Reading assignment:

MANE 4240 & CIVL 4240

Introduction to Finite Elements Handout + Lecture notes

Summary:

Prof. Suvranu De • Strong form of boundary value problems

•Elastic bar
•String in tension
•Heat conduction
Introduction to •Flow through a porous medium
differential equations •Approximate solution

So far, structural mechanics using Direct Stiffness approach

A systematic technique of solving the differential equations
Finite element method is used to solve physical problems
Solid Mechanics Differential equations (strong) formulation (today)
Fluid Mechanics
Heat Transfer
Electrostatics
Electromagnetism Variational (weak) formulation
….
Physical problems are governed by differential equations which satisfy
Boundary conditions
Initial conditions Approximate the weak form using finite elements

One variable: Ordinary differential equation (ODE)

Multiple independent variables: Partial differential equation (PDE)

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 y
Axially loaded elastic bar
y A(x) = cross section at x
b(x) = body force distribution x
(force per unit length) x
x E(x) = Young’s modulus x=0 x=L
x u(x) = displacement of the bar
x=0 x=L at x Boundary conditions (examples)
u=0 at x = 0 Dirichlet/ displacement bc
Differential equation governing the response of the bar u =1 at x = L
d ⎛ du ⎞
⎜ AE ⎟ + b = 0; 0< x<L u=0 at x = 0
dx ⎝ dx ⎠
du
EA = F at x = L Neumann/ force bc
Second order differential equations dx
Requires 2 boundary conditions for solution Differential equation + Boundary conditions = Strong form
of the “boundary value problem”

Flexible string Heat conduction in a fin

S = tensile force in string
p(x) = lateral force distribution
y (force per unit length)
w(x) = lateral deflection of the
string in the y-direction
x=0 x=L
x x
x=0
S S
p(x)
y A(x) = cross section at x
Q(x) = heat input per unit length
per unit time [J/sm]
x k(x) = thermal conductivity [J/oC
x ms]
x=L T(x) = temperature of the fin at x
Q(x)

Differential equation governing the response of the bar Differential equation governing the response of the fin
2
d u d ⎛ dT ⎞
S + p = 0; 0< x<L ⎜ Ak ⎟ + Q = 0; 0<x<L
dx 2 dx ⎝ dx ⎠

Second order differential equations Second order differential equations

Requires 2 boundary conditions for solution Requires 2 boundary conditions for solution

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 y
Fluid flow through a porous medium (e.g., flow of water through a
dam)
x y A(x) = cross section at x
x Q(x) = fluid input per unit volume
x=0 x=L per unit time
x k(x) = permeability constant
Q(x) x ϕ(x) = fluid head
x=0 x=L
Boundary conditions (examples)
T =0 at x = 0 Dirichlet/ displacement bc Q(x)
dT
−k = h at x = L Neumann/ force bc
dx Differential equation
d ⎛ dϕ ⎞
⎜k ⎟ + Q = 0; 0< x<L
dx ⎝ dx ⎠

Second order differential equations

Requires 2 boundary conditions for solution

Boundary conditions (examples)

ϕ = 0 at x = 0 Known head
dϕ
−k = h at x = L Known velocity
dx

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Observe:
1. All the cases we considered lead to very similar differential A generic problem in 1D
equations and boundary conditions. d 2u
2. In 1D it is easy to analytically solve these equations + x = 0; 0 < x <1
dx 2
3. Not so in 2 and 3D especially when the geometry of the domain is u = 0 at x = 0
complex: need to solve approximately
u = 1 at x = 1
4. We’ll learn how to solve these equations in 1D. The approximation
techniques easily translate to 2 and 3D, no matter how complex the Analytical solution
1 7
geometry u ( x) = − x 3 + x
6 6

Assume that we do not know this solution.

A generic problem in 1D

A general algorithm for approximate solution:

Guess u ( x) ≈ a0ϕ o ( x) + a1ϕ1 ( x) + a2ϕ 2 ( x) + ...
where ϕo(x), ϕ1(x),… are “known” functions and ao, a1, etc are
constants chosen such that the approximate solution
Satisfies the differential equation
Satisfies the boundary conditions
i.e.,
d 2ϕ o ( x) d 2ϕ1 ( x) d 2ϕ 2 ( x)
a0 + a1 + a2 + ... + x = 0; 0 < x <1
dx 2 dx 2 dx 2
a0ϕ o (0) + a1ϕ1 (0) + a2ϕ 2 (0) + ... = 0
a0ϕ o (1) + a1ϕ1 (1) + a2ϕ 2 (1) + ... = 1

Solve for unknowns ao, a1, etc and plug them back into
This is your
u ( x) ≈ a0ϕ o ( x) + a1ϕ1 ( x) + a2ϕ 2 ( x) + ...
approximate solution to
the strong form