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Introduction To Finite Element Analysis (FEA) or Finite Element Method (FEM)

Finite element analysis (FEA) is a numerical method for solving engineering problems by dividing them into smaller elements. It is useful for problems with complex geometries where analytical solutions cannot be obtained. The FEA process involves discretizing a continuous domain into finite elements connected at nodes, then setting up equations for each element to model the behavior of the system being analyzed and solve for unknown variables at each node.

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103 views20 pages

Introduction To Finite Element Analysis (FEA) or Finite Element Method (FEM)

Finite element analysis (FEA) is a numerical method for solving engineering problems by dividing them into smaller elements. It is useful for problems with complex geometries where analytical solutions cannot be obtained. The FEA process involves discretizing a continuous domain into finite elements connected at nodes, then setting up equations for each element to model the behavior of the system being analyzed and solve for unknown variables at each node.

Uploaded by

Patrick Glomski
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to Finite Element Analysis

(FEA) or Finite Element Method (FEM)


Finite Element Analysis (FEA) or Finite
Element Method (FEM)
The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a
numerical method for solving problems of
engineering and mathematical physics.

Useful for problems with complicated


geometries, loadings, and material properties
where analytical solutions can not be
obtained.
The Purpose of FEA
Analytical Solution
• Stress analysis for trusses, beams, and other simple
structures are carried out based on dramatic simplification
and idealization:
– mass concentrated at the center of gravity
– beam simplified as a line segment (same cross-section)
• Design is based on the calculation results of the idealized
structure & a large safety factor (1.5-3) given by experience.

FEA
• Design geometry is a lot more complex; and the accuracy
requirement is a lot higher. We need
– To understand the physical behaviors of a complex
object (strength, heat transfer capability, fluid flow, etc.)
– To predict the performance and behavior of the design;
to calculate the safety margin; and to identify the
weakness of the design accurately; and
– To identify the optimal design with confidence
Brief History

Grew out of aerospace industry


Post-WW II jets, missiles, space flight
Need for light weight structures
Required accurate stress analysis
Paralleled growth of computers
Common FEA Applications
Mechanical/Aerospace/Civil/Automotive
Engineering
Structural/Stress Analysis
 Static/Dynamic
 Linear/Nonlinear
Fluid Flow
Heat Transfer
Electromagnetic Fields
Soil Mechanics
Acoustics
Biomechanics
Discretization

Complex Object Simple Analysis


(Material discontinuity,
Complex and arbitrary geometry)

Real Simplified Mathematical Discretized


Word (Idealized) Model (mesh)
Physical Model
Model
Discretizations

Model body by dividing it into an


equivalent system of many smaller bodies
or units (finite elements) interconnected at
points common to two or more elements
(nodes or nodal points) and/or boundary
lines and/or surfaces.
Elements & Nodes - Nodal Quantity
Object
Elements
Nodes

Displacement Stress

Strain
Examples of FEA – 1D (beams)
Examples of FEA - 2D
Examples of FEA – 3D
Advantages
Irregular Boundaries
General Loads
Different Materials
Boundary Conditions
Variable Element Size
Easy Modification
Dynamics
Nonlinear Problems (Geometric or Material)

The following notes are a summary from “Fundamentals of Finite Element Analysis” by David V. Hutton
Principles of FEA
The finite element method (FEM), or finite element analysis
(FEA), is a computational technique used to obtain approximate
solutions of boundary value problems in engineering.

Boundary value problems are also called field problems. The field
is the domain of interest and most often represents a physical
structure.

The field variables are the dependent variables of interest governed


by the differential equation.

The boundary conditions are the specified values of the field


variables (or related variables such as derivatives) on the boundaries
of the field.
For simplicity, at this point, we assume a two-dimensional case with a
single field variable φ(x, y) to be determined at every point P(x, y) such
that a known governing equation (or equations) is satisfied exactly at every
such point.

-A finite element is not a differential element of size dx × dy.

-A node is a specific point in the finite element at which the value of the
field variable is to be explicitly calculated.
Shape Functions
The values of the field variable computed at the nodes are used to
approximate the values at non-nodal points (that is, in the element interior)
by interpolation of the nodal values. For the three-node triangle example,
the field variable is described by the approximate relation

φ(x, y) = N1(x, y) φ1 + N2(x, y) φ2 + N3(x, y) φ3

where φ1, φ2, and φ3 are the values of the field variable at the nodes, and
N1, N2, and N3 are the interpolation functions, also known as shape
functions or blending functions.

In the finite element approach, the nodal values of the field variable are
treated as unknown constants that are to be determined. The interpolation
functions are most often polynomial forms of the independent variables,
derived to satisfy certain required conditions at the nodes.

The interpolation functions are predetermined, known functions of the


independent variables; and these functions describe the variation of the
field variable within the finite element.
Degrees of Freedom
Again a two-dimensional case with a single field variable φ(x, y). The
triangular element described is said to have 3 degrees of freedom, as three
nodal values of the field variable are required to describe the field variable
everywhere in the element (scalar).

φ(x, y) = N1(x, y) φ1 + N2(x, y) φ2 + N3(x, y) φ3


In general, the number of degrees of freedom associated with a finite
element is equal to the product of the number of nodes and the number of
values of the field variable (and possibly its derivatives) that must be
computed at each node.
A GENERAL PROCEDURE FOR
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
• Preprocessing
– Define the geometric domain of the problem.
– Define the element type(s) to be used (Chapter 6).
– Define the material properties of the elements.
– Define the geometric properties of the elements (length, area, and the like).
– Define the element connectivities (mesh the model).
– Define the physical constraints (boundary conditions). Define the loadings.

• Solution
– computes the unknown values of the primary field variable(s)
– computed values are then used by back substitution to compute additional, derived variables, such as
reaction forces, element stresses, and heat flow.

• Postprocessing
– Postprocessor software contains sophisticated routines used for sorting, printing, and plotting
selected results from a finite element solution.

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