An Introduction to the

Finite Element Analysis

Presented by
GROUP 3
Table of Contents
PART I
Introduction and Basic Concepts

1.0 Computational Methods

1.1 Idealization
1.2 Discretization
1.3 Solution
2.0 The Finite Elements Method
2.1 FEM Notation
2.2 Element Types
3.0 Mechanichal Approach
3.1 Stress Engergy
3.2 Strain Energy
3.3 External Energy
3.4 The Potential Energy Functional
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Agenda

PART II
Mathematical Formulation

4.0 The Mathematics Behind the Method

4.1 Weighted Residual Methods
4.2 Approxiamting Functions
4.3 Galerkin’s Method
4.4 Solution Space
4.5 Linear System of Equations

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Agenda

PART III
Finite Element Analysis Using NX

5.0 Introduction
5.1 Starting of Advance/Design Simulation
5.2 How to Add Materials
5.3 Uses on Mesh
5.4 Adding of Constraints
5.5 Adding of Loads
5.6 Simulate the object
5.7 The results of simulation
5.8 Conclusion

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 PART I
Introduction and Basic Concepts
1.0 Computational Methods

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1.1 Idealization
• Mathematical Models
• “A model is a symbolic device built to
simulate and predict aspects of behavior of
a system.”
• Abstraction of physical reality
• Implicit vs. Explicit Modelling
• Implicit modelling consists of using existent
pieces of abstraction and fitting them into
the particular situation (e.g. Using general
purpose FEM programs)
• Explicit modelling consists of building the
model from scratch
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2.0 Finite Element Method
• Two interpretations
1. Physical Interpretation:
The continous physical model is divided
into finite pieces called elements and laws
of nature are applied on the generic
element. The results are then recombined
to represent the continuum.
2. Mathematical Interpretation:
The differetional equation reppresenting the
system is converted into a variational form,
which is approximated by the linear
combination of a finite set of trial functions.
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2.1 FEM Notation

Elements are defined by the following

properties:
1. Dimensionality
2. Nodal Points
3. Geometry
4. Degrees of Freedom
5. Nodal Forces
(Non homogeneous RHS of the DE)
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2.2 Element Types

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3.0 Mechanical Approach

• Simple mechanical problem

• Introduction of basic mechanical concepts
• Introduction of governing equations
• Mechanical concepts used in mathematical
derivation

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3.1 Nodal Value
• Nodal Value Stresses in Gauss points can be
extrapolated to element nodes.
• Most often, one node is shared by several
elements, and each element reports different
stresses at the shared node.
• Reported values from all adjacent
elements are then averaged to obtain a single
value.
• This method of stress averaging produces
averaged (or nodal) stress results.

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3.2 Elemental Value
• Element values Alternately, the stress values from
all Gaussian points within each element can be
averaged to report a single elemental stress.

• Although these stresses are averaged between

Gauss points, they are called non-averaged
stresses (or element stresses) because the
averaging is done internally within the same
element only.

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 PART II
Mathematical Formulation
4.0 Historical Background

• Hrennikof and McHenry formulated a 2D

structural problem as an assembly of bars
and beams
• Courant used a variational formulation to
approximate PDE’s by linear interpolation
over triangular elements
• Turner wrote a seminal paper on how to
solve one and two dimensional problems
using structural elements or triangular and
rectangular elements of continuum.
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4.1 Weighted Residual Methods

• The idea is to satisfy the differential equation in an

average sense by converting it into an integral
equation.

• Finite element methods are a special type of

weighted average method.

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4.2 Approximating Function

• In general, a function approximation problem asks us to select

a function among a well-defined class that closely matches a
target function in a task-specific way.

• Approximation theory is the branch of numerical analysis that

investigates how certain known functions can be
approximated by a specific class of functions that often have
desirable properties

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4.3 Galerkin’s Method

• Galerkin methods are a class of methods for converting a

continuous operator problem to a discrete problem.

• Galerkin's method provides powerful numerical solution to

differential equations and modal analysis.

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4.4 Solution Space

• solution space is the set of all possible points (sets of

values of the choice variables) of an optimization problem
that satisfy the problem's constraints, potentially
including inequalities, equalities, and integer constraints.

• This is the initial set of candidate solutions to the

problem, before the set of candidates has been narrowed
down.

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4.5 Linear System of Equations

• For a system involving two variables (x and y),

each linear equation determines a line on the xy-
plane.

• Because a solution to a linear system must satisfy

all of the equations, the solution set is the
intersection of these lines, and is hence either a
line, a single point, or the empty set.

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 PART III
Finite Element Analysis Using UG NX
5.0 Introduction of NX

• FEA, or finite element analysis, is a technique for

predicting the response of structures and materials
to environmental factors such as forces, heat and
vibration.

• Software such as UG NX computerizes the process

and makes it possible to solve complex calculations
in a matter of minutes.

• It can provide the engineer with deep insights

regarding the behavior of objects.

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5.0 Introduction of NX

• Some of the applications of FEA are Structural

Analysis, Thermal Analysis, Fluid Flow Dynamics,
Electromagnetic Compatibility and Motion
Simulation.

• FEA is most commonly used in structural and solid

mechanics applications for calculating stresses and
displacements.

• These are often critical to the performance of the

hardware and can be used to predict failures.
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5.1 Starting of Advance Simulation

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5.2 How to Add Materials

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5.3 Uses on Mesh

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5.4 Adding of Constraints

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5.5 Adding of Loads

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5.6 Simulate the object

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5.7 The results of simulation

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5.8 Conclusion

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