FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

1_INTRODUCTION
 1_INTRODUCTION

Contents
A bit of history
FEM objective
Comparison of FEM and exact solutions
Basic definitions
Applications
A BIT OF HISTORY
Basic behavioural laws had been established well before the FE era
Linear elastic stress-strain relations
Prandtl-Reuss plasticity equations
Theory of elasticity
1909: Rayleigh-Ritz method
Attempt to circumvent the restrictions of the analytical approach by replacing the
differential equations by algebraic equations
Their solution required numerical methods (prior computers!)
1943: Courant
Attempt at dividing a structure into triangular sub-regions
Principle of minimization of potential energy and piecewise polynomial variations to
solve St Venant torsion problem
1950: Computers
Able to use the numerical analysis approach to solving the basic equations of physics
Early computers: limited, costly and difficult to program. Only available to aerospace
and nuclear industries
Matrix methods
Articles
1956: Turner, Clough, Martin and Topp: included a description of the CST
Argyris and Kelsey: subject of energy theorems and structural analysis, considered
numerical methods with discrete elements
1960: Clough: first time finite element term have been used

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A BIT OF HISTORY
1960: research in the aero-
engine industry in the UK
Isoparametric element
Development of the front
solution
1970: first general purpose FE
codes
Mainly static elasticity and
dynamics
Since 1970: Abaqus in the 1980s
Research and development: CFD
and other mathematical physics
1983: NAFEMS, UK (National
Agency for Finite Element
Methods and Standards)
Nowadays: just have a look in
google! New publications every
day

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FEM OBJECTIVE
To obtain an approximate solution of a boundary value problem in
engineering
Boundary value problem = field problem
The field is the domain of interest
Field variables: displacement, temperature, heat flux, fluid velocity
Normally: problems governed by differential equations

Analytical solution vs FEM solution

Analytical FEM
Exact solution Approximate solution
Easy problems Any problem

Example. Determination of the stress field in a structure

stress field = stress at hundred or even million points!
Analytically. Sometimes, even for 1 point is complex
FEM. Possible but approximate. Interpolation between points

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Comparison of FEM and exact solutions
FEM. Many approximations:
Adaptation of the real geometry
Interpolation within the element

Adaptation of a real geometry a)

41 elements; b) 192 elements

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Comparison of FEM and exact solutions

a) Structure; b) 1 truss element;

c) 2 truss elements; d) 4 truss elements

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BASIC DEFINITIONS
FEM: numerical method of
solving systems of
equations after
discretizing the geometry
with finite elements and
finding a solution after
applying boundary
conditions to the
assembled system

General procedure for FEM

1) pre-processing
2) processing (solution)
3) post-processing

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APPLICATIONS

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APPLICATIONS

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