0 Finite To Infinite Practical Finite Element Analysis© Finite To Infinite Practical Finite ae ALAes 4th India/ASEAN HyperWorks Technology Conference 2008 July 34 - August 2, 2008, The Leela Palace, Bengaluru wwwaltaithte.com Dear Conference Delegate, We present this complimentary copy of “Practical Finite Element Analysis’, distributed as Part of the 4th Altair India/ASEAN HTCO8 (HyperWorks Technology Conference) organised between July 31- August 2, 2008. The conference is part of the global conference series, with similar events scheduled across Asia, North America and Europe. This HTCO8 will bring together experts from different industries, presenting their CAE experiences with HyperWorks and highlighting the latest trends, developments and applications in the field of enterprise simulation. In addition, the conference gives you the opportunity to network with international Altair experts to help you learn more about latest applications and enhancements of HyperWorks, PBS GridWorks and HiQube as well as ecosystem of Altair partners ranging across Workstations, Clusters, Networks, Storage and Complementary Software solutions which are part of the HyperWorks Partner Solutions Community. (www.hyperworkscommunity.com) This conference, with a mix of keynotes from distinguished group of industry thought-leaders, technical papers from Altair's HyperWorks customers as well as interactive demos, contests, quiz events is bound to make this conference a truly unforgettable experience for all the attendees, We thank all of you'll for attending this conference and Nitin Gokhale for this informative book that delivers a practical oriented approach to learning and solving engineering problems related to FEA. Happy Learning! Altair [ iG erWorks Smee A. Altair www.hyperworks.in wwwaltair.comPractical Finite Elem UIE First EditionPractical Finite Element Analysis First Edition - Nitin S Gokhale Sanjay $ Deshpande - Sanjeev V Bedekar -Anand N Thite Finite To InfiniPublished by: Finite To Infinite 686, Budhwar Peth, Shivganga Chambers, Near Prabhat Talkies Pune - 411002. Maharashtra, India. Tel: 0091 - 20 - 24454981 Mobile: 0091- 9423571952 E-mail [email protected] Website: www-finitetoinfinite.com Copyrights © 2008 by Finite To Infinite All rights strictly reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission from Finite To Infinite, ISBN 978-81-906195-0-9 ‘The export rights of this book are vested solely with the publisher. First Printing: January 2008 Images sourced from Altair Calendar 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 are copyright of Altair Engineering, India and have been used with prior consent. Commercial software names, company names, other product trademarks, registered trademark logos are the properties of their respective owners, Price: Rs. 650/- Disclaimer: Every efforts have been made to keep the book free from technical as well as. other mistakes. However, publishers and authors will not be responsible for loss, damage in any form and consequences arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book. ‘Our Bankers: Bank of Maharashtra, Shaniwar Peth Branch, Pune Printed at: K Joshi & Co,,1745/2, Sadashiv Peth, Near Bhikardas Maruti Temple, Pune - 30 Cover Designed by : Moon Design Studio Composed by: Shailesh Bhingareaciile-) ~ Dr Peter Fischer Finite Element Analysis... complicated mathematical theory for computer specialists; ... or an indispensable too! for all-day industrial product development? Finite Element Analysis. ‘a myth which allows to solve most of the worlds technical problems; .. or an analysis method which produces just results that “.. have to be checked by further testing. All the answers may be correct. However, none of the answers really describes Finite Element Analysis properly. Originally Finite Elements were developed to approximate continuous structures by discrete equation systems. That's all. These equation systems can then be solved by any numerical and computer aided technique. The method of Finite Elements was developed at perfectly right times: growing computer capacities, growing human skills and industry demands for ever faster and cost effective product development made it a synonym for high-tech engineering and nearly unlimited possibilities of the technical community. in this context, the name “Finite Element Analysis” is nowadays commonly used fora wide range of computation techniquesin engineering practice. ‘ vilThis book summarizes the most important techniques of current Finite Element applications. itis dedicated to the needs of practising engineers and provides clearly structured, well understandable information for managers, design & test engineers, students and all interested technicians. Basing on demonstrative examples the fundamental theory is summarized. The focus's to explain those principles, which have most important affects on the practical work, for understanding and for interpreting the results Most valuable are the guidelines, tips, tricks and checklists, which result from long term experiences and many successful projects of the authors The book aims to understand Finite Element Analysis as a computational engineering tool and to share the knowledge and experiences in this feld. ‘twill provide appreciation between various disciplines working together in engineering projects, But | wish, that this book will be also a seed for better understanding between all people working for common objectives of our fives, societies and cultures, our world and our spirits. - Dr Peter Fischer ‘Managing Director DTECH STEYR - Dynamics & Technology Services GmbH AustriaForeward -Mr Ashok R Sonalkar | have great pleasure and feel honored in sharing my thoughts with the readers through this preface, because of following reasons - 1) This is a unique book of its kind in the sense itis combining many years of actual hands on experience with adequate coverage of theoretical treatment. 