UNIT-2

CONTENTS
Fundamental concept of FEM, historical background, scope of FEM in
engg. Application
Derivation of principle of minimum potensial theory, concept of virtual
work
Numericals
Numericals on PMPE
Raleigh Ritz method
FEM analysis procedure
Concept of discretization of body into element, degree of freedom,
bandwidth
Basic types od 2-D and 3-D elements, displacement models
Numericals on displament model

History of Finite Element Analysis

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was first developed in 1943 by R. Courant, who utilized the Ritz method of numerical
analysis and minimization of Variational calculus.
A paper published in 1956 by M. J. Turner, R. W. Clough, H. C. Martin, and L. J. Topp established a broader definition
of numerical analysis. The paper centered on the "stiffness and deflection of complex structures".
By the early 70's, FEA was limited to expensive mainframe computers generally owned by the aeronautics,
automotive, defense, and nuclear industries. Since the rapid decline in the cost of computers and the phenomenal
increase in computing power, FEA has been developed to an incredible precision.

Why FEM ?
Modern mechanical design involves complicated shapes, sometimes made of different
materials. Engineers need to use FEM to evaluate their designs.

FEA Applications
Evaluate the stress or temperature distribution in a mechanical component. Perform
deflection analysis. Analyze the kinematics or dynamic response. Perform vibration analysis.

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) or Finite Element Method (FEM)

The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a numerical method for solving

problems of engineering and mathematical physics.

Useful for problems with complicated geometries, loadings, and material

properties where analytical solutions can not be obtained.

Introduction
Problem solving procedure:
Identify problem
Generate models
Solve equations
Interpret results
Numerical methods
- methods that seek quantitative approximations
to the solutions of mathematical problems
- finite element method, boundary element method
finite difference method, finite volume method, etc.

What is the Finite Element

Method An Example
Example 1: Deformation of a bar with a non-uniform circular cross section subject
a force P. (Weight of the bar is negligible).

P
R k1 u2 u1 0
k1 u2 u1 k2 u3 u2 0
k2 u3 u2 k3 u4 u3 0
k3 u4 u3 k4 u5 u4 0
k4 u5 u4 P 0

k1
k1
k k k
1 1 2
0
k2

0
0
0
0

0
0

0
k2

0
0

k 2 k3
k3
k3
k3 k 4

0
0
0
k4

k4

k 4 k5

k5

0 u1 R
0 u2 0

0 u3 0

0 u4 0
k5 u5 0

k5 u6 P

K u P R

What is a Finite Element Method

View the problem domain as a collection of subdomains (elements)

Solve the problem at each subdomain

Assemble elements to find the global solution

Solution is guaranteed to converge to the correct solution if proper

theory, element formulation and solution procedure are followed.

History of Finite Element Methods

1941 Hrenikoff proposed framework method
1943 Courant used principle of stationary potential energy
and piecewise function approximation
1953 Stiffness equations were written and solved using digital
computers.
1960 Clough made up the name finite element method
1970s FEA carried on mainframe computers
1980s FEM code run on PCs
2000s Parallel implementation of FEM (large-scale analysis,
virtual design)

Courant

Clough

Applications of Finite Element Methods

Structural & Stress Analysis

Thermal Analysis
Dynamic Analysis
Acoustic Analysis
Electro-Magnetic Analysis
Manufacturing Processes
Fluid Dynamics
Financial Analysis

Applications: Aerospace
Engineering (AE)

Applications: Civil Engineering

(CE)

Applications: Electrical
Engineering (EE)

Applications: Biomedical
Engineering (BE)

The Future Virtual Engineering

Review of Basic Statics and Mechanics of Materials

Static equilibrium conditions/free-body diagram
Stress, strain and deformation
Constitutive law Hookes law
Analysis of axially loaded bar, truss, beam and frame
2-D elasticity

Review of Matrix Algebra

Matrix operation: addition, subtraction, multiplication
Basic definitions and properties of matrix
Inverse of matrix and solution of linear equations
etc.

Applications of the Finite Element Method

The nite element method can be used to analyze both structural and
nonstructural problems. Typical structural areas include
1. Stress analysis, including truss and frame analysis, and stress
concentration problems typically associated with holes, llets, or other
changes in geometry in a body
2. Buckling
3. Vibration analysis
Nonstructural problems include
1. Heat transfer
2. Fluid ow, including seepage through porous media
3. Distribution of electric or magnetic potential

Reference : Daryl L .Logan

Finally, some biomechanical engineering problems (which may include stress analysis)
typically include analyses of human spine, skull, hip joints, jaw/gum tooth implants,
heart, and eye.
We now present some typical applications of the nite element method. These
applications will illustrate the variety, size, and complexity of problems that can be
solved using the method and the typical discretization process and kinds of elements
used.

degrees of freedom
Figure 12 illustrates a control tower for a railroad. The tower is a three-dimensional frame comprising a series of beamtype elements. The 48 elements are labeled by the circled numbers, whereas the 28 nodes are indicated by the un circled
numbers. Each node has three rotation and three displacement components associated with it. The rotations (s) and
displacements (ds) are called the degrees of freedom. Because of the loading conditions to which the tower structure is
subjected, we have used a three-dimensional model.

