1. Question 1. What Is The Finite Element Method (fem)?

Answer :
The FEM is a novel numerical method used to solve ordinary and partial
differential equations. The method is based on the integration of the terms in the
equation to be solved, in lieu of point discretization schemes like the finite
difference method. The FEM utilizes the method of weighted residuals and
integration by parts (Green-Gauss Theorem) to reduce second order derivatives
to first order terms. The FEM has been used to solve a wide range of problems,
and permits physical domains to be modeled directly using unstructured meshes
typically based upon triangles or quadrilaterals in 2-D and tetrahedrons or
hexahedrals in 3-D. The solution domain is discretized into individual elements –
these elements are operated upon individually and then solved globally using
matrix solution techniques.
2. Question 2. What Is The History Of The Fem?
Answer :
Early work on numerical solution of boundary-valued problems can be traced to
the use of finite difference schemes; South well used such methods in his book
published in the mid 1940’s. The beginnings of the finite element method actually
stem from these early numerical methods and the frustration associated with
attempting to use finite difference methods on more difficult, geometrically
irregular problems. Beginning in the mid 1950s,efforts to solve continuum
problems in elasticity using small, discrete "elements" to describe the overall
behavior of simple elastic bars began to appear, and such techniques were
initially applied to the aircraft industry. Actual coining of the term "finite
element"appeared in a paper by Clough in 1960. The early use of finite elements
lay in the application to structural-related problems. However, others soon
recognized the versatility of the method and its underlying rich mathematical basis
for application in non-structural areas. Since these early works, rapid growth in
usage of the method has continued since the mid 1970s. Numerous articles and
texts have been published, and new applications appear routinely in the literature.
3. Question 3. What Is The Method Of Weighted Residuals, I.e., Galerkin’s
Method?
Answer :
The underlying mathematical basis of the finite element method first lies with the
classical Rayleigh-Ritz and variational calculus procedures. These theories
provided the reasons why the finite element method worked well for the class of
problems in which variational statements could be obtained (e.g., linear diffusion
type problems). However,as interest expanded in applying the finite element
method to more types of problems, the use of classical theory to describe such
problems became limited and could not be applied, e.g., fluid-related problems.
Extension of the mathematical basis to non-linear and non-structural problems
was achieved through the method of weighted residuals (MWR), originally
conceived by Galerkin in the early 20th century. The MWR was found to provide
the ideal theoretical basis for a much wider basis of problems as opposed to the
Rayleigh-Ritz method. Basically, the method requires the governing differential
equation to be multiplied by a set of predetermined weights and the resulting
product integrated over space; this integral is required to vanish. Technically,
Galerkin's method is a subset of the general MWR procedure, since various types
of weights can be utilized; in the case of Galerkin's method, the weights are
chosen to be the same as the functions used to define the unknown variables.
 Most practitioners of the finite element method now employ Galerkin's method to
establish the approximations to the governing equations.
4. Question 4. Why Should One Use Finite Elements?
Answer :
The versatility of the FEM, along with its rich mathematical formulation and
robustness makes it an ideal numerical method for a wide range of problems. The
ability to model complex geometries using unstructured meshes and employing
elements that can be individually tagged makes the method unique. The ease of
implementing boundary conditions as well as being able to use a wide family of
element types is a definite advantage of the scheme over other methods. In
addition, the FEM can be shown to stem from properly-posed functional
minimization principles.
5. Question 5. Can The Fem Handle A Wide Range Of Problems, I.e., Solve
General Pdes?
Answer :
While the FEM was initially developed to solve diffusion type problems, i.e.,
stress-strain equations or heat conduction, advances over the past several
decades have enabled the FEM to solve advection-dominated problems, including
incompressible as well as compressible fluid flow. Modifications to the basic
procedure (utilizing forms of upwinding for advection, i.e., Petrov-Galerkin and
adaptive meshes) allow general advection-diffusion transport equations to be
accurately solved for a wide range of problems.
6. Question 6. What Is The Advantage Of The Fem Over Finite Difference (fdm)
And Finite Volume (fvm) Methods?
Answer :
The major advantages of the FEM over FDM and FVM are its built-in abilities to
handle unstructured meshes, a rich family of element choices, and natural
handling of boundary conditions (especially flux relations). The FDM is generally
restricted to simple geometries in which an orthogonal grid can be constructed; for
irregular geometries, a global transformation of the governing equations (e.g.,
boundary fitted coordinates) must be made to create an orthogonal computational
domain. Likewise, implementation of boundary conditions in FDM can be
cumbersome. The FVM is an integral approach (typically with limits -0.5 to 0.5)
similar to the FEM, with volumes being used instead of elements. The divergence
theorem is used to establish the final equation set. Solutions are obtained at
volume faces, vertices, or volume centers – some methods employ staggered
grids. While FVM can handle irregular domains using unstructured grids
(stemming from the FEM), the required averaging over the volume limits the
method to second order spatial accuracy.
7. Question 7. Is There Any Connection Between The Fem And The Boundary
Element Method (bem)?
Answer :