2) | personally know the authors Nitin Gokhale, Sanjeev Bedekar, Sanjay Deshpande and Dr Anand Thite. We have worked together in research and development for some years and | had many occasions to discuss the problems related with Finite Element Analysis. 3) This book is going to be a kind of Bible’ or ‘Geeta’ for the CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) engineers for many years to come. When we started the CAE DEPARTMENT in our company in 1995 (we wereall new to this technique), arranged for intensive training ofa specially selected group of highly talented young engineers. The training was imparted by many experts of international repute and also by university and IIT professors. The authors were in this group. The group showed outstanding results which surprised even the teachers. Very quickly they could grasp the fundamental concepts, get a deep insight and develop a feel of FEA (which is very essential for one to be really competent). They had enough confidence to take a plunge in this very new field (it was noteven known widely in India in those days) by starting theirown company solely to provide this technology service and training to engineering industry globally. They have not looked back since. Itis this feel and the sixth sense which they have sincerely attempted to pass on to the serious students through many examples, thumb rules, empirical rules etc. These are generally regarded as professional secrets which mostexperts are not willing to share. This is that knowledge which (in the true Indian style) the disciples learn at the feet of their ‘GURU’ From this point of view also, | feel this is a rare book written with a true and sincere desire to spread knowledge. In the last few years, not only have they been relentlessly devouring all available technicalliteratureon FEA, but alsoassimilating itandputtingitto test by taking newer and newer (more and more formidable) challenges. They must certainly have faltered many a times. Failures come only to those who are courageous enough to venture in to new lands. They have learnt a lot from each and every mistake and sprang back with double the energy and enthusiasm to achieve and conquer even more exalted heights. They have very sincerely documented these mistakes and ‘the lessons learnt’ {and included in this book for the benefit of devoted students. This ~in my opinion- one of the most valuable feature of this book which sets it apart from most other books on the subject. This is not only a book which adds to your knowledge and makes you aware of new technology but it is also a practical quide which tells you about the nuts and bolts of this technique and tells you which mistakes you should guard against, what are the tricks of this trade and where are the pitfalls. I wish a most enriching learning experience to all those who want to take a dip in this ‘Gyan kund' (source of knowledge). - Ashok R Sonalkar R&D Head (Retired) Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. FES ~ Tractor DivisionWhy the book has been written ... FEA is gaining popularity day by day and is a sought after dream career for mechanical engineers. Enthusiastic engineers and managers who want to refresh or update the knowledge on FEA are encountered with volumes of published books. Often professionals realize that they are not in touch with theoretical concepts as being pre-requisite and find it too mathematical and Hi-Fi, Many a times these books just end up being decoration in their book shelves... ‘Authorsof this bookare fromlIT’s& lIScandafterjoining theindustry realized gap between university education & the practical FEA. Over the years they learned it via interaction with experts from international community, sharing experience with each other and hard route of trial & error method. The basic aim of this book is to share the knowledge and practices used in the industry with experienced and in particular beginners so as to reduce the learning curve and avoid reinvention of the cycle. Emphasis ison simple language, practical usage, minimum mathematics & no pre-requisites. All basic concepts of engineering are included as and where it is required. It is hoped that this book would be helpful to beginners, experienced users, managers, group leaders and as additional reading material for university courses. - Nitin S Gokhale Dec. 21, 2007 xixl Acknowledgement ‘Thanks to the teachers Thanks to co-authors for their contributions CFD Non-linear analysis Crash Analysis Thermal Analysis NVH Experimental Validation and Data acquisition ‘Thanks for image contribution ‘Special Thanks Thanks to softwares compa Altair Engineering Ucs FEMFAT Thanks to colleagues and students Thanks to family members Thanks for painstaking DTP efforts Thanks for Cover Design & Book Layout Thanks to printer Thanks to our bank Helmut Dannbauer, Dr Peter Fischer, Dr Seshu, Dr Vijay Ukadgaonkar, Dr $ K Maiti Sanjay $ Deshpande Sanjay S Deshpande, Chaman Lal Sahu Sanjay S Deshpande, Rajesh $ Koli Sanjeev V Bedekar Dr Anand NThit Prashant R Pawar, Dr Anand N Thite Altair Engineering, Apollo Tyres Ltd, ARAI, Ashok Leyland, Bajaj Auto Ltd,, BHEL. Bharat Forge Ltd, DOW India, Emerson Climate Technologies, Engineering Center Steyr, Lear Corporation, L&T Ltd. (Switch Gear Div.), Maruti Udyog Ltd. