AERSP 470

Energy Methods
The Stationary Principle Review

Energy Methods & The Stationary Principle

Energy Methods (Lagrangian Methods) vs. Newtonian Methods (based on

Force/Moment Equilibrium)

Energy Methods: we define Strain Energy and External Work (also Kinetic Energy, for
dynamic problems)

What is the difference between rigid and elastic bodies?

No Strain in rigid body (idealization, no body is rigid)
Strain in elastic body

Is there strain energy associate with rigid bodies? elastic structures?

What is Kinetic Energy?

How does a rigid body behave under the application of loads?

Can it undergo translation? Rotation? Elastic deformation?

How does the behavior of an elastic body under the application of loads differ?

Energy Methods & The Stationary Principle

When a force is applied to an elastic body, work is done. That work

is stored as energy (Strain Energy)

Consider the following case:

Work done by force, F, as u (instantaneous displacement) goes from

0 q.

Stationary Principle
Stationary Principle, or Principle of Minimum Total Potential Energy

The external work potential is defined as:

The work done by a system in expanding against forces exerted from outside

Define a scalar function (q) Total Potential Energy

For the spring problem

The Stationary Principle states that among all

geometrically possible displacements, q, (q) is
a minimum for the actual q.

Stationary Principle

For the spring problem, minimize :

The force equilibrium equation obtained, Kq = F, as a result of using

Energy Methods is the same as what you would have obtained
using Newtonian Methods. So the two methods are equivalent.

Now examine a 2-Spring System, and develop the equilibrium

equations using the two different (Newtonian and Lagrangian)
Methods

Stationary Principle

Newtonian Method Basic Force Equilibrium

Junction 1:

Junction 2:

Stationary Principle

Lagrangian Method
=UW

Stationary Principle
Use Stationary Principle:

As with the single-spring example, the equations are identical using

either method.

What are the advantages, then, of using Energy Methods?

Energy being a scalar
Advantageous for larger systems

Sample Problem: Solving Spring

System Using Stationary Principle

The total strain energy of the system of four springs is expressed in

terms of the nodal displacements and spring constants:

1
1
1
2
2
2
U e k1 q2 q1 2 k 2 q3 q2 k3 q4 q3
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
U W k1 q2 q1 2 k 2 q3 q2 k3 q4 q3
2
2
2

P1q1 P2 q2 P3 q3 P4 q4
0

F2

F4

Sample Problem: Solving Spring

System Using Stationary Principle
d
0
dqi
d
k1 q2 q1 1 P1
dq1
d
k1 q2 q1 2k 2 q3 q2 1 P2 k1U1 k1 2k 2 U 2 2k 2U 3 P2
dq2
d
2k 2 q3 q2 k3 q4 q3 1 P3 2k 2U 2 2k 2 k3 U 3 k3U 4 P3
dq3
d
k3 q4 q3 P4
dq4

Sample Problem: Solving Spring

System Using Stationary Principle

k1
k
1

k1
k1 2k 2
2k 2
0

0
2k 2
2k 2 k3
k3

0
0
k3

k3

U1 F1
U F
2 2

U 3 F3
U 4 F4

Take inverse of [k] to solve for displacements

Continuum systems bars

Consider a bar under an uni-axial load, undergoing uni-axial

displacement, u(x).
Note the difference between a:
bar loaded axially
beam loaded transversely

Boundary Conditions?

The bar is a continuous structure (how many degrees of freedom

does it have? Compare to the single-spring and the two spring
examples covered)

Continuum systems bars

To determine the strain energy, start by considering a small segment

of the bar of length dx

Force Equilibrium:

Force equilibrium relation

Continuum systems bars

Stress Strain Relation

Strain Displacement Relation

Consider an increment in external work by the applied force

associated with a displacement increment, du.
Increment in external work dW

Note that:

Continuum systems bars

Therefore, increment in external work:

Thus, increment in external work simply reduces to:

Continuum systems bars

Comparing expressions A and B, it can be seen that:

Increment in external work

by applied force, dW

Increment in stored
strain energy dU

Increment in strain
energy per unit
volume, dU*

Continuum systems bars

dU and dU* are due to a small (incremental) strain dxx (or

displacement du)

= strain energy
per unit volume

Continuum systems bars

The strain energy stored in the entire bar:

Strain energy, U, for a uni-axial bar in extension

Recall, for a spring

For rigid body translation

Continuum systems bars

External Work:

Total Potential:

Sample - Rod

Sample - Rod

Beams Under Bending Load

Beams Under Bending Load

Euler-Bernoulli Beam Theory assumes:

Plane sections perpendicular to the mid-plane remain plane and
perpendicular to the beam axis after deformation (i.e. no shear)
Long slender beams (Timoshenko theory for short beams)

Consider the displacement

of point P (to P)

Beams Under Bending Load

Thus, we can write the axial and vertical displacements of generic

point P as:

Use these displacements to get strains:

Beams Under Bending Load

That leaves us with,

And the stress:

Now consider the Resultant axial force on a cross section:

Beams Under Bending Load

And the Resultant Bending Moment on a cross-section:

Beams Under Bending Load

From the above expressions, it is seen that Extension & Bending

are decoupled:

Recall displacement of generic point, P:

But for pure bending problem uo term vanishes, so:

Beams Under Bending Load

Recall, Strain Energy:

This comes from:

For the beam bending problem:

Beams Under Bending Load

External Work, W, for the beam bending problem:

Sample Problem - Beam

Simply supported beam with stiffness EI. Determine the deflection of the
mid-span point using the stationary principle:
The assumed displacement must satisfy the boundary conditions.
Polynomial functions are the most convent to use.
Simpler assumed solutions are less precise.
Step 1: Assume a displacement

z
v vB sin
L

v = 0 @ z = 0, z = L
v = vB @ z = L/2
dv/dz = 0 @ z = L/2

Where vB is the displacement of the mid span.

Sample Problem

The strain energy, U, due to

bending of a beam is given by
(Given in the problem)

1
U M
dz
L
2 EI
d 2v
M EI 2
dz
2

Sample Problem
1
U M
dz
L
2 EI
d 2v
M EI 2
dz
2

z
v vB sin
L
z
2
d
v
sin
B

d 2v
v B 2
z
L

sin
dz 2
dz 2
L2
L

EI L vB2 4
2 z
U
sin
dz
4

0
2
L
L
4 EIvB2
U
4 L3

Sample Problem

The potential energy is given by:

4 EIvB2
TPE U V
WvB
3
4L

From the stationary principle of TPE:

U V 4 EIvB

W 0
3
vB
2L

From Beam Bending Theory

2WL3
WL3
vBs p 4 0.02053
EI
EI
WL3
WL3
vB
0.02083
48 EI
EI