Finite Element Method

General Steps of the finite

element method

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

Department of Aerospace Engineering – Faculty of Transportation Engineering

Reference
Wahyu Kuntjoro, An Introduction to the Finite Element Method, Mc Graw Hill, 2005
 General Steps of the finite element method

Rời rạc hoá và lựa chọn phần tử

1. Discretize and select element types

2. Select an element interpolation function (A displacement function)
3. Derive element stiffness matrix and equations
4. Assemble the element equations to obtain the global equations
5. Apply boundary conditions
6. Solve a system of simultaneous equations for the unknowns
7. Solve for the element stresses and strains

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh 1

 General Steps of the finite element method
Terms of equation
The Stiffness Matrix
A matrix which relates nodal displacements and nodal forces in each element
and is determined from geometry and characteristics of the system.

The Force Vector

The forces that are acting on the system. These include the applied loads and
the forces of reactions.

The Displacement Vector

The displacements at each degree‐of‐freedom. This vector is a measure of
the response of structure to the applied loads.

Global coordinates
Coordinate according to the whole structural system.

Local coordinates
Coordinate according to the element of interest.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh
 General Steps of the finite element method
Terms of equation
Degree of Freedom
DOF, is the unknown nodal, primary variable. A model has a total number of
DOFs. Every element have also a number of DOFs.
DOF in structural problem is displacement vector.
• Spring element has 1 DOF per node which is axial displacement, u.
• Bar element in 1D has 1 DOF per node which is axial displacement, u.
• Bar element in plane truss structural problem has 2 DOFs per node, which
axial displacement u and transverse displacement v.
• 2D structural element has 2 DOF per node which are axial and transverse
displacement.

DOF in heat transfer problem is temperature vector

Line element in 1D has 1 DOF per node which is temperature. 2D‐Bar element
has 1 DOF per node which is temperature.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh
 General Steps of the finite element method

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Importance: DSM is used by all major commercial FEM codes
The method, works the same no matter what the element:

This course will firstly use spring and bar element to teach the DSM

Next the focus will be on the use of DSM to assembly the element equations
to obtain the global equations (step 4) by using spring element to explain
the method
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh
 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Linear spring element (1D element)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Linear spring element (1D element)
Assembling the Total stiffness matrix by superposition

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Linear spring element (1D element)
Assembling the Total stiffness matrix by superposition

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Linear spring element (1D element)
Assembling the Total stiffness matrix by superposition

Example

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Linear spring element (1D element)
Applying boundary condition
Homogeneous boundary condition

Global total equations

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Linear spring element (1D element)
Applying boundary condition
Inhomogeneous boundary condition

If spring extension at node 1 =

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Linear spring element (1D element)
Exercise 1

k1 = k3 = 100 N/mm, k2 = 200 N/mm

Given
P = 500 N

 Total stiffness matrix

 Displacement at node 2 and node 3
Find
 Reaction forces at node 1 and 4
 Spring element force
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh
 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Linear spring element (1D element)
Exercise 1

(N/mm)

(N/mm)

(N/mm)

Global total equations

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Linear spring element (1D element)
Exercise 1
Reaction of node 1 and node 4 is

Consider element equations for element 2

Spring force in element 2

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Linear spring element (1D element)
Exercise 2

Given k1 = k2 = 1000 lb/in

Find Displacement at node 2 and element forces

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
The direct stiffness method (DSM)
Linear spring element (1D element)
Exercise 2
Then

Total stiffness matrix of the system is

Find element force

Node 1 is fixed such that

Element 1

Total global equation of the system is

Element 2

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
Interpolation function or approximation function

 Describe distribution of solution within the element

 The approximation function should be continuous within the element.

 Polynomial function is usually used since it is easy to manipulate

 Polynomial with several terms or with higher order terms provide close approximated
solutions to exact solutions but leading to more complicated calculation

 Order of polynomial function used depends on problem and required accuracy

Eg. 1D structural problem second order polynomial (3 terms) gives more

accurate solutions than single‐term or two‐term polynomial function.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
Interpolation function or approximation function

Linear spring element (1D element)

Bar element

Beam element

2 external nodes at the boundary 2 nodes for one element consists of 4DOFs
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh
 General Steps of the finite element method
Interpolation function or approximation function
2D element

u and v are displacements in x and y direction respectively

n 1
a is coefficient of polynomial and m  i
i 1

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh

 General Steps of the finite element method
Interpolation function or approximation function
3D element

u, v and z are displacements in x, y and z direction respectively

n 1
a is coefficient of polynomial and m   i n  1  i 
i 1

Number of DOFs are increasing to 30 DOFs

Number of polynomial coefficients are 30 DOFs (a1 – a30)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ly Hung Anh