The Finite Element Method

CHAPTER2:
FUNDAMENTALS FOR FINITE ELEMENT
METHOD
CONTENTS
 STRONG AND WEAK FORMS OF GOVERNING
EQUATIONS
 HAMILTON’S PRINCIPLE
 FEM PROCEDURE
◦ Domain discretization
◦ Displacement interpolation
◦ Formation of FE equation in local coordinate system
◦ Coordinate transformation
◦ Assembly of FE equations
◦ Imposition of displacement constraints
◦ Solving the FE equations
 STATIC ANALYSIS
 EIGENVALUE ANALYSIS
 TRANSIENT ANALYSIS
 REMARKS
STRONG AND WEAK FORMS OF
GOVERNING EQUATIONS
 System equations: strong form (PDE),
difficult to solve.
 Weak (integral) form: requires weaker
continuity on the dependent variables (e.g.,
u, v, w).
 Weak form is often preferred for obtaining
an approximated solution.
 Formulation based on a weak form leads to
a set of algebraic system equations – FEM.
HAMILTON’S PRINCIPLE
 “Of all the admissible time histories of
displacement the most accurate solution
makes the Lagrangian functional a minimum.”

 An admissible displacement must satisfy:

◦ The compatibility conditions
◦ The essential or the kinematic boundary
conditions
◦ The conditions at initial (t1) and final time
(t2)
HAMILTON’S PRINCIPLE

 Mathematically Lagrangian functional

  t Ldt  0 where L=T-P+Wf

t2
1
1
T   U TUdV (Kinetic energy)
2V
1 1
Π   ε σ dV   ε T cε dV
T (Potential energy)
2V 2V
W f   U T f b dV   U T f s dS f (Work done by
V Sf external forces)
 FEM PROCEDURE

 Step 1: Domain discretization

 Step 2: Displacement interpolation
 Step 3: Formation of FE equation in local coordinates
 Step 4: Coordinate transformation
 Step 5: Assembly of FE equations
 Step 6: Imposition of displacement constraints
 Step 7: Solving the FE equations
Step 1: Domain discretization

 The solid body is divided into Ne elements with proper

connectivity – compatibility.
 All the elements form the entire domain of the problem
without any gap or overlapping – compatibility.
 There can be different types of element with different number
of nodes.
 The density of the mesh depends upon the accuracy
requirement of the analysis.
 The mesh is usually not uniform, and a finer mesh is often used
in the area where the displacement gradient is larger.
 Step 2: Displacement interpolation 3 (x3, y3)
y, v (u3, v3)
 Bases on local coordinate system, fsy
fsx
the displacement within element is A
2 (x2, y2)
interpolated using nodal displacements. (u2, v2)
1 (x1, y1)
(u1, v1) x, u
nd
U( x, y, z )   N i ( x, y, z ) d i  N( x, y, z )d e
i 1

 d1   displacement compenent 1  d1   displacements at node 1

d  d 
 2   displacement compenent 2  2   displacements at node 2
di    de   
   
d n f   displacement compenent n f d nd   displacements at node nd
 
 

nf: Degree of freedoms at a node nd: number of nodes in an element

Step 2: Displacement interpolation

 N is a matrix of shape functions

N ( x , y , z )   N1 ( x , y , z ) N 2 ( x , y , z ) N nd ( x , y , z ) 
  
for node 1 for node 2 for node nd

 N i1 0 0 0  Shape function
 0 N i2 0 0  for each
where N i   
displacement
 0 0  0 
  component at a
 0 0 0 N in f  node
Step 2: Displacement interpolation

 Constructing shape functions

◦ Consider constructing shape function for
a single displacement component
◦ Approximate in the form
Basis function
nd
u h (x)  
i 1
pi ( x ) i  p T (x )α

α T ={  1 ,  2 ,  3 , ......,  n d }
pT(x)={1, x, x2, x3, x4,..., xp} (1D)
Pascal triangle of monomials: 2D

1 Constant terms: 1
3 terms
x y Linear terms: 2 6 terms

xy 10 terms
x2 y2 Quadratic terms: 3
15 terms

x3 x2y xy2 y3 Cubic terms: 4 21 terms

4
x x3y x2y2 xy3 y4 Quartic terms: 5

5 x4y x3y2 x2y3 xy4

x y5 Quintic terms: 6

p T ( x )  p T ( x , y )  1, x , y , xy , x 2 , y 2 , ..., x p , y p 
Pascal pyramid of monomials : 3D
1
Constant term: 1

