FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

01-FUNDAMENTALS
Lesson 1.
COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING
 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
PHYSICAL PROBLEMS IN ENGINEERING
COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING USING FEM
Geometry modelling
Meshing
Material properties specification
Boundary, initial and loading conditions specification
SIMULATION
Discrete system equations
Equation solvers
VISUALIZATION

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 INTRODUCTION

Design process for an engineering system

Modelling, simulation, visualization, analysis, designing, prototyping, testing
and fabrication

Major steps include computational modelling, simulation and analysis of

results.
Process is iterative
Aided by good knowledge of computational modelling and simulation.
FEM: an indispensable tool, it is key in modelling and simulation of
engineering systems

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 iterative

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 What is the FEM?

First: stress analysis

Now: many other problems: thermal,
Main goal: to determine the distribution of some FV like:
Displacement
Temperature or heat flow
Electrical charge
Numerical methods: approximated solution (analytically
difficult)
Dividing the problem domain into several simple domains

analytical solution

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Mesh of the large commercial aircraft (B-747)
crash on rigid target

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 A complex function is represented by
piecewise linear functions

F(x) Unknown function Unknown discrete values

of field variable of field variable at nodes

F(x)
Unknows: discrete
values for the FV
at the nodes

Equations for the

elements

Elements tied to
one another

Set of linear
algebraic
simultaneous
equations for the
entire system
x
elements nodes

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 PHYSICAL PROBLEMS IN ENGINEERING

Mechanics for solids and structures

Heat transfer
Acoustics
Fluid mechanics
Others

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 COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING USING FEM

Four major aspects:

Modelling of geometry
Meshing (discretization)
Defining material properties
Defining boundary, initial and loading conditions

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 FE program structure

Conception of the system to

design (CAD definition)
No
Supports and loading
estimation Yes
Model
Ok?
PRE FE model generation

Equations formulation
PRO
and solving

POST Results interpretation

Ok?

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 Modelling of geometry

Real structures: very complex simplification

Geometry: collection of elements

Compromise: accuracy vS. number of elements (CPU time)
Ways to create geometry:
Points can be created simply by keying in the coordinates.
Lines/curves can be created by connecting points/nodes.
Surfaces can be created by connecting/rotating/translating the
existing lines/curves.
Solids can be created by connecting/rotating/translating the
existing surfaces.
Points, lines/curves, surfaces and solids can be
translated/rotated/reflected to form new ones.

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 Modelling of geometry

Graphic interfaces: use of graphic software and

preprocessors to aid the modelling of geometry
Can be imported into software for discretization and
analysis
Simplification of complex geometry usually required
Many cases: fine details
Examples of simplification
Plate
Shell
Beam
Truss

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Modelling of geometry

Eventually represented by
discretized elements
Note that curved
lines/surfaces may not be
well represented if elements
with linear edges are used.

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 Meshing (Discretization)

Why do we discretize?
Solutions to most complex, real life problems are
unsolvable analytically
Dividing domain into small, regularly shaped
elements/cells enables the solution within a single
element to be approximated easily
Solutions for all elements in the domain then
approximate the solutions of the complex problem itself
(see analogy of approximating a complex function with
linear functions)

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 Meshing (Discretization)

How?
Part of preprocessing
Automatic mesh generators: an ideal
Semi-automatic mesh generators: in practice
Shapes (types) of elements
Triangular (2D)
Quadrilateral (2D)
Tetrahedral (3D)
Hexahedral (3D)
Etc.
Triangulation

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 Meshing (Elements)

continuum (solid elements) shell elements beam elements rigid elements

membrane elements infinite elements special-purpose truss elements

elements like springs,
dashpots, and masses

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Mesh for a boom showing the stress distribution
(Picture used by courtesy of EDS PLM Solutions)

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Mesh of a hinge joint

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 Axisymmetric mesh of part of a dental implant
(The CeraOne abutment system, Nobel Biocare)

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 Property of material or media

Many systems: more than one material

Type of material property depends upon problem
Usually involves simple keying in of data of material
property in preprocessor
Use of material database (commercially available)
Experiments for accurate material property

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 Boundary, initial and loading conditions

Very important for accurate simulation of engineering

systems
Usually involves the input of conditions with the aid of a
graphical interface using preprocessors
Can be applied to geometrical identities (points,
lines/curves, surfaces, and solids) and mesh identities
(elements or grids)

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 SIMULATION

Two major aspects when performing simulation:

Discrete system equations

Principles for discretization
Problem dependent

Equations solvers
Problem dependent
Making use of computer architecture

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 Discrete system equations

Different approaches

Energy principles (principle of virtual work or variational

principle)
Hamiltons principle
Minimum potential energy principle
For traditional Finite Element Method (FEM)

Weighted residual method (Galerkin)

Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) are satisfied in a weighted
integral sense
Leads to FEM, Finite Difference Method (FDM) and Finite Volume
Method (FVM) formulations
Choice of test (weight) functions / Choice of trial functions
FEM, FDM, FVM

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Discrete system equations

Taylor series
For traditional FDM

Control of conservation laws

For Finite Volume Method (FVM)

Integral representation
Mesh free methods

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 Equation solvers

Direct methods (for small systems, up to 2D)

Gauss elimination
LU decomposition

Iterative methods (for large systems, 3D onwards)

Gauss Jacobi method
Gauss Seidel method
SOR (Successive Over-Relaxation) method
Generalized conjugate residual methods
Line relaxation method

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 Equation solvers

For nonlinear problems, another iterative loop is needed

For time-dependent problems, time stepping is also

additionally required
Implicit approach:
Accurate but much more computationally expensive
More stable numerically but less efficient computationally
Explicit approach
Simple, but less accurate
Contact algorithms more easily developed

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 VISUALIZATION

Vast volume of digital data

Methods to interpret, analyse and for presentation
Use post-processors
3D object representation
Wire-frames
Collection of elements
Collection of nodes

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 VISUALIZATION

Objects: rotate, translate, and zoom in/out

Results: contours, fringes, wire-frames and deformations
Results: iso-surfaces, vector fields of variable(s)
Outputs in the forms of table, text files, xy plots are also
routinely available
Virtual reality
A goggle, inversion desk, and immersion room

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Air flow in a virtually
designed building
(Image courtesy of
Institute of High
Performance Computing)

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Air flow in a virtually
designed building
(Image courtesy of
Institute of High
Performance
Computing)

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 Nonlinear Micro Finite
Element Analysis of Human
Trabecular Bone
(ABAQUS courtesy)
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Failure of a Prestressed Concrete
Containment Vessel (ABAQUS
courtesy)
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 An Integrated Approach for
Transient Rolling of Tires
(ABAQUS courtesy)

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 WTHF of an
aluminium
part (MGEP)

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Endurance
analysis of a
common-rail
(MGEP)

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 Endurance
analysis of an
stabilized bar
(MGEP)

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