EME 4086: Assignment 2 (6%)

======================
This assignment assesses the following LOs and POs:

LO3: Find the finite element equations in one-dimensional problems. (Cognitive analyzing, level 4)

PO6-- Create, select and apply appropriate techniques, resources, and modern engineering
and IT tools to complex engineering activities.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) In the case of any violation of the following rules, the instructor has the right not to accept
your assignment submission.
2) Please work on this assignment in a group of at most three students. You may choose to work
alone. Form your own group without assistance from your instructor.
3) Q3: Heat Transfer Fin is mandatory.
4) You are to complete one other question of your choice.
5) For part (b), please submit Scilab/Matlab/Excel Visual Basic scripts (a capture of print screen
or a printed script with results from execution) or your Microsoft Excelsheet in A4 size
papers (can be blank or with lines), as well as in softcopy to my email address
(ckkok@mmu.edu.my). Scilab/Matlab/Excel tools will not be taught in class. You are
expected to learn it yourself. To complete this exercise, you can use the reference material in
this link:
https://www.scilab.org/content/download/849/7901/file/Scilab_beginners.pdf
6) Write your ID(s) and name(s) clearly at the top left corner of the first sheet of your
submission.
7) If your submission consists of more than one page, please staple them. Do not fold the corner
of the stack and expect instructor to staple for you. You will be solely responsible for any
loose sheet from un-stapled stacks.
8) Deadline for submission is September 20, Tuesday, 11:00 pm (in class).

Q1: Truss (4%)

For the plane truss shown in Figure 3.1:
(a) Give:
i.
The transformed element matrices
ii.
The assembled element matrices
iii.
The condensed matrix equations for the unknown displacements and forces
(b) Determine angle (in nearest increment of 5-degree) for which the internal force in element
3 is absolute minimum. Use MATLAB/SciLab/Visual Basic coding to compute part (a) for
variable angle . Assume 00<=<= 900.

L=1m

Figure 3.1
Q2: Beam (4%)
The structure shown in Figure 3.2 is a beam pinned at A and welded at B and C to long and slender
rods BE and CF. A load is applied at D. Model the beam AD using the minimum number of EulerBernouli beam elements.

Figure 3.2

a) Determine:
i.
The deflections at B, C and D.
ii.
The stresses in rods BE and CF.
b) Given three choices of material: steel, aluminum alloy and magnesium alloy, decide which
material will give you the best performance in terms of safety and cost. Perform all necessary
computations and cite your sources on the data from which you make your assumptions. List
all the assumptions of the operating conditions.
Q3: Heat Transfer Fin (2%)
A steel rod of diameter D = 2cm, length of L = 5cm, and thermal conductivity of k = 50 W/(m-oC) is
T 20 o C
100W /( m 2 C )
exposed to ambient air at
with a heat transfer coefficient
.

The left end of the rod is maintained at temperature

problem is
d 2
2 m 2 0
dx

where

T T

, T is the temperature, and

T 320 o C

for

P
m2
Ak

dx k

, and the governing equation of the

0xL

, P is the perimeter and A cross-sectional area.

0
x L

The boundary condition on the right end is

.
(a) Use two equal length linear elements to solve for temperatures at distances 25 mm and 50
mm from the left.
(b) Compare the temperatures at the nodes with exact solution. You may consult any heat transfer
textbook for exact solution of fins.
(c) Comment if the temperature distributions of the exact solution and the finite element model
are linear. Do the finite element results tally with the expected response of linear elements?
Explain your rationale.
_________________________________________________________________________________
THE END