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (Tractor Div), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (Automotive Sector), Piaggio Vehicle Ltd, Tata Motors Ltd. Tata Johnson Controls Automotive Ltd, TVS Motor Company Ltd. Rajneesh Shinde, Nelson Dias, A. R. Sonalkar Nitin Kshirsagar, S. R, Marathe M.R.Saraf, Vijay V Patharkar Rohit Sadalge, Amalraj Tatapudi Jagdish Tahalyani, Sujatha kG Nawdeep Puranik, Kaushik Choudhuri Axel Werkhausen, Eberhard Dutzler Mandar Kulkarni, Tushar Akolkar, Sachin Mate, Manoj Gothe, Balaji Rajmane, Shakti Chavan, Jitendra Pawar, Sachin Dani, Nitin Karhade, DS Bhalerao, Prasanna Shanbhag, Parag Shimpi, Prashant Khedkar, CL. Patel, Ajay Sohani, Swapnil Wadkar, Rahul Pardesi, Santosh Belure, Jitendra Chaugule, Shrikant Sheodey Parents and specially to brother Sandeep Shailesh Bhingare Mooon Design Studio K. Joshi & Co’, nil Joshi and team MK Deval, P S Bagade, $$ Deo Bank of Maharashtra, Shaniwar Peth Branch Thanks to all who have helped directly or indirectlyIntroduction to Finite Element Analysis 1.1 Methods Solve any Engineering Problem 1.2 Procedure for Solving any Analytical or Numerical Problem 1.3 Brief introduction to Different Numerical Methods 1. What is DOF 1.5 Why do we Carry Out Meshing, What isFEM. 1.6 Advantages of FEA 1.7 Design Cycles 1.8 Absolute vs. Relative Design 1.91s FEA @ Replacement for Costly and Time Consuming Testing Past, Present and Future of FEA 2.1 History of Finite Element Method 22 Present 23 Theoretical Finite Element Analysis 2.4 Software Based FEM 255 Practical Applications of FEA 26 Failure Analysis 27 Future of FEA ‘Types of Analyses (Brief Introduction) 3.1 Linear Static Analysis. 3.2 Non Linear Analysis. 3.3 Dynamic Analysis 3 Linear Buckling ‘Analysis 3.5 Thermal Analysis 3.6 Fatigue analysis 3.7 Optimization 3.8 Computational Fluid Dynamics 3.9 Crash Analysis 3.10 Noise Vibration and Harshness, NVH Basics of Statics and Strength of Materials 4.1 What is Stress 42 Types of Stress. 43 Types of Forces 44Types of Moments 45 Uniaxial Stress 4.6Bi-axial Stress 4.7 ri-axial Stress 4.8What s'l" Area Moment of Inertia and" Polar Moment ofinertia Introduction to Meshing 5.1 Why do We Carry Out Meshing 5.2 Types of Elements 5.3 How to Decide Element Type 5.4 Can We Solve Same Problem Using 1-d, 2-d, 3-d Elements 5.5 How to Decide Element Length 5.6 How to Start Meshing 5.7 Meshing Techniques 5.8 Meshing in Critical Areas 5.9 Mesh Display Options 1-D Meshing 6.1 When to Use 1-d Elements 6.2 Stiffness Matrix Derivation 6.3 Stiffness Matrix: Assembly of Two Rod Elements 64 Beam Element 6.5 Special Features of Beam Elements. 2-D Meshing 7.1 When to Use 2-d Elements 7.2 Family of 2-d Elements 7.3 Thin Shell Elements 7.4 Effect of Mesh Density in the Critical Region 7.5 Effect of Biasing in the Critical Region 7.6 Symmetric Boundary Conditions 7.7 Different Element Type Options for Shell Meshing 7.8 Geometry Associative Mesh 7.9 Quality Checks 7.10 Other Checks for 2-d Meshing 7.11 How Not to Mesh Py9. 10, u. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 3-D Meshing 8.1 When to Use 3-d Elements 8.2 DOF for Solid Elements 8.3 Tetra Meshing Techniques 8.4 Quality Checks forTetra Meshing 85 Other Checks for Tetra Meshing 86 Brick Meshing 8.7 Brick Mesh Quality Checks 8.8 Other Checks for Brick Meshing 89 How Not to Mesh Special Elements and Special Techniques 9.1 Connection of Solid Elements with Beams and Shells 9.2 Linear to Parabolic and Brick to Tetra Connection 9.3 Hybrid Meshing (Hex-Pyram-Tetra) 9.4 GAP Element 9.5 Mass Element 9.6 Spring and Damper Element 9.7 Rigid & Constraint Elements 9:8 Simple Linear Static Analysis Techniques to Simulate Contact Weld, Bolt, Bearing and Shrink Fit Simulation 10.1 Welding Simulation 102 How to Model Spot Weld 10.3 How to Model Arc Weld 10.4 Practical Considerations for Welded Joints 10.5 Bolted Joint 106 Bearing Simulation 107 Shrink Fit Simulation Material Properties and Boundary Conditions 11.1 E.G&u 11.2 Material Classification 11.3 Material Properties 11.4 Boundary Conditions 11.5 How to Apply Constraints 11.6 Symmetry Linear Static Analysis 121 Definition 12.2 While Starting any Finite Element Analysis Project 12.3 How to Check Mesh Model Submitted by a Vendor or Colleague 12.4 Design Modifications Based on Linear Static Analysis: A Case Study 12.5 Linear Static Solvers 12.6 Solution Restart Method 12,7 hrelement vs. p-element 12.8Sub-modeling 12.9 Linear Buckling Analysis. Non Linear Analysis 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Comparison of Linear and Nonlinear FEA 13.3 Types of Nonlinearity 134 Stress- Strain Measures for Nonlinear Analysis 13.5 Solution Techniques for Nonlinear Analysis. 13.6 Issues Related to the Convergence of Newton Raphson Method 13,7 Essential Steps to Start with Nonlinear FEA 13.8 AGeneral Procedure for Nonlinear Static Analysis Project 13.9 Exercise Problem Dynamic Analysis 14.1 Why Dynamic Analysis 14.2 Static Analysis vs. Dynamic Analysis 143 Definitions 144 Whats Difference Between Time Domain and Frequency Domain 14.5 Types of Loading, 146 Simple Harmonic Motion 14 Free Vibration 148 Free — Free Run 14.9 How to Avoid Resonance 14.10 Damping Consideration 14.11 Forced Vibration 14,12 Single DOF System, Frequency Response Analysis 14.13 Single DOF System, Transient Response Analysis 14.14 Dynamic Analysis Solvers 14.15 Two DOF System, Frequency Response Analysis Base Excitation 14.16 Bracket, Transient Response Analysis (Short Duration Force) 14.17 What is PSD (Power Spectral Density) Thermal Analysis 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Conduction Heat Transfer 15,3 Steady State Conduction 15.4 Unsteady State Conduction 15.5 Convection Heat Transfer 15.6 Forced Convection (Internal Flow) 15.7 Forced Convection (External Flow) 15.8 Meshing for Thermal Analysis. 