FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

BY

Prof.(Dr.) G.A.Harmain
Professor, Mechanical Engg. Dept.
National Institute of Technology
Hazrabal, Srinagar
Variational Principles and Methods
 In almost all approximate methods used to determine the solution of
differential or Integral equation, we seek solution in the form
𝑁
𝑢 𝑥 ≈ 𝑈𝑁 (𝑥) = 𝑗=1 𝐶𝑗 ϕ𝑗 (𝑥)
where 𝑢 𝑥 represents solution of differential equation
𝑈𝑁 (𝑥) is approximation (linear combination of unknown parameters 𝐶𝑗 &
unknown functions ϕ𝑗 )
 Variational methods of approximation (weighted-residual methods)
 Ritz method
 Galerkin method
 Least- Square method
 Collocation method
Residual Function
 Differential equation for axial heat conduction in rod/heat exchanger fin
𝑑 𝑑𝑢
− 𝑎 𝑥 = f(x) for 0 < 𝑥 < 𝑙
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑁
with approximation 𝑢 𝑥 ≈ 𝑈𝑁 (𝑥) = 𝑗=1 𝐶𝑗 ϕ𝑗 (𝑥)
 Then differential equation becomes
𝑑 𝑑𝑈𝑁
− 𝑑𝑥 𝑎 𝑥 = f(x) for 0 < 𝑥 < 𝑙
𝑑𝑥
𝑑 𝑑𝑈𝑁
 Residual of approximation R 𝑥, 𝐶𝑗 ≡ − 𝑑𝑥 𝑎 𝑥 − f(x) ≠ 0 for 0 < 𝑥 < 𝑙
𝑑𝑥

 Any approximate method (especially variational method) seeks a set of N

equations among 𝐶𝑗 by making R equal to zero.
Variational methods
 Collocation method
R 𝑥, 𝐶𝑗 = 0 for 𝑥 = 𝑥𝑖 i = 1,2,3 … N
 Least Square method
𝐿 2 𝜕 𝐿 2
δ𝐼 ≡ δ 𝑜
𝑅 𝑑𝑥 =0 𝑜𝑟 δ 𝑜
𝑅 𝑑𝑥 =0
𝜕𝐶𝑗

 Weighted Residual method

𝐿
𝑜
𝑊𝑖 𝑥 R 𝑥, 𝐶𝑗 𝑑𝑥 = 0 i = 1,2,3 … N
when 𝑊𝑖 = ϕ𝑖 Galerkin method
𝑊𝑖 = ψ𝑖 ≠ ϕ𝑖 Petrov- Galerkin method
Problem:
Uniform rod subjected to a uniform axial load
 Differential equation for deformation of bar
𝜕2 𝑢
𝐴𝐸 𝜕𝑥 2 + 𝑞0 = 0
𝑑𝑢
with boundary conditions 𝑢 0 = 0, 𝑑𝑥 𝑥=𝐿
= 0
Step 1: Assume a trial solution
𝑢(𝑥) ≈ 𝑢ℎ𝑒 𝑥 = 𝑐1𝑒 + 𝑐2𝑒 𝑥 + 𝑐3𝑒 𝑥 2
Apply B.C’s , we get 𝑢ℎ𝑒 𝑥 = 𝑐3𝑒 𝑥 2 − 2𝐿𝑥
Step 2: Domain Residual
𝑒
𝜕2 𝑢ℎ
R=𝐴𝐸 2 + 𝑞0 = 𝐴𝐸 2𝑐3𝑒 + 𝑞0
𝜕𝑥
Step 3: Minimize the residual, setting residue R=0 we get
𝑞0
𝑐3𝑒 = −
2𝐴𝐸
Thus final solution is
𝑞0
𝑢ℎ𝑒 𝑥 = − 𝑥 2 − 2𝐿𝑥
2𝐴𝐸
Since we are able to make residual identically zero everywhere, hence our solution
tallies with exact solution.
Development of weak form
 Includes three steps:
Step 1: Equate all the terms of the D.E. to zero, of the problem and multiply the
entire equation with a function 𝑊(𝑥) and integrate over the domain,
Ω = (0,L)
𝐿
𝑑 𝑑𝑢
0= 𝑊 − 𝑎 − f 𝑑𝑥
0 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
Step 2: Converting differential equation to weak form using integration by parts
𝐿 𝑑𝑊 𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑢 𝐿
0= 0
𝑎 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 − 𝑊𝑓 𝑑𝑥 − 𝑤𝑎 𝑑𝑥
0
𝐿 𝑑𝑊 𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑢
0= 0
𝑎 − 𝑊𝑓 𝑑𝑥 − 𝑤𝑎 𝑑𝑥 𝑛𝑥 |𝑥=0 − 𝑤𝑎 𝑑𝑥 𝑛𝑥 |𝑥=𝐿
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝐿 𝑑𝑊 𝑑𝑢
0= 0
𝑎 − 𝑊𝑓 𝑑𝑥 − (𝑤𝑄)0 − (𝑤𝑄)𝐿
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

