LINEAR MODELLING (INCL.

FEM)
AE4ASM003
P1-2015

LECTURE 1
01.09.2015

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OUR TEAM

Dr. Sonell Shroff Ir. Jan Hol

Assistant Professor Assistant Professor
ASCM ASCM

NB2.07 NB0.47
S.Shroff@tudelft.nl J.M.A.M.Hol@tudelft.nl

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LOCATION AND TIMINGS

Theory Lectures Practicals

Lecture 1 Thursdays, 0845 to 1230

Tuesday, September 1, 1545 to 1730 LR-PC 007
EWI-Lecture hall Chip
4 hours! Do not miss!
All other lectures
Tuesdays, 1345 to 1530
(September 8, 15, 20, 29;
October 6, 13)
AULA CZ A

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COURSE SETUP

• Blended Online Learning

• Flipped Classroom
“Homework” is not graded! Its for your practice and understanding!
• Theory / Practical “Assignment” is graded!
• Assignment-based
• NO FINAL EXAM

• 7 weeks (1 theory + 1 practical)

• Homework: video lecture/lecture notes
• 3 theory based assignments (Weeks 2, 4 and 6)
• 2 practical assignments (Weeks 4 and 6) Not take home!

• Weekly topics: Blackboard (under course information/course setup)

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COURSE SETUP

• Contact
• Discussion board (All questions must be posted here first!)
• 2nd point: TA; TA will post questions on the discussion board anyway; so do it yourself to avoid delays
• Peer2Peer/Interaction
• Use your own knowledge database: your peers
• Respond to questions and discussions on the discussion board
• Debate: you are all engineers, share your experiences
• Our team will wait for some of you to answer questions on discussion board first before stepping in
• Help us to Help you!

• There are no open office hours!

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COURSE SETUP

• Study material
• Slides and Recorded lectures on Blackboard
• Support videos and lecture notes on Blackboard
• Reference books
• Finite Element Procedures, K.J. Bathe, 1995 (Prentice Hall)
• Concepts and Applicational of Finite Element Analysis, R.D. Cook, D.S. Malkus, M.E. Alesha and R.J. Witt,
2002 (John Wiley & Sons)
• The Finite Element Method in Engineering, S.S. Rao, 2005 (Elsevier Inc.)

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WHY STUDY THIS?

• One of the most widely used methods for numerical solutions, both in research and industry
• Become a wise FE user; avoid worthless results
• Don't just push buttons on a commercial code; Oil platforms have collapsed due to insufficient FE analysis (Sleipner A)
• Increase your skill set and be a better engineer
• Be prepared for a Master thesis assignment

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DESIRED SKILL SET

• Linear Algebra
• Calculus I
• Calculus II
• Aerospace Mechanics of Materials
• Applied Numerical Analysis
• Computational Modelling

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TODAY…

• What is the Finite Element Method?

• A “bar” element
• Direct Stiffness method

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ANALYSIS IN GENERAL
Exact methods

Analytical methods

Approximate methods

Differential Equation
(Problem)

Finite Differences
Numerical Integration

Numerical methods

Finite/Discrete element method

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FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

• ..or Finite Element (FE) Analysis is a method for numerical solution of problems where a field quantity is sought.
✓ versatility : displacement field, temperature field, stream function, etc.
✓ approximate solution : except simple problems where an exact formula already exists
• Definition

Structure is cut into Behaviour of these

These elements are Result: several
several elements to form elements is defined in a
glued together at nodes simultaneous equations
a mesh simple way

Equilibrium equation is Mesh is represented by a

Field quantity is allowed to
Piecewise polynomial These elements are setup for the entire Mesh. system of algebraic
have a simple spatial
interpolation glued together at nodes Minimised for all equations, solved at
variation over an element
unknowns nodes for unknowns