15.9 Free/Natural Convection 15.10 Radiation Heat Transfer 15.11 Practical Application of Thermal Analysis ‘Computational Fluid Dynamics 16.1 What is CFD 16.2.Various Levels of Approximations in Fluid Dynamics 16.3 Equilibrium Equations fora Fluid 16.4 The Physics of the Navier Stokes Equations 165 Conservation Form of Fluid Flow Equations 16.6 Integral Form of the Conservation Laws 16.7 Model Equations for Convection and Diffusion: Their Mathematical and Physical Aspects 168 Numerical Schemes fora Model Convection Equation 16.9 Numerical Schemes for a Standard Diffusion Equation 16.10 Explicit and Implicit Numerical Schemes 16.11 Different Types of on rid rey 59 bed cd Fg7. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22, 23. Codes Used for CFO Calculations 16.12 Different Types of Grids Used for CFD 16.13 Difference Between Meshes Used in Computational Structural Mechanics and Computational Fluid Dynamics 16.14 Strengths and Weaknesses of CFD Against Experimental Fluid Dynamics ‘of Wind Tunnel Testing 16.15 CFD Project Tracking Sheet 16.16 Typical Applications of Computational Fluid Dynamics in Various Industries Fatigue Analysis 17-1 Why Fatigue Analysis 17.2 Static, Dynamic and Fatigue Analysis Comparison 17.3 What is Fatigue 17.4 History of Fatigue 17.5 Definitions. 17.6 Various Approaches in Fatigue Analysis 177 Stress Life Approach 17.8 Strain Life Approach 17.9 Fracture Mechanics Approach 17.10 Cycle Counting 17.11 Multi-Axial Fatigue 17.12Welding Analysis 17.13 CAE (Fatigue) andTest Data Correlation Crash Analysis 18.1 Introduction 182 What do We solve in Structural Crash Worthiness 18.3 Transient Dynamics Solution Methodology 18.4 Increasing the speed of Explicit Methods for Quasi Static Simulation 185 Comparison of Explicit vs. Implicit Methods 18.6 Typical Issues in Contact Analysis 18.7 Some Aspects of Shell Element Technology 18.8 Contact Impact Algorithms 18.9 Full Dynamic / Impact vs. Quasi Stati Simulations 18.10 Lagrangian and Eulerian Codes 18.11 Effect of Process and Residual Stress on Crash Analysis 18,12 Typical Application of Crash Worthiness Simulations in Various Industries NVH Analysis 19.1 Introduction to NVH Concepts 19.2 Frequency Range of FE Dynamic Analysis 19.3 FEA for Structural Dynamics 19.4 FEA for Acoustics 19.5 Model Validation 19.6 Model Updating, 197 Design Modification 198 Vibration and Noise Control Post Processing Techniques 20.1 How to Validate & Check Accuracy of the Result 20.2 How to View Results 203 Average and Unaverage Stresses 20.4 Special Tricks for Post Processing 20.5 Interpretation of Results and Design Modifications. 20.6 CAE Reports, Experimental Validation and Data Acquisition 21.1 Strain Gauge 21.2 Photo-elasticity 21.3 Load Cells 21.4 Torque Sensors Torque Transducers 21.5 How to Collect Force vs. Time Data (Dynamic Test) 21.6 How to Measure Acceleration 21,7 How to Measure Fatigue Life 21.8 How to Measure Natural Frequency Common Mistakes and Errors Preparation for Interview Abbreviations ‘Appendix Era) Ered eye oT xvIntroduction to Finite Element Analysis 1.1 Methods to Solve Any Enginee! 1g Problem | y | ’ eee Rie ee) Pree) Classical approach +100 % accurate results Closed form solution = Applicable only for simple problems like cantilever & simply supported beams etc ~ Complete in itself Though analytical methods could also give approximate results if the solution is not closed form, but in general and broad sense, analytical methods are considered as closed form solutions i. 100% accurate. “Mathematical representation Approximate, assumptions made Applicable even if physical prototype not available (initial design phase) -Reallfe complicated problems Results can not be believed blindly &must be verified by experimental method or hand calculation for knowing the range of results Finite Element Method: Linear, Nonlinear, Buckling Thermal, Dynamic & Fatigue analysis Boundary Element Method: Acoustics / NVH Finite Volume Method: CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) & Computational Electromagnetics Finite Difference Method: Thermal & Fluid flow analysis in ‘combination with FVM) ~ Actual measurement ~Time consuming & needs ‘expensive set up Applicable only if physical prototypeis available Results can not be believed blindly & min.3 to 5 prototypes must be tested =Strain gauge -Photo elasticity Vibration measurements ~Sensors for temp. & pressure etc. Fatigue test 1.2 Procedure for Solving Any Analytical or Numerical Problem There are 2 steps Step 1) Writing governing equation - Problem Definition or in other words formulating the problem in the form of a mathematical equation Step 2) Mathematical solution of governing equation Final result is summation of step 1 & step 2. Result will be 100 % accurate when there is no approximation at either of the steps (Analytical method) Numerical methods make approximation at step 1 as well as at step 2 & hence all the numerical methods are approximate.Introduction to Finite Element Analysis Analytical“Approximation” | —Numerical“Approximatio a. Cantilever beam deflection - Analytical approach im :To determine deflection of cantilever beam (y) Step 1: Governing equation o/y=M/=E/R MI=E/R ade |______________ Governing Equation (unknown = y) Step 2: Mathematical solution of governing equation - El d'y/dx? = M = -P x (Origin at free end, moment at a distance x from origin = -P x) Integrating it wrt. x, 1* integration El dy/dx =-P 7/2 +C, Integration constant C, could be determined by substituting known boundary conditions i.e. at x=L dy/dx=0 =0=-PL/2+C, =C,=PL72 2nd integration - Ely=-Px'/6 +PL'w/2+C, Integration constant C, could be determined by substituting atx=L, y=0Practical Finite Element Analysis = 0=-PL?