This is called Weak form of differential equation.

Development of weak form
 Step 3: Imposing the boundary conditions.
𝑑𝑢
here, u= 𝑢0 is the essential boundary condition and 𝑎 𝑑𝑥 |𝑥=𝐿 = 𝑄𝐿 is the
natural boundary condition.
𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑢
Therefore 𝑤 0 = 0 and Q L = 𝑎 𝑑𝑥 𝑛𝑥 |𝑥=𝐿 = 𝑎 𝑑𝑥 |𝑥=𝐿 = 𝑄𝐿 .

Hence we have,
𝐿 𝑑𝑊 𝑑𝑢
0= 0
𝑎 − 𝑊𝑓 𝑑𝑥 − 𝑤(𝐿) 𝑄𝐿
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

Which is the weak form equivalent to original differential equation and natural
boundary condition.
Linear and Bi-linear forms
 Weak form contains two types of expressions,
 Bilinear form: Involving both dependent variable u and weight function w
𝐿 𝑑𝑊 𝑑𝑢
𝐵 𝑤, 𝑢 = 0
𝑎 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

 Linear form: containing only weight function w

𝐿
𝑙 𝑤 = 0
𝑤 𝑓 𝑑𝑥 + 𝑤 𝐿 𝑄𝐿
 Hence weak form can be expressed as
0 = 𝐵 𝑤, 𝑢 − 𝑙 𝑤
𝐵 𝑤, 𝑢 = 𝑙 𝑤
 The function 𝑤 can be viewed as a variation of actual solution 𝑤 = δ𝑢, hence
0 = 𝐵 δ𝑢, 𝑢 − 𝑙 δ𝑢
If 𝐵 . , . is bilinear and symmetric and 𝑙 . is linear, we have
1
𝐵 δ𝑢, 𝑢 = δ 𝐵 𝑢, 𝑢
2
𝑙 δ𝑢 = δ 𝑙 𝑢
Linear and Bi-linear forms (contd.)
1
0 = 𝐵 δ𝑢, 𝑢 − 𝑙 δ𝑢 = δ 𝐵 𝑢, 𝑢 −δ 𝑙 𝑢 ≡ δ𝐼(𝑢)
2
1
where 𝐼 𝑢 = 2 𝐵 𝑢, 𝑢 − 𝑙 𝑢

 Thus we can restate the variational problem as one of minimizing the

functional 𝐼(𝑢)
δ𝐼 = 0 = 𝐵 δ𝑢, 𝑢 − 𝑙 δ𝑢
δ2 𝐼 = 𝐵 δ𝑢, δ𝑢 > 0 for δ𝑢 ≠ 0
Thus, the function u that minimizes 𝐼 𝑢 is the solution.
The statement δ𝐼 = 0 in solid and structural mechanics is also known as the
Principle of minimum total potential energy.