4 terms

x y 10 terms
Linear terms: 3
z
20 terms

x2 xy y2 35 terms
yz Quadratic terms: 6
xz
z2
x3 xy 2
xy2 y3
xyz Cubic terms: 10
xz 2 zy2
xz2 3
yz2
z
4
x x3y xy 2 2 xy3 y4
2 xy2z zy3 Quartic terms: 15
3
xz x yz
xyz2 2 2
zy
x2z2
3 3
xz
z4 z y

p T ( x )  p T ( x , y , z )  1, x , y , z , xy , yz , zx , x 2 , y 2 , z 2 , ..., x p , y p , z p 
Step 2: Displacement interpolation

◦ Enforce approximation to be equal to

the nodal displacements at the nodes
di = pT(xi) i = 1, 2, 3, …,nd
or
 d1   p T (x1 ) 
de=P  d   T 
 2 p ( x )
P 
de =   2 

   
d nd   T 
  p (x nd ) 

Moment matrix
Step 2: Displacement interpolation

◦ The coefficients in  can be found by

-1
α  P de
Therefore, uh(x) = N( x) de

 
N(x)  pT (x)P -1  pT (x)P1-1 pT (x)P2-1 pT (x)Pn-1 
 
 N1 ( x ) N2 ( x ) Nn ( x ) 
  N1 (x) N 2 (x) N n ( x) 
Step 2: Displacement interpolation

 Sufficient requirements for FEM shape

functions

1 i  j, j  1, 2,
1. Ni  x j    ij  
, nd (Delta function
0 i  j , i, j  1, 2, , nd property)
n
(Partition of unity property –
2.  N (x)  1
i 1
i
rigid body movement)
nd
3.  N ( x) x
i 1
i i x (Linear field reproduction property)
 Step 3: Formation of FE equations
in local coordinates

Since U= Nde Strain matrix

Therefore, e = LU  e = L N de= B de

1 1 1 T
Π  ε T
cε d V   ed T T
B cBd e d V  d e 
( B T
cBdV )d e
2 Ve 2 Ve 2 Ve

or where 
k e  B cBdV
T

Ve
(Stiffness matrix)
Step 3: Formation of FE equations
in local coordinates

Since U= Nde  U  Nd e
1 1 1 T
T       e  
T T T T
U UdV d e N Nd e dV d ( N NdV )d e
2 Ve 2 Ve 2 Ve

1 T 
or T  d e m ed e where m e   NT NdV
2 Ve

(Mass matrix)
Step 3: Formation of FE equations
in local coordinates

W f   dTe NT fb dV   dTe NT f s dS  dTe (  NT fb dV )  dTe (  NT f s dS )

Ve Se Ve Se

W f  d Fb  d Fs  d Fe
T
e
T
e
T
e

Fb   NT fb dV Fs  
Se
N T f s dS
Ve

f e  Fb  Fs (Force vector)
Step 3: Formation of FE equations
in local coordinates
t2 1T  1 T
 ( d e m e d e - d e k e d e  dTe Fe )dt  0 (Hamilton’s principle)
t1 2 2
t2
 t1
( dTe m ed e -  dTe k ed e   dTe fe )dt  0
T
 d d d
d   ( T
e
e
)  (dTe )
dt dt
t2 t2 t2
 d e m ed e dt  d e m e d e -  d e m ed e dt  -  dTe m ed e dt
t2
 T  T  T 
t1 t1 t1 t1


t2
dTe (-m ed e - kde  Fe )dt  0    f
k ed e  m ed
t1 e e
FE Equation
Step 4: Coordinate transformation
  f
kde  m e d (Local)
e e

d e  TD e

  F
K e De  M e D (Global)
e e

where

K e  T k e T , M e  T m e T , Fe  T f e
T T T
Step 5: Assembly of FE equations

 Direct assembly method

◦ Adding up contributions made by elements
sharing the node
  F
K e De  M e D e e

  F
KD  MD

KD  F (Static)
Step 6: Impose displacement constraints

 No constraints  rigid body movement

(meaningless for static analysis)
 Remove rows and columns corresponding to
the degrees of freedom being constrained
 K is semi-positive definite
Step 7: Solve the FE equations