/6+PL/2+C, PLY3 Substituting values of constants C, and, Y= V/EI[-P X/6 + PL? x/2- PL?/3] For cantilever beam, deflection is maximum, when force is applied at free end of beam i.e. x= 0 &above equation reduces to y=-PL/3EI_ (-sign indicates deflection in downward direction) Obvious question is, if analytical methods are accurate then why are they not used for solving real life problems. Primary reason is step 1, the governing equation. For above problem beam bending equation was readily available as starting point but this type of equations are not available for solving real life problems like say for transmission casing or hydraulic housing, Basic beam bending equation is also based on many assumptions such as small deflection, isotropic material, c/s of the beam remains plane and perpendicular to the neutral axis and radius of curvature is large in comparison to cross-sectional dimensions etc. How does numerical methods solve the problem? Numerical methods like FEM are based on discretization of integral form of equation. Basic theme of all numerical methods is to make calculations at only limited number of points & then interpolate the results for entire domain (surface or volume). Even before getting the solution we assume how the unknown is going to vary over a domain. Say for example, when meshing is carried out using linear quadrilateral elements, assumption made is linear variation of displacement over the domain and for 8 noded quadrilateral element, assumption is parabolic variation. This may or may not be the case in real life & hence all numerical methods are based on an initial hypothetical assumption. After getting the results there are several ways to check numerical as well as practical or field result correlation accuracy & minimization of errors. 1.3 Brief Introduction to Different Numerical Methods 1) Finite Element Method (FEM) : FEM is the most popular numerical method. Applications - Linear, Nonlinear, Buckling, Thermal, Dynamic & Fatigue analysis. FEM will be discussed in detail at later stage. Are FEA and FEM different? Einite Element Method (FEM) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) both are one & the same. Term "FEA’is more popular in industries while “FEM at universities. Many times there is confusion between FEA, FEM & one more similar but different term FMEA,Introduction to Finite Element Analysis (Failure Mode Effect Analysis). FEA/FEM is used by design or R&D department only while FMEA is applicable to all the departments. 2) Boundary Element Method (BEM) It is a very powerful and efficient technique to solve acoustics or NVH problems. Just like finite element method it also requires nodes and elements but as the name suggest it considers only outer boundary of the domain. So in case if the problem is of a volume, only outer surfaces are considered. If the domain is area then only outer periphery is considered. This way it reduces dimensionality of the problem by a degree of one & thus solving it faster. 3) ite Volume Method (FVM): All Computational Eluid Dynamics (CFD) softwares are based on FVM. Unit volume is considered in Finite Volume Method (similar to element in finite element analysis). Vatiable properties at nodes are pressure, velocity, area, mass etc. It is based on Navier - Stokes equations (Mass, Momentum and Energy conservation equilibrium equations). 4) Finite Difference Method (FDM| Finite Element and Finite difference share many common things. In general Finite Difference Method is described as a way to solve differential equation. It uses Taylor's series to convert differential equation to algebraic equation. In the conversion process higher order terms are neglected. It is used in combination of BEM or otherwise FVM to solve Thermal and CFD coupled problems. Is it possible to use all the above listed methods (FEA, BEA, FVM, FDM) to solve same problem (say cantilever problem)? ‘The answer is YES! But the difference is in accuracy achieved, programming ease & time required to obtain the solution. When internal details are required (such as stresses inside the 3-d object) BEM will lead to Poor results (as it considers only outer boundary], while FEM or FOM or FVM are preferable. FVM has been used for solving stress problem but it is well suited for computational fluid dynamics problems where conservation & equilibrium is quite natural. FDM has limitations with complicated geometry, assembly of different material components and combination of various types of elements (1-D, 2-D & 3-D). For this type of problems FEM is far ahead of its competitors. Discretization of problem: All real life objects are continuous. Means there is no physical gap between any two consecutive Particles. As per material science, any object is made up of small particles, particles of molecules, molecules of atoms and so on and they are bonded together by force of attraction. Solving a realPractical Finite Element Analysis, life problem with continuous material approach is difficult and basic of all numerical methods is to simplify the problem by discretizing (discontinuation) it. In simple words nodes work like atoms and with gap in between filled by an entity called as element. Calculations are made at nodes and results are interpolated for elements. There are two approaches to solve any problem continuous approach Discrete approach Allreal