Finite Element Method

Brian Hammond
Ivan Lopez
Ingrid Sarvis
 Fundamental Concept of FEM
• A continuous field of a certain domain
having infinite degrees of freedom is
approximated by a set of piecewise
continuous models with a number of finite
regions called elements. The number of
unknowns defined as nodes are determined
using a given relationship i.e.{F}=[K]*{d}.
 Fundamental Concept of FEM

Domain 
x


• Red line-Continuous
Domain with degrees of freedom
field over the entire
domain.
x
• Blue line-Finite

number of linear
 Subdomain e
x
approximations with
Domain divided with subdomains
the finite number of
with degrees of freedom
elements
1

2
5 6
3
4
x
 General Steps
1) Discretize the domain
a) Divide domain into finite elements using appropriate
element types (1-D, 2-D, 3-D, or Axisymmetric)
2) Select a Displacement Function
a) Define a function within each element using the nodal
values
3) Define the Strain/Displacement and Stress/strain
Relationships
4) Derive the Element Stiffness Matrix and
Equations
a)Derive the equations within each element
 General Steps
5) Assemble the Element Equations to Obtain the
Global or Total Equations and Introduce
Boundary Conditions
a)Add element equations by method of superposition to
obtain global equation
6) Solve for the Unknown Degrees of Freedom (i.e
primary unknowns)
7) Solve for the Element Strains and Stresses
8) Interpret the Results
 Applications
• Stress Analysis
– Truss and frame
analysis
– Stress concentration
• Buckling
• Vibration analysis
• Heat transfer
• Fluid flow
 Advantages of FEM
• Model irregularly shaped bodies
• Compute General load conditions
• Model bodies composed of different materials
• Solve unlimited numbers and kinds of boundary
conditions
• Able to use different element sizes in places where
loads or stresses are concentrated
• Handle non-linear behavior using linear
approximations
• Reduce System Cost
 FEM Packages
• Large Commercial Programs
– Designed to solve many types of problems
– Can be upgraded fairly easily
– Initial Cost is high
– Less efficient
• Special-purpose programs
– Relatively short, low development costs
– Additions can be made quickly
– Efficient in solving their specific types of problems
– Can’t solve different types of problems
 FEM Packages
• Algor • IMAGES-3D
• ANSYS • MSC/NASTRAN
• COSMOS/M • SAP90
• STARDYNE • GT-STRUDL
 Note on Stiffness matrix
For a 1-D bar, the stiffness matrix is derived from the
stress/strain relationship in Hooke’s law and the definitions
of stress and strain.

σx = Eεx. ; σx = P/A ; εx = du/dx = (d2x – d1x)/L

By substitution: -f1x = EA (d2x – d1x) L E

L A
f1x = EA (d1x – d2x) f1 f2
L d1x d2x
Similarly for f2x: f2x = EA (d2x – d1x)
L
Combining into matrix form, the stiffness matrix is defined
as
[k] = EA 1 -1
L
-1 1
 Note on the displacement
function
•For a given set of nodes there exists a function that approximates
the displacement at any position along the bar.
•This function, called the displacement function, is derived from
Pascal’s Triangle.
•A new constant is introduced into the function for every node in
the discretized domain.

For 1-D u(x) = a1 + a2x + a3x2 + …

 Note on the displacement function
If a 1-D bar is broken into 2 elements, the displacement function
would be u(x) = a + a x + a x2.
1 2 3

Putting it into matrix notation: u(x) = [1 x x2] a1

a2
By knowing the distances to the nodes a3
and the displacements at those nodes, the
equation becomes: u1 1 0 0 a1
u2 1 x x 2
a2 , where
= 2 2
u3 1 x 3 x32 a3

x1 = 0, x2 and x3 are the distances to the nodes and u1, u2, and u3 are the displacements

The coefficients are found by solving the equation.

 Example
E 2E
a A b A P

L L

Determine displacements of materials a and b if

the load P is applied to the end of the bar given
the above information.
 Example con’t.
1) Discretize the domain with appropriate elements.
Element a Element b

f1 f3 = P
1 2 3
u1 u2 u3

f1 1 2 f21 f22 2 3 f3 = P

u1 u2 u2 u3
 Example con’t.

2) Select a displacement function

There will be new term for each element, and the terms are
derived from Pascal’s triangle.
1 2 3
u1 u2 u3

u(x) = a1 + a2x + a3x2

 Example con’t.
3) Define stress/displacement and stress/strain relationships
σx = Eεx εx = du/dx
4) Derive the element stiffness matrix and element equations
{F} = [k]{d} [k] = stiffness matrix

{F} = Force [k] = EA 1 -1

L
{d} = displacement -1 1
a b
f1 EA 1 -1 u1 f EA 2 -2 u2
22
f21 = L -1 1 u2
,
f3 = L
-2 2 u3
 Example con’t.
5) Construct Global equation and introduce boundary
conditions and known variables.

f1 1 -1 0
= EA u1 Global Equation
f21+f22 L -1 3 -2 u2
f3 u3
0 -2 2

B.C.: (x =0) u1 = 0
Known variables: f3 = P and f2 = f21+f22 = 0
 Example con’t.
6) Solve for unknowns.

f1 1 -1 0
= EA 0
0 L -1 3 -2 u2
P u3
0 -2 2

f1 = -EAu2 0 = EA(3u2-2u3) P = EA(2u3-2u2)

L L L

u2 = PL u3 = 3PL
EA f1 = -P
2EA
 Example con’t.
7) Solve for the element strains and stresses.
εa = P = u2 σa = Eεa = P
EA L A
εb = 3P = u3 σa = 2E εb = P
2EA L 3 A

8) Interpret the Results

•After solving for the displacements, the coefficients of the

displacement function can be determined.
 Bibliography
• Logan, Daryl L. A First Course in the
Finite Element Method Using Algor.
Brooks/Cole, Pacific Grove, CA. 2001
• http://www.finite-element-method.info
• http://www.eng.fsu.edu/~chandra/courses/e
ml4536/
• http://urbana.mie.uc.edu/yliu/FEM-
525/FEM_Lecture_Notes_Liu_UC.pdf