FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

Some Thoughts

TARUN KANT
IIT BOMBAY
 Real Life Systems
are continuum problems 1

2 Ω1

Ω2
which imply,
 infinite number of elements
 infinite degrees of freedom

Problem is mathematically defined by differential

equations subjected to BCs and ICs.
Field Problems

 That is, problems which involve the solution of partial

differential equation with appropriate boundary
conditions (BVPs).

 Such problems occur in a number of important areas

of engineering science, including stress analysis,
fluid and thermal flow, diffusion and
electromagnetism.
 POISSON EQUATION  LAPLACE EQUATION

kx = k y = kz = k f=0

k  2 = f (x, y, z)  2 = 0
Heat Equation 
Z
           
 kx    ky    kz   f (x,y,z)
x  x  y  y  z  z 

Ω
in Ω

BCs
X Y

 =  (x, y, z) on 1
        
 kx  nx   ky  ny   kz  nz  g (x,y,z)  h(x,y,z)  0 on Γ1
 x   y   z 
 Solution
Methods

Analytical Numerical
Methods Methods

The idealized problems that the theory could

handle generally turn out to be too simple to
represent the true problem.
Finite Element Method

 In many situations an adequate simplified model of

the real continuum is obtained using a finite number
of well defined interconnected elements.

 Such a model is called as discrete.

Discretization

 Various methods of discretization have been

proposed both by engineers and mathematicians.

 All involve an approximation which is of a kind that it

approaches as closely as desired, the true
continuum solution as the number of discrete
variables increases.
Finite Elements
 The Finite Element Method represents one of the
most significant developments in the history of
computational methods.

 The use of modern Finite Element Technology

has transformed much of the theoretical
mechanics and abstract science into practical
and essential tools for multitude of technological
developments which affect many facets of our
life.
FEM – engineer’s view point
 The finite element method is a numerical analysis
technique for obtaining approximate solutions to a wide
variety of engineering problems.

 The method was originally developed to study the

stresses in complex airframe structures.

 Its usage has now extended to the broad fields of

 Continuum Mechanics
 Electromagnetics
 Many related areas
 Finite Element Method
 versatile and has
 physical appeal and has
 advantages over other numerical analysis
techniques.

 Applicable to any field problems – heat transfer, stress

analysis, magnetic fields, etc.

 No geometric restriction

 No loading and boundary conditions restriction

 No restriction on material properties

 Can deal with multifield problems

 Approximation is improved by mesh grading.

THE EARLY HISTORICAL

DEVELOPMENTS
Finite Element Method

M.J. Turner, R.W. Clough, H.C. Martin and L.J. Topp,

Stiffness and deflection analysis of complex structures, J.
Aero. Sci., 23, 805-823 (1956).

showed that small portions or elements in a continuum

behave in a simplified manner.

The formal presentation of the finite element method

together with the direct stiffness method for assembling
elements is attributed to Turner et al. (1956), who
employed the equations of classical elasticity to obtain
properties of a triangular element for use in the analysis
of plane stress problems.
Finite Element Method

R.W. Clough,
The finite element in plane stress analysis,
Proc. 2nd ASCE Conf. on Electronic Computation, PA,
Sept.1960

It was Clough (1960) who first used the term finite

elements in this paper devoted to plane elasticity
problems.
Finite Element Method
R. Courant,
Variational methods for the solution of problems of
equilibrium and vibration, Bull. Amer. Math. Soc.,49,1-
23 (1943).

Presented an approximate solution to the St. Venant

torsion problem in which he approximated the warping
function linearly in each of an assemblage of triangular
elements and proceeded to formulate the problem using
the principle of minimum potential energy.

Courant’s piece-wise application of the Ritz method

involves all the basic concepts of the procedure now
known as the finite element method.
Finite Element Method
Pioneering works on FEM started in early 1960’s at:

 University of California, Berkeley, U.S.A.

 University of Wales, Swansea, U.K.

Important works were also carried out at:

 MIT, Cambridge, Mass, U.S.A.

 University of Stuttgart, Germany.
 Type of Problems
 Equilibrium problems
 Time independent problems, BVPs.

 Eigenvalue problems
 Steady state problems whose solution often requires the determination
of natural frequencies and modes of vibration of solid and fluids.
 These are special class of BVPs where solution exists for only certain
‘particular’ or ‘characteristic’ value of the parameter.

 Propagation problems
 Time dependent problems, IVPs.
 Results when the time dimension is added to the problems of the first
two categories.
 Finite Elements
The finite element method basically consist of the following
procedures:

 First, a given physical or mathematical problem is modeled

by dividing it into small or fundamental parts called
“elements.”

 Next, an analysis of the physics or mathematics of the

problem is made on these elements.

