MEC 3500 - FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS I

Credits: 4
Lectures/Tut.: 2hr/wk
Labs: 3 sessions
Prerequisite: MEC 2401, MEC 3402
Leads to: MEC 4405

Syllabus
Part 1 (Exam – 50%):
• Introduction to the theory of the finite element method – discretization of the problem, elements and nodes,
general approximations, symmetry and boundary conditions
• Interpolation functions for different type of elements – 1-2-3 dimensional elements
• Formulation and solution of the finite element system equations for elasticity problems, 1-2-3 dimensional
elements, the axisymmetric case.

Part 2 (Continuous assessment - 50%):

Introduction to commercial finite element programs – pre-processing, material non-linearity, geometric non-
linearity, buckling problems, transient response problems, mesh generation, model validation, boundary
conditions, loading, solving the system equations, post-processing.
Practical examples in 1-2-3 dimensional problems in stress analysis, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, dynamics.

Assessment
Exam 50%
Continuous assessment 50%
Reference texts:
Finite element analysis, theory and practice – M.J.Fagan
Finite element analysis, theory and application with Ansys – S.Moaveni
Basic principles of the finite element method – K.M.Entwistle
Concepts and applications of finite element analysis – R.D.Cook, D.S.Malkus, M.E.Plesha
The finite element method, volumes 1,2,3 – O.C.Zienkiewicz, R.L.Taylor

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 1

 LECTURE 1
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS FINITE ELEMENT
ANALYSIS ?

• A MATHEMATICAL TOOL TO
SOLVE PROBLEMS

 STRUCTURAL
 HEAT TRANSFER
 FLUIDS
 DYNAMICS
 ELECTROMAGNETIC
 ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 2

 • A NUMERICAL TECHNIQUE -
THERE ARE SOME APPROXIMATIONS
INVOLVED IN THE SOLUTIONS

• IN F.E.A. THE ACCURACY OF THE

SOLUTION DEPENDS ON THE
WAY THE OBJECT IS MODELLED
MATHEMATICALLY

 TYPE OF ELEMENT
 LOADING
 BOUNDARY CONDITIONS

WHAT IS REQUIRED TO USE

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS ?

• SOUND ENGINEERING
KNOWLEDGE

• PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF
THE PROBLEM

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 3

 IN THIS PART OF THE MODULE :

• WE WILL PUT PARTICULAR

EMPHASIS ON THE PRACTICAL
SIDE OF F.E.A.

• WE WILL NOT BE
PROGRAMMING F.E.A. FROM
SCRATCH BUT WILL BE USING
ANSYS AS OUR F.E.A. PACKAGE

• NO NOTES – JUST PAY

ATTENTION IN CLASS

• TEXTBOOK – Finite element analysis –

Theory and Practice – M.J.Fagan

• ANSYS help files

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 4

 • GOOD IDEA TO READ THE
TEXTBOOK BEFORE ATTENDING
CLASS
AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM (e.g. Beam
under bending) NORMALLY REQUIRES
FINDING THE DISTRIBUTION OF AN
UNKNOWN VARIABLE – Temperature,
Displacement, stresses, etc.

MAIN STEPS IN F.E.A.

1. DISCRETISATION OF THE
PROBLEM
 Divide the model into elements –
different type of elements
(solid/beam/plate)
 Elements are connected at nodes
– we must have an appropriate
number and an appropriate
distribution of elements
 The unknown variable is
assumed to act over each
element in a predefined manner
FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 5
 – linear element v.s. quadratic
element – this leads to step 2

2. SELECTION OF THE
APROXIMATING FUNCTION (e.g. for
the displacement)

 In ANSYS we have elements of

different order for each type
(solid/beam/plate) of element.

3. APPLY LOADS AND BOUNDARY

CONDITIONS

4. SET UP THE SYSTEM EQUATION –

GENERALLY IT IS OF THE FORM
[K]{u}={F}
 [K] is the stiffness matrix
 {u} is the vector of unknowns
 {F} is the vector of applied
nodal forces

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 6

5. SOLVE THE SYSTEM EQUATION to
obtain the unknown variables at each node
– In ANSYS we have a choice of different
solvers

6. CALCULATE THE DERIVED

VARIABLES – strains, stresses, heat flow

STEPS 1TO 4 – PRE-PROCESSING

STEP 5 – SOLUTION
STEP 6 – POSTPROCESSING

SAMPLE ANALYSIS
2-D CANTILEVER – Solid
elements, beam elements

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 7

 HELP
FILE
TOUR
Ansys Command Reference – Explain some commands for keypoints, lines,
volumes, etc – show equivalent in menu system – use them to build a model.
Ansys Element Reference – Go through ‘Element input’, ‘Solution output’,
‘Co-ordinate systems’ folders & explain all terms there.
Element pictorial summary – go through some elements

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 8

  THE HELP FILES ARE YOUR
CONTINUOUS POINT OF
REFERENCE WHEN USING
ANSYS

 YOU CAN USE THE MENU

SYSTEM OR THE COMMAND
SYSTEM

 TO LEARN, START WITH THE

MENU SYSTEM BUT FOR
CLASS TESTS IT IS
COMPULSARY TO USE THE
COMMAND LINE

WORK TO DO:
READ
 THE OPERATIONS GUIDE
(1.5 hrs)
FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 9
 THE
 BASIC ANALYSIS
PROCEDURE GUIDE (5 hrs)
THE IDEA IS TO GET AN
OVERVIEW OF WHAT CAN BE
DONE – DO NOT GO INTO TOO
MUCH DETAIL. – TRY TO READ 1
HOUR EACH DAY UNTIL THE
NEXT LAB SESSION

Next lecture ask me on any difficulties

– we will then start on examples.