In the BEM, one reduces the order of the problem by one, i.e., a two-dimensional
domain is reduced to a line integral – a three-dimensional domain becomes a two-
dimensional surface. The BEM only requires the discretization of the boundaries
of the problem domain – no internal meshing is required, as in the FDM, FVM,
and FEM schemes. The BEM requires two applications of the Green-Gauss
Theorem (versus one in the FEM and employing Galerkin’s Method). The method
is ideal for handling irregular shapes and setting boundaries that may extent to
 (near) infinity. One can place interior nodes within the BEM to obtain internal
values easily. The BEM works quite effectively for linear differential equations –
principally elliptic equations. However, if one desires to solve nonlinear advection-
diffusion transport equations, the method becomes very cumbersome and
computationally demanding – BEM matrices are dense, and do not readily permit
efficient, sparse matrix solvers to be used as in the FEM.
8. Question 8. What Is Adaptivity, I.e., H-, P-, R-, And Hp-adaptation?
Answer :
Adaptivity is an active research area involving either remeshing or increased
interpolation order during the solution process. The method is particularly effective
in fluid flow, heat transfer, and structural analysis. The use of mesh refinement
has been especially effective in aerodynamic simulations for accurately capturing
shock locations in compressible flow. Generally, there are two types of adaptation:
h-adaptation (mesh refinement), where the element size varies while the orders of
the shape functions arekept constant; p-adaptation, where the element size is
constant while the orders of the shape functions are increased (linear, quadratic,
cubic, etc.). Adaptive remeshing (known as r-adaptation) employs a spring
analogy to redistribute the nodes in an existing mesh -no new nodes are added;
the accuracy of the solution is limited by the initial number of nodes and elements.
In mesh refinement (h-adaptation), individual elements are subdivided without
altering their original position. The use of hp-adaptation includes both h- and p-
adaptation strategies and produces exponential convergence rates. Both mesh
refinement and adaptive remeshing are now routinely used in many commercial
codes. A spectral element is a special class of FEM that uses a series of
orthogonal basis functions whereby the unknown terms are solved at selected
spectral nodes; the method is stable and highly accurate, but can become time
consuming.
9. Question 9. How Difficult Is It To Write A Fem Program?
Answer :
Writing a FEM code is not terribly difficult, especially if one develops the code
utilizing a general set of subroutines, e.g., input data, integration, assembly,
boundary conditions,output, etc. About 90% of a FEM program is generic, which is
fairly common among most FEM codes – they tend to use similar matrix solvers,
quadrature rules, and matrix assembly procedures; I/O is usually the major
difference among commercial FEM codes – some are easy, and some are not so
easy to learn and use. A source listing of the FORTRAN codes can be found in
the FORTRAN file folder; flow charts can be obtained from the authors. Likewise,
MATLAB and MathCad files are also available. One of the best commercial
packages now on the market is COMSOL, which also allows users to write their
own solver packages and PDEs.
10. Question 10. Are There Any Recommended Commercial Fem Packages That
Are Versatile In Handling A Wide Range Of Problems?
Answer :
Any of the well known and widely versatile FEM codes now on the market are
good – it just depends on how comfortable the user is with the I/O part of the
program. COMSOL,as mentioned before, is quite easy and very versatile –
handling a wide range of problem classes including fluid flow (with turbulence),
heat transfer, structural analysis,electrodynamics, and general PDEs including
species transport, chemical reactions, and groundwater/porous media flows.
1. Question 11. Any Suggested Web Sites For Fem?
Answer :
There are several recommended web sites:
o www.wiley.com/go/bhatti
o http://dehesa.freeshell.org/FSEM
o http://www.ncacm.unlv.edu
o http://www.cfd-online.com/Resources/topics.html#fem
2. Question 12. How Long Does It Take For Me To Be Able To Use A Fem
Program?
Answer :
Some programs allow you to solve problems fairly quickly. It is always highly
recommended that work out the example problems generally provided by most
commercial software. COMSOL, ANSYS, ALGOR, and NASTRAN all run on PCs.
3. Question 13. Why Would I Want To Use A Fem Program?
Answer :
The versatility, ease of data input, and solution accuracy make the FEM one of
the best numerical methods for solving engineering problems. FEM programs are
the backbone of structural analyses, and are becoming more widely accepted for
problems in which geometries are complex.
4. Question 14. Is This A Method That Will Soon Become Obsolete?
Answer :
The recent introduction of BEM and meshless methods would appear to indicate
the eventual obsolescence of the FEM. However, these newer methods are still
years away from being developed to the point of wide spread applicability found in
FEM. The FEM will be around for many years to come. Recent advances with the
inclusion of spectral schemes and adaptivity make it especially attractive now.
5. Question 15. How Expensive Is A Fem Code?
Answer :
FEM codes range from those that can be found for free on the web to others
costing many thousands of dollars. Those that run on PCs are generally
inexpensive, yet provide powerful tools for solving a number of large scale
problems.
6. Question 16. What Kind Of Hardware Do I Need To Run A Fem Code?
Answer :
A PC with a sufficiently fast processor, at least 256MB RAM, and at least 20GB of
hard disk will permit many problems to be solved that once could only be run on
mainframe computers. A suggested PC level for major FEM calculations is one
with 1 GB RAM, 60 GB hard disk, and running with Pentium 4/3.2 GHz or better
processors would provide more that adequate capabilities. The state-of-the-art in
PC hardware is improving constantly; in a few years, even these suggested
requirements will seem obsolete.