 Finally, the elements are reassembled into the whole with

the solution to the original problem obtained through this
assembly procedure.
 Finite Elements
 Finite element technology has emerged as a new
discipline combining theoretical mechanics and applied
science with approximation theory, numerical analysis
and computer science.

 It draws from developments made in each of the

individual disciplines and is nurtured and nourished by
them, but it also stands as a viable branch of knowledge
in its own right.

 Today finite element technology can be used on any

physical problem which can be stated in terms of
variational, differential, integral or integro-differential
equations.
Finite Elements

 The process of subdividing all systems into their

individual components or parts or elements, whose
behavior is readily understood, and then rebuilding the
original system from such elements to study its behavior
is a natural way in which the engineer, the scientist, or
even the economist proceeds.

OCZ, 1977
Finite Element Method

The finite element method is a general method of

structural analysis in which a continuous structure is
replaced by a finite number of elements interconnected
at a finite number of nodal points.
 Finite Element Method

Regardless of the approach used for element formulation, the

solution of a continuum problem by the FEM always follows
an orderly step-by-step process:
1. Discretization of the continuum.
2. Selection of interpolation functions.
3, Establishment of element properties.
4. Assembly of element properties to obtain the system
equations.
5. Solution of the system equations
Kd=f
6. Additional computations, design modifications, etc.
 Finite Element Method

The first book

O. C. Zienkiewicz and Y.K. Cheung,
The Finite Element Method In Structural and Continuum
Mechanics,
McGraw-Hill, London, 1967.
Finite Element Method

The second book

C.S. Desai and J. Abel,
Introduction to Finite Element Method,
Van Nostrand-Reinhold, New York, 1971.
 Finite Element Method

A.K. Noor,
Bibliography of books and monographs on finite element
technology,
Appl. Mech. Rev., 44(8), 307-317, 1991.

This bibliography lists about 400 finite element books in English and
other languages.
Finite Element Method

Some statistics as on 1991

 320 books
 340 Conf. Proc.
 3500 papers/year.

BIG BUSINESS!
 Finite Element Method
 Theoretical Mechanics
deals with fundamental laws and principles of mechanics
studied for their scientific intrinsic value.

 Applied Mechanics
transfers the theoretical knowledge to scientific and
engineering applications especially as regards the
construction of mathematical models of physical phenomena.

 Computational Mechanics
solves specific problems by simulation through numerical
methods implemented on digital computers.
Finite Element Method
 Alternatively (A joke about mathematician)

Computational mechanician is a person who searches for

solutions to a physical problem at hand.

Applied mechanician searches for problems that fit given

solutions.

and a Theoretical mechanician tries to prove the

existence of problems and solutions.
Finite Element Method (misuse of FEM)

A few fundamental ideas on which the direct stiffness

method (of structural analysis) is built are important for
proper understanding of the Finite Element Method
(FEM).

 This is because, initially, FEM was applied to real

complex structural systems as an extrapolation of the
‘matrix displacement method’, by none other than
engineers, and that too, civil engineers.
 Continuum Elements

1D
2D

3D

 Basic approach in isoparametric formulation is to express

both the element coordinates and the element displacements
in the form of interpolations using natural coordinates.

 The formulation is same for the 1D, 2D and 3D elements (C0).

  X1   u1 
 Y1   v1 
   
 Z1   w1 
   
 X2   u2   K11 K12 K13 ........... K1n  n
 Y2   v2   
     K 21 K 22 K 33 ........... K 2n 
3
 Z2   w2  . 
F=   d=    
.  .  K  .  1
.  .  .  2
     
.   
. . 
 Xn   un  K K n2 K n3 K nn 
   n1 ...........
 
 Yn   vn 
 Zn   wn 
   
Kij is known as the stiffness (influence) coefficient. It is of great importance in
the structural theory.
F= K d
 It is the most important equation in the displacement or stiffness method
of analysis.
 The key task lies in forming K and F.
 The solution follows a standard numerical procedure,
1
d=K F
General Purpose Software

FEM HAS BECOME COMMERCIAL

 ANSYS
 ASKA
 MARC
 NASTRAN
 SAP
 ABAQUS

User friendliness
Preprocessor
Postprocessor
Mainframe vs. PC versions
Approaches to formulation of element
properties

 Direct approach

 Variational approach
 Virtual work
 Principle of minimum potential energy

 Weighted residual approach

Finite Element Method

R.K. Livesley,
Matrix Methods of Structural Analysis,
Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1964.

H.C. Martin,
Introduction to Matrix Methods of Structural
Analysis,
McGraw-Hill, New York, 1966.
Finite Element Method

J. Mackerle,
Linkoping Institute of Technolgy, S-581 83 Linkoping,
Sweden, http://ohio.ikp.liu.se/fe

This website lists about 600 finite element books published

between 1967 and 2005.
 Thank you