life components are Equivalent Mathematical Continuous modeling Real life continuous problem Discrete (mathematical equivatemt) model, chair represented by shell and beam elements person via lumped mass at CG. From mechanical engineering point of view any component or system could be represented by three basic elements - Mass 'm’ snd ‘ ca ampere EY % All the numerical methods including Finite Element follows discrete approach. Meshing (nodes and elements) is nothing but discretization of a continuous system with infinite degree of freedoms to finite degree of freedoms.Introduction to Finite Element Analysis 1.4 What is DOF (Degree Of Freedom) ? Force TQ Object is fixed at one end, Force is applied at point “P”. Due to force object deforms and Point P get shifted to new position P’ When can we say that we know solution of above problem? Ifand only if we are able to define deformed position of each & every particle completely. 1um number of parameters (motion, coordinates, temp. etc.) required to define position of any entity completely in the space is known as degree of freedom (dof). Consider following 2-d (planer) problem. Suppose origin is at bottom left comer and is known To define position of point A completely with respect to the origin we need two parameters i.e. x, and y,, in other words 2 dofs (translation x and y) %Practical Finite Element Analysis Consider that the point A is a part of line, now one angle should also be defined in addition to two translations i.e. 3 dofs (two translations and one rotation) aol Fal Suppose points A and 8 are shifted out of the plane and the line is rotated arbitrarily wrt all the three axes. Minimum parameters to define position of point A completely would be 6 dofs(3 translations (U, , U,, U,) and 3 rotations (6,, 6, 0,)}. Dofis a very important concept. In FEA we use it for individual calculation points ie. nodes (total dofs for a given mesh model = number of nodes x dof per node) while theory of machines and mechanism uses this concept for body as a whole. Itis not like always all the elements have 6 dofs per node, Degree of freedom depends on type of element (1-d, 2-d, 3-d), family of element (thin shell, plane stress, plane strain, membrane etc,) and type of analysis {for structural analysis a thin shell element has 6 dof/node (displacement unknown, 3 translations and 3 rotations) while the same element when used for thermal analysis. has single dof /node (temperature unknown)}, Fora new user its a bit confusing but there is lot of logical, engineering & mathematical thinking behind assigning specific number of dofs to different element types & families. 1.5 Why do We Carry Out Meshing, What is FEM. Total equations = 2 ‘Total equationsIntroduction to Finite Element Analysis FEM ~ Anumerical method - Mathematical representation of actual problem - Approximate method Definition of FEM is hidden in its words itself. Basic theme is to make calculations at only limited (Finite) number of points and then interpolate the results for entire domain (surface or volume). Finite - Any continuous object has infinite degrees of freedom & it's just not possible to solve the problem in this format. Finite Element Method reduces degrees of freedom from Infinite to Finite with the help of discretization i.e. meshing (nodes & elements). Element - All the calculations are made at limited number of points known as nodes. Entity Joining nodes and forming a specific shape such as quadrilateral or triangular etc, is known as Element. To get value of variable (say displacement) any where in between the calculation points, interpolation function (as per the shape of element) is used. Method- There are 3 methods to solve any engineering problem. Finite elementanalysis belongs to numerical method category. How the results are interpolated from few calculation points Itis ok that FEA is making all the calculations at limited number of points, but the question is how it calculates value of the unknown somewhere in between calculation points, This is achieved by interpolation. Consider 4 noded quadrilateral element as shown in the figure. Quad4 element uses following linear interpolation formula - una, tax+a,yta, xy FEA calculates values at outer nodes 1, 2,3, 4i.¢,a, a,,a,,a, are known, 1 2 3 4 4 moded (linear) quad Value of the variable any where in between could be easily determined just by specifying x & y coordinates in above equation. For 8 noded quadrilateral, following parabolic interpolation function is used U=a,taxtaytaxyta,xe+aytaxty ta, xy!Practical Finite Element Analysis 1 2 3 8 4 7 6 5 8noded (parabolic) quad How about accuracy if we incre e number of calculation points (nodes & elements) Yes, in general increasing calculation points improves accuracy. Suppose somebody gives you 3 straight lines and ask to best fititin the circle, find area of triangle & compare it with circle and then repeat the exercise with 4, 6, 8,16, 32 & 64 lines. COC lines lines OO . Lines SLines Shaded Areas Error By increasing number of lines, error margin reduces. Number of straight lines are equivalent to number of elements in Finite Element Analysis. ‘Assume exact answer for area of circle (mr?) is 100. 