MEAM 305

Introduction to Finite Element Methods

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Contents

General Information

Homework and Examination

Exercises

Links

Contents Covered in the Course (Tentative)

Part I : General Introduction to FEM

1. What is FEM ? Relation with CAE, FEM Programs

2. Typical Finite Element Library

3. Finite Element Modeling

4. Type of Finite Element Analysis

Part II : Foundation of FEM

1. FEM for Truss/Frame Structures ( will be skipped )

2. Dynamics for Truss/Frame Structures ( will be covered at the end of the course )

3. FEM for Plane Elasticity using QUAD4 ( will be skipped )

4. QUAD4 : Plate/Shell Structures ( will be skipped )

5. HEXA8 : Three-Dimensional Solid Element

6. Heat Transfer Analysis ( will be skipped )

7. Flow Analysis ( will be skipped )

Part III : Advanced Topics of FEM

1. Mesh Generation Methods and Adaptive Finite Element Methods

2. Sensitivity Analysis and Design Optimization

3. Recent Trends in FEM Technology

Crash Simulation of a Car Body by DYNA ( Lowrence Rivermore Lab )

Instructor : Noboru Kikuchi

• EECS 3005
• kikuchi@engin.umich.edu
• voice / 313 - 764 - 3387
• fax / 313 - 747 - 3170

Office Hours and Grade System

• Office Hours
  • MW 2 - 4 pm @ EECS3005 or @ EECS3007
• Grade
  • Homework (5) 50%
  • Mid-Term Examination 20%
  • Final Examination 30%

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Textbook and/or Course Pack

• Course Pack ( can be obtained at North Commons )

  

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Software

• Software for FE Analysis
  • MSC/NASTRAN and MSC/NASTRAN for Windows from MSC
• Software for Pre/Post Processing
  • HYPERMESH by ALTAIR Computing

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Homework and Additional Notes

All the document files for homework and additional notes are prepared by MS Words 6.0.1 in Mac to create postscript files for Acrobat 3.0 to make #.pdf files for internet posting. Acrobat 3.0 Reader can be downloaded from Adobe, and these files should be read in any Mac, Window, and Unix computers.

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Exercises

• Exercise #1 ( for Week 1 & Week 2 )

  a) State the principle of the minimum potential energy and Castigliano's first and second theorems.

   

  b) Describe a brief history of the finite element method.

   

  c) Derive the equilibrium equations using the principle of the minimum potential energy of the spring system shown in Fig.1. Here k1 and k2 are spring constants of two possibly different springs, P1 and P2 are applied forces at Node 1 and Node 2, respectively. To describe the equilibrium equations, use u1 and u2 are the nodal displacements at Node 1 and Node 2.

  

   

  

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Other Links Related

• ABAQUS/Explicit(tm)
• ABAQUS/Standard(tm)
• ADINA(tm)
• ALGOR(tm)
• ANSYS(R)
• BEASY(R)
• COMPOSIC(R)
• COSMOS/M(R)
• GENESIS Structural Optimization Software
• LS-DYNA3D
• MARC
• Mechanica Structure(tm)
• MSC/ABAQUS(tm)
• MSC/NASTRAN
• NISA Family of Programs
• OptiStruct(tm)
• PAM-CRASH(tm) v12.1
• PHLEX(R)
• SPECTRUM(tm)
• Stardyne
• FIDAP(tm)
• FLOTRAN
• Fluent

Address

The University of Michigan
2250 GGBrown Laboratory
2350 Hayward
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2125
email: kikuchi@engin.umich.edu