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FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
Equilibrium equation is Mesh is represented by a
Field quantity is allowed to
Piecewise polynomial These elements are setup for the entire Mesh. system of algebraic
have a simple spatial
interpolation glued together at nodes Minimised for all equations, solved at
variation over an element
unknowns nodes for unknowns

Picture courtesy: Comsol

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 Equilibrium equation is Mesh is represented by a
Field quantity is allowed to
Piecewise polynomial These elements are setup for the entire Mesh. system of algebraic
have a simple spatial
interpolation glued together at nodes Minimised for all equations, solved at
variation over an element
unknowns nodes for unknowns

Minimization of
a function
Algebraic
equations KU=F
Nodal field
quantities
Applied/unknown
Characteristic Matrix
loads
(Stiffness)
Nodal unknowns
(Displacement)

An FEA solution is not exact! But it can be improved!

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 STEPS IN A FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
Pre-processing
• Idealisation
• Classification
• Modelling Numerical Analysis Post-processing
• Discretisation • Equilibrium Equations • Sorting the direct output
• Element types • Solution • Listing
• Interpolation • Derived output
• Degrees of Freedom (d.o.f)
• Errors!
• Load, Support, Materials

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THE ESSENTIAL…

Element stiffness and

Selection of suitable Meshing and solution for Computation of derived
load calculations
Discretization interpolation/displacement unknown nodal results, i.e., stress and
followed by solving
model displacements strain
equilibrium equations

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BAR ELEMENT - TRUSS SYSTEM

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BAR ELEMENT - STIFFNESS MATRIX

• Direct Method
• Formal Procedure

u1 u2

A = Area of Cross-section
• 1-D element F1 F2 E = Modulus of Elasticity
• Rod! L

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EXAMPLE PROBLEM - SIMPLE BAR WITH AXIAL LOAD

E,A P

1. Idealization and Discretisation

P1 P2
• Elements
1 2
• Nodes
U1 U2
• Degrees of Freedom

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2. Displacement function/Interpolation Model/
Interpolation function

• Polynomials

y y y

solution solution solution

assumption
assumption assumption

x x x
Zero-order First-order Third-order

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 • Linear displacement model Let us assume
(1)
We know that

(2)

i j Substituting (2) in to (1)

ui uj
(3)
l
Solving for unknowns
X
& (4)

So, displacement model (1) can be written as

(5)
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Rearranging For the current case,

(6)

Linear displacement model

where &

And,
Shape functions!

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 Substituting (8) in to (7)
3. Equilibrium equation
Principal of minimum potential energy

Strain Energy External Work

For an element,

(7)

From the interpolation model derivation, we know that Rearranging in matrix format

Therefore,

(8) (9)
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Work done due to external forces 4. Solution of unknown displacements

Let us assume
(10)
Minimum Potential Energy

Given that,

(11) And,

(12)

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LETS MAKE THIS FUN!
P1 P0 P2
Same problem; different idealisation!
Two elements! 1 2
0
What changes? U1 U0 U2

(A)

Minimum Potential Energy

(B)
&

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Rearranging equations (B) Assembling element matrices,

x2
(C)

(C) resembles equilibrium equation

x2

(D)
Substituting material properties,
Solution of (C) gives unknown field quantities
x2

x2 ** x 2 ; because the length of the element is also halved!

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5. Derived results

Strain

Stress

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RECAP

• Idealization
• Displacement methods
• Interpolation models
• Interpolation functions/ Shape functions
• Element Stiffness matrix
• Assembly
• Load vectors
• Solution for displacements
• Element strains and stresses

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HOMEWORK

• Check blackboard for practice problems on direct stiffness approach

• Read revision lecture notes on Calculus of Variations
• Answer Self-Check questions and discuss on the forum

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NEXT WEEK…

• Variational approach
• Setting up a finite element equation using the variational approach

PRACTICALS

• Tutorials
• Discretization

If you will use your own laptop for the practicals, please install the software you will use prior to the practical session
tomorrow!

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