacements (dofs) by: u = NU
- The total potential energy is stationary between two equilibrium states of the
structure : the energy is so constant over the displacements of the structure:
and so

- The strains can be expressed as follow:

 = Du =DNU = BU with B=DN, D being a derivative matrix
- By replacing u in Π(u) :
D in 2D problems

- Naming :

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 4.6 Determination of the numerical system to solve (2)
- The total potential energy can be expressed as :

- The potential energy being stationary leads to the numerical system:

and so

- K is the stiffness matrix of the system and F is the vector of the forces applied
to the discrete structure and are known; U is unknown and will be computed by
inverting the system KU = F ( U = K-1 F).

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 5-Reference element

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 5.1 Definition
- To avoid the computation of particular interpolation functions on each element, all
the elements are referred to a reference element; the problem is no more expressed
in the global coordinates but in the reference elements coordinates.

Jacobi

- K and F are now expressed in the reference coordinates (subscript R).


v3
1 u3
v1 v2

0 u1 1 u2
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 5.2 About the Jacobian
- det(J) is the determinant of the jacobian J of the transformation from
the real to the reference coordinates.
- det(J) must not be equal to or smaller than 0: in these cases elements are
so distorted and an error is returned by the solver; the calculations will not be
performed.

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 6-Computation of the elementary systems

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 6.1 Total energy of the system
- The total energy of the system can be decomposed relatively to each element :

- At the equilibrium status, it reaches a minimum; its derivates according to the

degrees of freedom of the system (the displacements ) are null:

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 6.2 Expression of the elementary systems
- From the expression of the energy stationary on each element:

- It can be written:

- For each element, the following terms are computed:

 the stiffness matrix of the element:

 the force vector applied to the element:

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 6.3 Assembly of the elementary systems
- The assembly of the elementary systems leads to a system
representing the global behavior of the structure. The
integration of the conditions on the interactions between
elements allows to reduce the number of unknowns of the
system (principle of action - reaction).

Volume / Surface /Nodal forces

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 7- Resolution

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 7.1 Resolution of the numerical system
- The reaction forces corresponding to the prescribed displacements: these are
the unknowns of the system.
- The system is reorganized to separate the unknown displacements and the
datas relative to the prescribed displacements.

- The first line allows to compute the unknown of the structure :

- The second line allows to compute the unknown reaction forces of the structure :
+
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 7.2 Computation of strains and stresses
- The strains are computed at each point M of the structure from the nodal
displacements:
 = Du = DNU =BU with B=DN
- The stresses are computed at each point M of the structure from the nodal
displacements :
σ = Hε = HBU = TU

(M) = B(M) U
σ(M) = H ε(M)

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 8- Numerical integration

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 8.1 Definition
- The integration of the different functions needed for the computation of the
stiffness matrix and the load vector are replaced by ponderate sums.
- Points are defined with a corresponding weight: these points are named as
"Gauss points" (in case of the most commonly used integration method).
- The weights and the places related to the number of used Gauss points and the
required precision are defined in lot of books on FEM.
- Example of the integration of a function f replaced by a weighted sum on Gauss
points (Cases 1D, 2D and 3D).

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 8.2 Example
- Example of numerical integration using two Gauss points and their weights on
a linear rod element.

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 8.3 Results computation

- The stresses and strains are computed at Gauss points instead at nodes.
Results are better at Gauss points.

- Results are then averaged or not at element, extrapolated or not at nodes,

smoothed or not ?

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