The rotations (s) and displacements (ds) are called the degrees
of freedom.

One of the alternative methods often used to derive the element equations and the stiffness matrix for an element is based on
the principle of minimum potential energy.
Thus the principle of minimum potential energy is more adaptable to the determination of element equations for complicated
elements (those with large numbers of degrees of freedom) such as the plane stress/strain element, the axisymmetric stress
element, the plate bending element, and the three-dimensional solid stress element.
Again, we state that the principle of virtual work (Appendix E) is applicable for any material behavior, whereas the principle
of minimum potential energy is applicable only for elastic materials
However, both principles yield the same element equations for linear-elastic materials, which are the only kind considered in
this text. Moreover, the principle of minimum potential energy, being included in the general category of Variational methods
(as is the principle of virtual work), leads to other Variational functions (or functional) similar to potential energy that can be
formulated for other classes of problems, primarily of the nonstructural type. These other problems are generally classied as
eld problems and include, among others, torsion of a bar, heat transfer uid ow, and electric potential
Still other classes of problems, for which a Variational formulation is not clearly denable, can be formulated by weighted
residual methods. We will describe Galerkins method in Section 3.12, along with collocation, least squares, and the subdomain
weighted residual methods in Section 3.13. In Section 3.13, we will also demonstrate these methods by solving a onedimensional bar problem using each of the four residual methods and comparing each result to an exact solution. (For more
information on weighted residual methods, also consult References [57].)

Here we present the principle of minimum potential energy as used to derive the spring element equations. We will illustrate
this concept by applying it to the simplest of elements in hopes that the reader will then be more comfortable when applying
it to handle more complicated element types in subsequent chapters.

Total potential energy is dened as the sum of the internal strain energy U and the potential energy of the external forces
; that is,

p = U +
Strain energy is the capacity of internal forces (or stresses) to do work through deformations (strains) in the structure;
W is the capacity of forces such as body forces, surface traction forces, and applied nodal forces to do work through
deformation of the structure.

linear spring has force related to deformation by F = kx

where k is the spring constant and x is the deformation of the spring

The differential internal work (or strain energy) dU in the spring for a small change
in length of the spring is the internal force multiplied by the change in displacement
through which the force moves, given by
dU = F dx

Now we express F as
F = kx
we nd that the differential strain energy becomes
dU = kx dx
The total strain energy is then given by

Upon explicit integration we obtain

1

= 2 K 2
1
2

= Kx .x =

1
F. x
2

indicates that the strain energy is the area under the force/deformation
curve.

The potential energy of the external force, being opposite in sign from the external work expression because the potential
energy of the external force is lost when the work is done by the external force, is given by
=
yields the total potential energy as

p = U +
1

p = 2 K 2
The concept of a stationary value of a function G (used in the denition of the principle of minimum potential energy) is
shown in Figure 219. Here G is expressed as a function of the variable x. The stationary value can be a maximum, a
minimum, or a neutral point of G(x) . To nd a value of x yielding a stationary value of G(x),we use differential calculus to
differentiate G with respect to x and set the expression equal to zero, as follows:

=0

An analogous process will subsequently be used to replace G with p and x with discrete values (nodal displacements)
di. With an understanding of Variational calculus , we could use the rst variation of p (denotes arbitrary change or
variation) to minimize (denoted by dp ,where d . However, we will avoid the details of Variational calculus and show
that we can really use the familiar differential calculus to perform the minimization of p.To apply the principle of
minimum potential energythat is, to minimize we take the variation of p ,which is a function of nodal
displacements di dened in general as

The principle states that equilibrium exists when the di dene a structure state such that p = 0 (change in potential energy =0)
for arbitrary admissible variations in displacement di from the equilibrium state. An admissible variation is one in which the
displacement eld still satises the boundary conditions and inter element continuity.

Simple Element Equation Example

Direct Stiffness Derivation
u1

u2

F1

F2
1

Equilibrium at Node 1 F1 ku1 ku2

Equilibrium at Node 2 F2 ku1 ku2
or in Matrix Form
k
k

k u1 F1

k u2 F2

Stiffness Matrix

[ K ]{u} {F }

Nodal Force Vector