3 lines give answer=41 while 4 as 64 & so on. Answer 41 or 64 is not at all acceptable but 80 or 90 is, considering time spent & relative design concept. fact Asner 109 * 2 ge a 16 No.of inesIntroduction to Finite Element Analysis If higher number of nodes and elements leads to higher accuracy then why not to always create a very fine mesh with maximum possible nodes and elements ? The reason is solution time is directly proportional to (dof). n = 1 to 4, depending on type of analyses and solver. Also large size models are not easy to handle on the computer due to graphics card memory limitations. Analyst has to make a fine balance between desired level of accuracy and element size (dof) that could be handled satisfactorily using the available hardware resources. Assume Analytical Method approach gives answers very close to 100 and time taken = 1 month and Finite Element Analysis with reasonable mesh size gives answer 90 within 1 day. In industry getting fast solutions with logical or reasonable accuracy is more important than absolute accuracy. 1.6 Advantages of FEA + Visualization 4 + Design cycle time | + No.of prototypes | + Testing y + Optimum design Visualization of results: For simple geometries such as simply supported beam or cantilever beam it is easy to visualize point of maximum stress and displacement. But in real life for parts or assemblies with complex geometrical shapes, made up of different materials with many discontinuities subjected to flexible constraints, complex loading varying wrt time and point of application, further complicated by residual stresses and joints like spot and arc welds etc,, it is not easy to predict failure location. Imagine someone shows you a complicated engine block and ask to predict failure location for given set of forces. It is not easy to predict it successfully unless and until you have years of experience in the similar field, But with tools like CAD & CAE, if modelled in appropriate fashion, one can easily get stress contour plots clearly indicating locations of high stress or displacement. Previously components used to be designed by highly experienced engineers who had seen lot of testing & failures of the components in real fe. These days in most of the organizations design engineers are very young, using tools like CAD / CAM/ CAE and confident about their designs. 10Practical Finite Element Analysis 1.7 Design Cycles Design Cycles st hain Cycle Concurrent Engineering (Old or conventional nt Engineering (Currentor new design design cycle) cycle & more efficient) Failueof eas fom testes tanovative Customer componentsinthe availableon Ne” concept Vendor protonpe) i { ) J Engineering 7 =r [ Design ) ° 1 ‘Marketing I ( ' io cane = |: ry Testing Dept U — Conventional or Traditional design cycle Itwas used before 1980's in developed countries and in India up to late 90's, Consider a simple bracket designed via conventional cycle, failed after conducting the test as shown below : I \ \ Failure Force location Original Design What could be the probable solutions to above problem 1) Increase thickness : Design dept. would release the drawing, purchase engineer submit it to vendor and then test the new prototype. If failure is reported again then increase the thickness further by repeating the process. Say test is successful after three iterations but the component becomes too heavy and not acceptable. unIntroduction to Finite Element Analysis Thickness increased 2) Next alternative could be to add fillet at the sharp corner Introduction of fillet assume this modification is also not working 3) Anotheralternative is to change the material (high strength material), say test is successful but this suggestion is rejected by marketing dept. due to excessive cost. 4) Further tryouts could be carried out by adding stiffeners Addition of Rib &SOON vo This is a very long & time consuming process. Before finalizing the design at component level minimum 3 to 5 prototypes were required to be tested. This design cycle is called as a chain design cycle because just like links of a chain all the departments are connected to each other ima specific format & function similar to the chain i. ¢. when the force is applied at the last link it will get transferred to topmost link in a sequential manner (from bottom to second last one & so on one by one). Total Design Time Effectivetime + Idletime In the conventional chain design cycle effective time as well idle time are very high. There is no 2Practical Finite Element Analysis coordination among the departments. R&D department is not at all aware or concern about the project unless & until drawings are delivered to them, Likewise Purchase dept. has no idea about what is going on in design or status of the project at R&D. It gets involved only after R&D approved drawings are handed over to them. Concurrent Engineering Design Cycle Itattacks simultaneously on idle as well effective time by using -CAD/CAM/CAE softwares - Smart management techniques Why it is called Concurrent? In statics if you remember one of the force system is concurrent forces; all the forces acting or emerging simultaneously from a single point. @ 4 ° aa In concurrent design cycle similar concept is used. Right from the first day of project a team of representative from all the departments is formed. They seat & work together with specific targets assigned to them. All the people have access to CAD software. Library or data storage isa very useful and nice facility provided by the commercial softwares. It not only work as safe backup, but also as fast & perfect tool to keep posted all the team members about current status of design / project. Whenever design modifications are carried out, all team members are intimated automatically. Idle time reduction : Say after 2 weeks, design engineer is ready with primary design of a ‘component. Now while he is deciding tolerances, manufacturing process, surface finish methods etc, CAE engineer starts analysis, simultaneously purchase engineer contacts vendor, transfer basic CAD data with the advance information of the job order. So that by the time design is finalized, vendor will also be prepared to start the job immediately. When prototype activity is in the process, test engineer will schedule the test. This is how idle time is minimized, Effective time redui CAE plays important role in reducing no. of prototypes. Test results of the first prototype are compared with finite element model. 