1. Draw stress-strain diagram for various materials? (Mild steel,Glass,Brittle

materials Etc.)
2. Concepts of stress and strain. (Like What is stress? Stress unit?)
3. Stress-Strain behavior. (Elastic deformation, Plastic deformation. Etc)
4. What is Poisson’s ratio?
5. What is Hooke’s law?
6. Tensile Properties. (Ductility, Toughness and resilience)
7. What is True stress and True strain?
8. Theories Failure? (Max Principle stress theory, Distortion theory, Etc)
9. What is plane stress and plane strain?
10. Why Mohr’s circle are used?
11. All the Mechanical properties of materials
12. What is fatigue?
13. What is creep?
14. What is finite element analysis? Steps in FEM analysis?
15. What are the different types of Analysis?
16. What are the types of Elements used in FEA?
17. What is Volumetric strain?
18. What is SFD and BMD? Why it is used?
19. What is Moment of Inertia?
20. What is Torsion? Concepts of torsion?
21. Assumptions in Bending and Torsion theories?
22. What is stiffness matrix?
23. What is degree of freedom?
24. How to draw SFD and BMD for cantiliver beam? (Important)
25. Concepts of Heat Treatment
26. Which is first Stress or Strain?
27. Shear stress and Shear strain?
28. Concept of Elongation?
29. Types of support? (May be they will ask you to draw cantilever or Simply
supported)
30. Deflection theories?
31. What is convergence criteria in FEM?
32. What is Truss Element?
33. What is Natural frequency?
34. Draw bar element and write the stiffness matrix
35. What is dampener?
36. Difference between FEA and FEM?
37. Why FEA?
38. What is the approach of FEA?
39. There is a cantilever beam if i heat the beam to certain temp, how much
stress is developed in that body.
40. What is Pre-Processor and Post-processor? What is analysis stage?
41. Define node?
42. Draw a typical three dimensional element and indicate state of stress in
their positive signs.
43. Write the standard form of finite element equation
44. Write the stiffness matrix for the plane truss element
45. Heat treatment concepts.
46. Name at least four FEA popular packages.
47. Is stress depends on material property?
48. how many natural frequencies and mode shapes can beam has? why?
49. what is the S-N curve?
50. Shell plate are having How many degrees of freedom ?
51. What is the shape function?
1. What is the finite element method (FEM)?

2. What is the history of the FEM?

3. What is the Method of Weighted Residuals, i.e., Galerkin’s Method?

4. Why should one use finite elements?

5. Can the FEM handle a wide range of problems, i.e., solve general PDEs?

6. What is the advantage of the FEM over finite difference (FDM) and finite volume

(FVM) methods?

7. Is there any connection between the FEM and the boundary element method

(BEM)?

8. How difficult is it to write a FEM program?

9. Are there any recommended commercial FEM packages that are versatile in handling a

wide range of problems?

10. What is meant by finite element analysis?

11. What is meant by finite element?

12. State the methods of engineering analysis.

13. Give examples for the finite element.

14. What is meant by node or Joint?

15. What do you mean by discretization?

16. What are the types of boundary conditions?

17. What are the three phases of finite element method ?

18. Explain force method and stiffness method?

19. What is structural and non-structural problem?

20. What are the methods are generally associated with the finite element analysis?

21. What is polynomial type of interpolation functions are mostly used in FEM?

22. Name the variational methods.

23. Name the weighted residual methods.

24. What is aspect ratio?

25. What is meant by post processing?

26. What is Rayleigh ritz method?

27. What does assemblage mean?

28. What is meant by DOF?

3

29. What is truss element?

30. List the two advantages of post processing?

31. If a displacement field in x direction is given by u=2x2+4y2+6xy.Determine the strain in x

direction.

32. Differentiate between global and local axes.

33. What are h and p versions of finite element method?

34. During discretization, mention the places where it is necessary to place a node

35. What is the difference between static and dynamic analysis?

36. Name the four FEA Softwares?

37. Distinguish between potential energy function and potential energy functional.

38. What are the types of loading acting on the structure?

39. Define body force (f).

40. Define traction force (T)

41. What is point load (P)

42. What are the basic steps involved in the finite element modeling.

43. What is adaptivity, i.e., h-, p-, r-, and hp-adaptation?

44. What is discretization?

45. What is the classification of co-ordinates?

46. What is Global co-ordinates?

47. What is natural co-ordinates?

48. Define shape function.

49. What are the characteristics of shape function?

50. Why polynomials are generally used as shape function?