 Solve the FE equation,

KD  MD   F
for the displacement at the nodes, D

 The strain and stress can be retrieved

by using e = LU and s = c e with the
interpolation, U=Nd
STATIC ANALYSIS
 Solve KD=F for D

◦ Gauss elimination
◦ LU decomposition
◦ Etc.
EIGENVALUE ANALYSIS

  0
KD  MD (Homogeneous equation, F = 0)

Assume D   exp( it )

[K -  2 M ]  0
Let   2
 [K - M ]  0
(Roots of equation are the
det[ K - M]  K - M  0 eigenvalues)
[ K - i M ]  i = 0 (Eigenvector)
EIGENVALUE ANALYSIS
 Methods of solving eigenvalue equation
◦ Jacobi’s method
◦ Given’s method and Householder’s method
◦ The bisection method (Sturm sequences)
◦ Inverse iteration
◦ QR method
◦ Subspace iteration
◦ Lanczos’ method
TRANSIENT ANALYSIS
 Structure systems are very often subjected to
transient excitation.
 A transient excitation is a highly dynamic
time dependent force exerted on the
structure, such as earthquake, impact, and
shocks.
 The discrete governing equation system
usually requires a different solver from that
of eigenvalue analysis.
 The widely used method is the so-called
direct integration method.
TRANSIENT ANALYSIS
(reading material)
 The direct integration method is basically
using the finite difference method for time
stepping.
 There are mainly two types of direct
integration method; one is implicit and the
other is explicit.
 Implicit method (e.g. Newmark’s method) is
more efficient for relatively slow phenomena
 Explicit method (e.g. central differencing
method) is more efficient for very fast
phenomena, such as impact and explosion.
REMARKS
 In FEM, the displacement field U is expressed
by displacements at nodes using shape
functions N defined over elements.
 The strain matrix B is the key in developing the
stiffness matrix.
 To develop FE equations for different types of
structure components, all that is needed to do
is define the shape function and then establish
the strain matrix B.
 The rest of the procedure is very much the
same for all types of elements.
Newmark’s method (Implicit)
Assume that
2  1  
Dt t  Dt   t  Dt   t   -   Dt   Dt t  Typically
 2  
 = 0.5
Dt t  Dt   t  1 -   Dt   Dt t 
 = 0.25
Substitute into KD  CD  MD  F
 2  1  
K Dt   t  Dt   t   -   Dt   Dt t   
  2  
 
C Dt   t  1 -   Dt   Dt t   MDt t  Ft t
Newmark’s method (Implicit)
K cm Dt t  Ftresidual
t

where
K cm  K  t   Ct  M 
2
 
 21  
Ftresidual
t  Ft t - K  D t    t  D t    t   -   Dt  - C Dt   t 1 -   Dt 
  2  
-1 residual
Therefore, Dt t  K cm Ft t
Newmark’s method (Implicit)
Start with D0 and D0

Obtain D0 using KD  CD  MD  F

-1 residual
March
Obtain Dt using Dt t  K F cm t t forward
in time
Obtain Dt and Dt using
2  1  
Dt t  Dt   t  Dt   t   -   Dt   Dt t 
 2  
Dt t  Dt   t  1 -   Dt   Dt t 
 Central difference method (explicit)

MD  F - CD  KD   F - F int  F residual

D  M -1F residual (Lumped mass – no need to solve matrix equation)

Dt t  2  t  Dt  Dt -t
 t 
2

Dt t  2  t  Dt  Dt -t Dt -t  Dt -  t  Dt  Dt

2
1
Dt   Dt t - 2Dt  Dt -t 
 t 
2
 D0 and D0 are
D, prescribed and D0
can be obtained from

D  M -1F residual x

x
x
Central
Use Dt t / 2   t  Dt  Dt -t / 2 to
difference
x x
obtain Dt assuming Dt / 2  D0 .
Obtain Dt using D  M -1F residual

Dt -t
Obtain D-t using
 Dt -  t  Dt 
 t 
2

Dt
method (explicit)
2

t
-t -t/2 t0 t/2 t

Time marching in half the time step

Find average velocity D-t / 2 at time t =

t t / 2   t  Dt  Dt -t / 2
-t/2 using D

Find Dt / 2using the average acceleration at

time t = 0. D   t  D  D
t t / 2 t t -t / 2

Find Dt using the average velocity at time t =t/2

Dt t / 2   t  Dt  Dt -t / 2