Finite Element A Comprehensive
Method Overview
Introduction
to FEM
The finite element method is a
powerful numerical technique that is
used to obtain approximate solutions
to problems that are governed by
differential equations.
Introduction
to FEM
It has many applications in
engineering, but is most commonly
used to perform structural analysis,
Example of the finite element method being applied to
to solve heat transfer problems, or to determine the von Mises equivalent stresses in a bracket
model fluid flow.
Nodes and Elements
The finite element method approaches the
difficult task of solving the equations
governing a continuous system (e.g. the
static equilibrium equations for a static
stress analysis problem or the heat transfer
equations for a heat transfer problem) by
splitting the body being analysed into a
collection of small elements, that are
Example of a mesh for a bracket connected together at nodes. This process
is called discretisation and the collection of
elements and nodes is called the finite
The finite element method will determine an approximate
solution to the stress analysis problem using the element mesh.
discretised mesh, which is much easier than determining
an exact solution for the continuous system.
Line elements
are used to model one-dimensional
structures like beams, rods or pipes. The
geometry of the element cross-section is
Element defined by the user.
Types
Surface elements
are used to model thin surfaces like
shells. The thickness of the element is
defined by the user.
Finite element analysis (FEA) software
packages provide hundreds of different
element types for the user to choose Solid elements
from. Most fit into one of the following
three categories: are used to model three-dimensional
bodies.
Element
Types
The most common surface elements are triangular
(TRI) or quadrilateral (QUAD) elements. The most
common solid elements are tetrahedral (TET) and
hexahedral (HEX) elements, although wedge- and
pyramid-shaped elements can also be used.
Element
Types
Complex geometries can often only be meshed
using tri and tet elements. Quad and hex elements
are best suited to regular geometry, where they are
preferred to tri and tet elements because they are
more efficient and require fewer nodes.
Elements don’t vary only based on their shape – two elements can have the
exact same shape but have completely different formulations that make
them suitable for different analysis types, because they correspond to
different assumptions and different modelling approaches. Here are a few
examples:
Example 1
Plane stress elements are 2D surface
elements that are designed to be used
Element
for plane stress conditions.
Example 2
Types Plane strain elements are 2D surface
elements that are designed to be
used for plane strain conditions.
Example 3
Pipe elements are 1D line elements that are used to model pipes – they differ
from beam elements because they capture the effect of internal and/or
external pressure in the element formulation.
Elements can be linear (also
known as first-order elements)
01 or quadratic (second-order
Linear vs
elements).
Quadratic Quadratic elements have
additional mid-side nodes
Elements
along each side of the
02 element. They require more
computational power but
generally produce more
accurate results than linear
elements.
Linear vs
Quadratic Quadratic or
Elements second-
order
elements
have
additional
mid-side
nodes
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GROUP
ACTIVITY: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
QUESTIONS IN THE NEXT SLIDES:
QUESTION 1:
What is the primary purpose of the Finite Element
Method (FEM) in engineering?
QUESTION 2:
How does FEM simplify the analysis of complex
structures?
QUESTION 3:
What are the three main categories of elements in FEM,
and what does each model?
QUESTION 4:
Why might engineers prefer using quadrilateral (QUAD)
and hexahedral (HEX) elements over triangular (TRI) and
tetrahedral (TET) elements?
QUESTION 5:
What is the difference between linear (first-order) and
quadratic (second-order) elements in FEM?
QUESTION 6:
Why should the use of linear tetrahedral elements
(TET4) be avoided in FEM analysis?
QUESTION 7:
How do 'plane stress' and 'plane strain' elements differ
in their application within FEM?
QUESTION 8:
In what scenario might an engineer choose to use pipe
elements over beam elements in FEM?
QUESTION 9:
What is the significance of discretization in the FEM
process?
QUESTION 10:
How does the choice of element type affect the
accuracy and efficiency of an FEM analysis?
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