10 to 15 % difference in FEA & experimental results is considered as good correlation. FE model behaving in the same way as. predicted by test is key to success. Now further permutations & combinations (like changing thickness, material, fillet, addition of ribs etc.) could be performed very fast and in an optimum way with the help of CAE. Say for example changing thickness of a sheet metal part from 1.5 mm to 2 mmis just a matter of literally one minute! CAE engineer has to create a new property with thickness of 2 mm, assign it to mesh & run the analysis which will not take more than few minutes. While earlier approach of conventional design would have consumed 3 to 6 months for the same. Oh man, what a magic! The work of 3 months finished within Y2 day!! That sounds great and is cost effective too, Its win-win situation for manufacturer as well as customers. 3Introduction to Finite Element Analysis 1“ 1.8 Absolute vs. Relative Design Design Relative design Absolute design 1) Relative design : In industry usually basic design of a category of components remains same over the years. Say for example existing vehicle power is to be increased from 100 hp to 125 hp. Basic design (shape and concept) of components would remain same with minor changes like scaling the basic design in appropriate proportions. Suppose CAE model & analysis of the previous version which is performing satisfactorily in the field, is available. If Analysis of new design (using same element type and size with appropriate loads) shows stress magnitude less than or equal to previous model then it could be concluded that the new upgraded design is also safe & will perform satisfactorily. This way one can also avoid test correlation for new model ‘Some times too much emphasis is given to test correlation & accuracy of the FE model to minute level. Too much attention to capture each and every detail complicates FE modeling & analysis unnecessarily (such as modeling bolt threads when main objective is component design rather than bolt, defining non linear contacts when simple linear connection can work or dense mesh in the name of accuracy without due consideration for hardware and software capabil 2) Absolute design : This approach is useful when the product/component is designed for the first time i.e. innovative design and no previous record of similar product is available. The design engineer himself not very sure about boundary conditions & various load cases. CAE results of such a design must be verified properly via testing and FE model should be corrected in case of variation in the test & FEA results. 1.9 Is FEA a Replacement for Costly and Time Consuming Testing “Finite Element Analysis has minimized testing requirement but it will be wrong to assume that ithas or will totally replace testing.” In fact FEA and Testing are not rivals but friends. One thing is for sure that all the good designs are product of excellent coordination between testing and CAE. A CAE engineer depends on testing for following reasons 1) Input data for CAE (data acquisition) 2) Validation of the CAE results Though in industry there are CAE experts who just by looking at FE results can tell whether the design is acceptable or not and in 99% cases their statement matches with the test results. It is possible for them because of their past experience say for example someone is analyzing gear box for 15 years. In past he has calibrated many models and seen how it fails in the field. But believing words of a novice CAE engineer who has no prior experience or just because the software used is impressive and very costly would be a big mistake.Present and Future of FEA 2.1 History of Finite Element Method 1906 - Civil Engineering applications, Structures analysed by 1-d beams (hand calculations) 1909 - Ritz: Variational Method 1915 - Galerkin : Weighted residuals 1940's - Courant, Prager & Synge : Mathematical foundation for present form of FEA 1950's - Argytis, Kelsey, Turner : Direct continuum elements, Aerospace industry engineers formulated stiffness equations. 100 dofs problem was supposed to be very large at that time, 1960 - Clough coined the name Finite Element Method. Late 60's - Mechanical industry recognized FEM as useful tool for solving real life problems. Many of the presently popular FEA softwares were launched in the market. 1980's - Graphical & computational development. 1990's - Emergence of low cost, powerful PC work stations & FEA adopted by mid & small scale industries Year 1961 1966 1971 1976 1986 2006 Papers 10 134 844, 7,000 20,000 infinite! 2.2 Present Status of FEM as on Today Bred Red etc tite Led Till 1994: In India FEM was offered Three steps for using any CAF groups get following 2s post graduate course only at few FEA sofware types of ob orders Universities 1. Preprocessing 1. New Design 1995 and onwards: Introduced at Solid modeling graduate level ~ Meshing 2. Costautting / - Boundary conditions Optimization ‘Theory courses mainly deals with 4, Variousmethods to derive [Kk] 2. ProcessingorSolution 3. allure Analysis 2. Assembly of] 3. Solution Techniques 3. Postprocessing Result interpretation Programming languages used for most commercial softwares are Fortran and C++. 5