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Triangular Element

The document describes deriving the shape functions for a triangular element using the basic field equation and boundary conditions. It shows: 1) The field equation with constants a, b, c corresponding to field variables at nodes i, j, k. 2) Substituting the boundary conditions yields equations to solve for a, b, c. 3) Solving the equations in matrix form gives the shape functions as functions of the node locations and field values.

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Ajay Vasanth
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
30 views

Triangular Element

The document describes deriving the shape functions for a triangular element using the basic field equation and boundary conditions. It shows: 1) The field equation with constants a, b, c corresponding to field variables at nodes i, j, k. 2) Substituting the boundary conditions yields equations to solve for a, b, c. 3) Solving the equations in matrix form gives the shape functions as functions of the node locations and field values.

Uploaded by

Ajay Vasanth
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The basic eld equation that corresponds to the triangular element is

 = a + bx + cy

(1)

where a,b and c correspond to the eld variables, there are three boundary conditions (for node
i, j and k)
Substituting all the known three boundary conditions in the equation 1
1. At node i, where =i ; x=xi and y =yi
2. At node j, where =j ; x=xj and y =yj and
3. At node k, where =k ; x=xk and y =yk
Thus substituting the values from equation 1, 2, 3 in the equation 1

i = a + bxi + cyi j = a + bxj + cyj k = a + bxk + cyk

(2)

By solving the above equation the constants a,b and c should be found out, converting the
above equation to the matrix form
2

2 3

i
1 xi yi
a
4  5 = 41 x
5  4b5
y
j
j j
k
1 xk yk
c
Thus from the above equation the value of the a, b and c can be computed as follows:
2 3

3 1

a
1 xi yi
4 b 5 = 41 x
j yj 5
c
1 xk yk

i
4
 j 5
k

(3)

Let
2

1 xi yi
A = 41 xj yj 5
1 xk yk
Thus A

= jA1 j adjA Let







1 xi yi
jAj = 1 xj yj = 2A(constant)
1 xk yk
2

1 1 1
xj yk
adjA = 4xi xj xk 5 = 4 (yk yj )
yi yj yk
xk xj

(xi yk xk yi ) (xi yj xj yi )
yk yi
(yj yi ) 5
xi xk
xj xi

Sub the known values in the equation in 3


2 3

a
1 4xj yk xk yj
4b5 =
(yk yj )
2
A
xk xj
c

(xi yk xk yi ) (xi yj xj yi )
i
yk yi
(yj yi ) 5  4j 5
xi xk
xj xi
k
1

(4)

Spiting the 3, the values of a, b and c can be calculated

a=

1
[(x y
2A j k

xk yj )i

(xi yk

xk yi )j + (xi yj

xj yi )k ]

b=

1
[(y
2A j

yk )i + (yk

yi )j + (yi

yj )k ]

c=

1
[(x
2A k

xj )i + (xi

xk )j + (xj

xi )k ]

Modifying the above equations

a=

1
[a  + aj j + ak k ]
2A i i

1
[b  + bj j + bk k ]
2A i i
1
c = [ci i + cj j + ck k ]
2A
Sub the value of a (from 5), b (from 6) and c (from 7) in the equation 1

b=

=

1
[(a  + aj j + ak k ) + (bi i + bj j + bk k ) + (ci i + cj j + ck k )]
2A i i

Rearranging the above equation we have

 = i [

1
1
1
(ai + bi + ci )] + j [ (aj + bj + cj )] + k [ (ak + bk + ck )]
2A
2A
2A

Thus the shape function are

Ni =

1
1
1
(ai + bi + ci ); Nj =
(aj + bj + cj ); Nk =
(a + bk + ck )
2A
2A
2A k

(5)
(6)
(7)

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