Contact Lab officer to get user account

so that you can start working from
today.

7 lab sessions – 14 hours

7 class lectures – 14 hours
1 group assignment -10% - 10 hours
3 tests – 40% - 26 hours private study
1 theoretical exam – 50% - 36 hours
private study
FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 10
 SOME MORE INSTRUCTIONS :

• ANSYS CREATES A NUMBER

OF FILES WHILE IT IS BEING
USED
• IT IS BEST TO MAKE ANSYS
WORK IN THE TEMP DIRECTORY
OF YOUR WORKSTATION
• TEMP HAS READ & WRITE
PERMISSIONS FOR ALL USERS.
• CREATE A SUBDIRECTORY
WITHIN THE TEMP FOLDER.
• CHANGE THE WORKING
DIRECTORY FROM THE ANSYS
LAUNCHER TO YOUR
DIRECTORY IN THE TEMP
FOLDER.
FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 11
• WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED
WORKING IN THE TEMPORARY
DIRECTORY MOVE ALL
IMPORTANT FILES TO YOUR
HOME DIRECTORY ON THE
SERVER
• KEEP A BACKUP OF THE
INPUT TEXT FILE ON FLOPPY
DISCS.
• NORMALLY YOU DO NOT
NEED THE FOLLOWING FILES
AND YOU CAN REMOVE THEM
TO SAVE SOME DISK SPACE:
file.err – error & warning messages
file.tri – triangularized stiffness
matrix
file.esav – element matrices
etc….

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 12

 • RUN THE FOLLOWING
EXAMPLES AND TRY TO
BECOME FAMILIAR WITH
THE APDL COMMANDS USED.
• I ENCOURAGE YOU TO
EXPLORE DIFFERENT
OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN THE
POSTPROCESSOR IN ORDER
TO VIEW RESULTS.
• ADVENTOUROUS STUDENTS
CAN CHANGE THE GEOMETRY,
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS AND
LOADING AS THEY WISH OR
ELSE CARRY OUT SOME
DIFFERENT PROBLEM THAT
THEY CAN THINK ABOUT

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 13

 EXAMPLE 1 – Cantilever using beam elements
/prep7 !enter preprocessor
!
!Parameter definition
E=200E3 !Young's modulus
NU=0.3 !Poisson's ratio
length=1000
depth=100
area=depth*1
izz=1*depth*depth*depth/12
force=-650
!
!Choose element type - plane stress unit thickness
et,1,beam3
r,1,area,izz,depth
ex,1,e
nuxy,1,nu
!
! Build f.e.model of cantilever
k,1,0,0
k,2,length,0
l,1,2
lesize,1,,,10
lmesh,all
!
!Apply boundary conditions & load
nsel,s,loc,x,0
d,all,all,0
nsel,s,loc,x,length
f,all,fy,force
nsel,all
!
/solu
solve
!
/post1

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 14

 !
!plot bending moment diagram
etable,imoment,smisc,6
etable,jmoment,smisc,12
plls,imoment,jmoment
!
!plot bending stress variation at top surface
etable,imaxbs,ls,2
etable,jmaxbs,ls,5
plls,imaxbs,jmaxbs

EXAMPLE 2 – Cantilever using 2-D solid elements

/prep7 !enter preprocessor
!
!Parameter definition
E=200E3 !Young's modulus
NU=0.3 !Poisson's ratio
length=1000
depth=100
force=-650
!
!Choose element type - plane stress unit thickness
et,1,plane82
ex,1,e
nuxy,1,nu
!
! Build f.e.model of cantilever
k,1,0,0
k,2,length,0
k,3,length,depth
k,4,0,depth
l,1,2
l,2,3
l,3,4
l,4,1

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 15

 al,1,2,3,4
lesize,2,,,8
lesize,4,,,8
lesize,1,,,20
lesize,3,,,20
amesh,all
!
!Apply boundary conditions & load
nsel,s,loc,x,0
d,all,all,0
nsel,s,loc,x,length
nsel,r,loc,y,depth/2
f,all,fy,force
nsel,all
!
/solu
solve

EXAMPLE 3 – Point load acting on plate

/prep7 !enter preprocessor
!
!Parameter definition
E=200E3 !Young's modulus
NU=0.0 !Poisson's ratio
width=200
hlength=500
force=-100
!
!Choose element type - plane stress unit thickness
et,1,plane82
ex,1,e
nuxy,1,nu
!
! Build f.e.model of cantilever
k,1,0,0

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 16

 k,2,width,0
k,3,width,hlength
k,4,0,hlength
l,1,2
l,2,3
l,3,4
l,4,1
al,1,2,3,4
! The following lines can be used to vary the mesh density and do a mesh convergence
! study
!lesize,2,,,32
!lesize,4,,,32
!lesize,1,,,18
!lesize,3,,,18
amesh,all
!
!Apply boundary conditions & load
nsel,s,loc,y,0
d,all,uy,0
nsel,s,loc,y,hlength
nsel,r,loc,x,width/2
f,all,fy,force
nsel,all
!
/solu
solve

FEA 1 – Dr Martin Muscat 2003 © - Lecture 1 17