Outline

Finite Element Method

Degrees of Freedom
Plane Stress and Strain
FE Formulation Techniques
Shape Function
Stiffness Matrix
Gauss Points and Jacobian
Boundary Conditions
Von-Mises Stress

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Dynamic Analysis
Timoshenko Beam
Difference between FEM, FDM and FVM
Finite Element Method
FEM a numerical technique to solve PDEs
with proper boundary conditions
Conversion of PDEs to a system of algebraic
equations
Displacement based FE
Numerical techniques
Complex geometries, loading and boundary
conditions and materials

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Difficult to get closed form solution
Minimize experimentation
Approximate solution
Degrees of Freedom
DoF - number of independent variables
required for complete definition of a state
DoF in FEM - DoF at a node - number of ways
that the node can move
DoF in structural elements
Three translations and three rotations
Fluid mechanics
Velocities and pressure

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Thermal
Temperature
Selection of DoF depends on problem
Plane Stress and Plane Strain
Plane stress
In-plane dimensions >> out-of-plane (thickness)
dimension
Three non-zero independent stress components
in-plane
Four non-zero strains - three independent
Plane strain

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Out-of-plane dimension >> in-plane
Three non-zero in-plane strain components
Four non-zero stresses - three independent
Plane Stress and Plane Strain
Constitutive relations
x
1 0 x
E
y Plane stress
y =
(
1 2
)
1 0
(1 )
xy 0 0 xy
2

x 1 0 x
E

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y = 1 0 y Plane strain

xy (1 + )(1 2 ) 0 1 2
0 xy
2
What happens, if = 0?
Various FE Formulation Techniques
Techniques for FE formulation
Direct formulation - 1D elements
Principle of minimum total potential energy
Conservative systems
Variational formulation
Variation in functional
Principle of virtual work

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Scalar equation admissible virtual deformations
Weighted residual formulation
Starts from governing equation
 Shape Function
Shape function interpolates field variable
over an element => interpolation function
Order of interpolation function depends on
number of nodal points
In general - same interpolation function for all DoF
Some cases different interpolation function
Eulers beam vertical deflection and rotation

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x2 x3 x 2 x3 x2 x3 x 2 x3
w = 1 3 2 + 2 3 w1 + x 2 + 2 1 + 3 2 2 3 w2 + + 2 2
L L L L L L L L
Shape Function
Properties of shape functions - no random
selection of shape functions
Shape function should be differentiable and
integrable
Shape function is unity and its own node and zero
at neighboring nodes
Collocation property
Sum of all shape functions => unity

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Lagrange, Hermite and Serendipity family
Hermite => Beam element
Stiffness Matrix
Structural mechanics - relates force/moment
to displacement/rotation
Relates cause and effect

[A]{x} = {y} Cause

Effect
Conduction matrix in heat transfer

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Coefficients in [A] => material properties and
geometry
Stiffness Matrix
1D spar element
EA + 1 1
[k ] = 1 + 1
L
Some important properties
Positive definite - Diagonal terms > 0
Symmetric => comes from FE formulation equal
distribution of order of governing PDE between

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weighting function and field variable
Singular no BCs applied structure accelerates
when some force/moment applied
Stiffness Matrix
Spars - kij = 0 unless at least one element is
attached to both DOF i and DOF j or i and
j dont belong to the same element
Bandedness All coefficients beyond a certain
distance from the diagonal are zero.
Bandwidth depends on node numbering

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Gauss Points
Numerical integration of stiffness matrix and
load vector
Stiffness matrix spar element
x2 x2

[k ] = [B ] E[B ]dV = [B]

T T
EA[B ]dx
x1 x1

u [N ]
u = [N ]{d } => B = = {d } = [B]{d }

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x x
Limits of integration vary from element to element depends
on spatial location of the element. Common limits of
integration independent of element location
Gauss Points
Limits of integration => -1 to +1
Integrand has to be changed accordingly
Mapping element in physical domain to
computation domain

u1 u2 u1 u2
1 2 1 2
=0
x = x1 x = x2 1 = -1 2 = +1

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1 1+
= a + bx => x = x1 + x2 = N1 x1 + N 2 x2
2 2
x( ) = [N ( )]{X }, u ( ) = [N ( )]{d }
Gauss Points
Transfer integral from physical to
computational domain
x2 +1
[k ] = [B(x )]T EA[B(x )]dx [B( )]T EA[B( )]d
x1 1

Numerical integration with limits [-1, +1]

available
+1 +1

f ( y )dy = (a + by )dy = 2a( Analytical )

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1 1
+1

(a + by )dy = w f ( y ) = 2a,
1 1 y1 => [ 1,+1]
1