CE5610: FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

Prof. B. N. Rao
Structural Engineering Division
Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Chennai 600 036
[email protected]
9 January 2017

TEXT BOOKS

M. Asghar Bhatti, University of Iowa

http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/faculty-staff/profile-directory/cee/bhatti_m.html

Student Companion Site

Fundamental Finite Element Analysis and Applications:
With Mathematica and Matlab Computations
by M. Asghar Bhatti
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Advanced Topics in Finite Element Analysis of Structures:

With Mathematica and MATLAB Computations
by M. Asghar Bhatti
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All the physical phenomena (such as elastic behavior

of one-, two-, and three- dimensional bodies, including
beams and plates, torsion of shafts, heat conduction,
diffusion, groundwater flow, etc.) encountered in
engineering mechanics are modeled by differential
equations, and usually the problem addressed is too
complicated to be solved by classical analytical
methods.
The finite element method is a numerical approach by
which general differential equations can be solved in
an approximate manner.
Physical
phenomena

Model

Differential
equation

Approximation

Finite
element
equations

Axial Deformation of Bar

Boundary Conditions

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The differential equation or equations, which describe

the physical problem considered, are assumed to hold
over a certain region.
This region may be one-, two- or three- dimensional.
It is characteristic feature of the finite element method
that instead of seeking approximations that hold
directly over the entire region, the region is divided
into smaller parts, so-called finite elements, and the
approximation is then carried out over each element.
For instance, even though the variable varies in a
highly non-linear manner over the entire region, it may
a fair approximation to assume that variable varies in a
linear fashion over each element.
The collection of all elements is called a finite element
mesh.

The finite element method (FEM) can be applied to

obtain approximate solutions for arbitrary differential
equations, i.e., boundary value problems, where certain
information is known a priori for the unknowns at the
boundary, initial value problems, which are typical for
transient phenomena like wave propagation and
transient heat conduction.

When the type of approximation which is to be applied

over each element has been selected, the
corresponding behavior of each element can then be
determined.
This can be performed because the approximation
made over each element is fairly simple.
Having determined the behavior of all elements, these
elements are then patched together, using some
specific rules, to form the entire region, which
eventually enables us to obtain an approximate
solution for the behavior of the entire body.
The approximation is usually a polynomial.
The approximation over each element means that an
approximation is adopted for how the variable changes
over the element.

This approximation is, in fact, some kind of

interpolation over the element, where it is assumed
that the variable is known at certain points in the
element.
These points are called nodal points.
The precise manner in which the variable changes
between its values at the nodal points is expressed by
the specific approximation, which may be linear,
quadratic, cubic, etc.

In order to be more specific about this approximation

technique, consider the stress distribution (x) along
the one-dimensional bar.
Assume that the stress is known at the five points.
These points correspond to the nodal points and need
not be equally spaced.
Suppose now that the bar is divided into four elements
over which the stress is assumed to vary linearly
between the nodal points.
Now, assume instead that the bar is divided into two
elements and that within each element a quadratic
variation is adopted.

We observe that irrespective of whether the linear or

quadratic approximation is used, the approximate
stress distribution along the bar is known once the
stresses at the nodal points are known, i.e. these
stress values are now the unknowns of the problem.
In this way the original problem with, in principle,
infinitely many unknowns, i.e. degrees of freedom
(d.o.f) has been replaced by a problem with a finite
number of unknowns.
In the present situation, the number of unknowns is
five.
In general, it is obvious that the more unknowns, the
more accurate the approximate solution.

A system with a finite number of unknowns is called a

discrete system in contrast to the original continuous
system with an infinite number of unknowns.
It will turn out later that the determination of the
values of the variable at the nodal points follows from
the solution of a certain system of equations.
In the case considered the system of equations would
consist of five equations with five unknowns, but in
general the system often involves thousands of
unknowns.
Obviously such systems cannot be solved by hand
and therefore, the FE method relies entirely on the
availability of efficient computers.

FEM can be applied to arbitrary differential equations.

Moreover, arbitrary geometries of bodies consisting of
arbitrary materials can be analyzed.
It is therefore no surprise that, in general the FEM
today presents the most powerful approach for solving
differential equations that occur in engineering,
physics and mathematics.

In its most basic form the FEM shares many common

features with simple matrix structural analysis.
In this analysis, structure consisting of trusses and
beams are treated in a systematic manner with certain
displacements as the unknowns.
The emergence of the FEM took place in the early
1960s and since then its use has spread to virtually all
fields of engineering.
Some of the prominent names associated with the
development of the FEM are Argyris, Clough and
Zienkiewicz, and for a historical account of different
major contributions, we may refer, for instance, to
Segerlind (1976), Stasa (1985), Zienkiewicz (1970, 1983)
and Zienkiewicz and Taylor (1989).

Matrix algebra:
Definitions
In general, a matrix consists of a collection of certain
quantities which are termed the components of the
matrix.
The components are ordered in rows and columns and
if the number of rows or columns is equal to one, the
matrix is one dimensional, otherwise it is two
dimensional.

Addition and subtraction

a b = b + a
aT bT =
bT + aT

A B = B + A

(a b)

(a

=aT bT

T T

( A B)

=
ab

=AT BT

Multiplication
Multiplied by a number c,
Scalar product,
length of a vector,
multiplication rule

Determinant

Cofactor,

minor,

expansion formula of Laplace

1. A row (or column) consists of zeros, the

determinant is zero
2. If two rows (or columns) are proportional, the
determinant is zero
3. If a row (or column) is multiplied by a factor k, the
determinant is also multiplied by the factor k
4. Row (or column) operations do not change the
determinant
5. If two rows (or columns) are interchanged, the
determinant changes its sign

det AT = det A

det ( AB ) = det Adet B

det ( A + B ) det A + det B

Inverse matrix
1
1
A=
A AA
=
I

A1 = adj / det A

( A1 ) = ( AT )
T

( AB )

= B 1 A 1

1
=
( ABC ) C=
( AB ) C 1 B 1 A1
1

A1 = AT
T
T
A=
A AA
=
I

Linear equations
=
Ax b=
; b 0

If det A = 0, a non-trivial solution exists

If det A 0, trivial solution exists
=
Ax b; b 0

If det A = 0, one unique solution exists

If det A 0, no unique solution exists

Gauss elimination

Ax = 0

For n > m, i.e., more unknowns than equations, we

have at least n m non-trivial solutions

Quadratic forms and positive definiteness

xTAx > 0 for all x0 then A is positive definite.
If A is positive definite then det A 0, but if det A 0
we cannot conclude A is positive definite.
If a matrix is positive definite it is required that all the
diagonal components of matrix are positive.
xTAx 0 for all x0 then A is positive semi-definite.

Partitioning
Differentiation and integration

Problem 1 Solution:
Solution: From the free-body-diagram it follows that
dv
m =
Fg Fd ,
dt

Fg =
mg , Fd =
cv

where v is the downward velocity (m/s) of the body,

Fg is the downward force (N or kg m/s2) due to gravity,
Fd is the upward drag force, m is the mass (kg) of the body,
g the acceleration (m/s2) due to gravity, and
c is the proportionality constant (drag coefficient, kg/s).
The equation of motion is
dv
c
+=
v g , =

dt
m

Problem 2 Solution:
Solution: The conservation of mass requires
time rate of change in mass = mass inflow - mass outflow
The above equation for the problem at hand becomes
d
( Ah ) = qi q0
dt

d
( Ah ) = qi q0
dt

where A is the area of cross section of the tank (A = D2/4)

and is the mass density of the liquid.

QUESTIONS?