CES 6116

Finite Element Analysis

Energy Formulations
Dr. Necati Çatbaş, P.E.
Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering Department
University of Central Florida
Formulation Techniques
n  Develop functionals and make them either stationary or minimum
q  E.g structural mechanics-potential energy
n  Previous lectures [k] formulated using
q  Direct physical formulation
q  Principal of virtual work
n  Rayleigh-Ritz Method
q  Systematic and more general procedure for FE approximations
q  Requires a functional be available
q  An approximating field is defined in terms of independent dof s,
always satisfying compatibility and does not violate essential
boundary conditions such as support conditions

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 2

Rayleigh-Ritz Method

n  Classical form

q  Approximating field is defined over the entire
domain of a problem

n  FE form
q  Approximating field is defined in a piece-wise
fashion over sub-domains (sub-domain=finite
element)

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 3

Variational Methods
n  Potential Energy, Πp,formulated as a
functional
q  Formulation as a functional
n  Functional=Integral expression that implicitly
contains the governing differential equations

q  Objective is to make functional either stationary or

minimum

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 4

Some Terminology

n  Strong form

q  Governing differential equations and boundary
conditions
n  Weak form
q  An integral expression contains the differential
equation

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 5

Principal of Stationary Potential Energy
(Principal of Minimum Potential Energy)

n  Of all the displacement configurations,

satisfying the geometric and kinematic
boundary conditions, the configuration which
satisfies the equilibrium conditions, makes
the potential energy minimum.
Alternatively
n  …. the configuration, which makes the
potential energy minimum, satisfies the
equilibrium conditions.

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 6

Principal of Stationary Potential Energy
(Principal of Minimum Potential Energy)

Potential Energy

…. the configuration, which

makes the potential energy
minimum, satisfies the equilibrium
conditions.

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 7

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 8
Linear Spring with Axial Load

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 9

 Linear Spring with Axial Load
n  Πp=U+Ω
n  Taking derivative
q  Πp=Potential Energy q  dΠp= (kDeq-P)dD
q  U= Strain Energy of a system n  In equilibrium
q  Ω=Potential of applied loads
q  dΠp=0
n  Πp=U+(-PiDi) n  Therefore
q  U=1/2 kD2 and Ω=-PD q  Deq=P/k
q  Πp=1/2 kD2-PD

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 10

Finite Element Method, Fifth Edition Logan

Example 2.4

11
© 2012 Cengage Learning Engineering. All Rights Reserved.
Finite Element Method, Fifth Edition Logan

Example 2.4 solution

12
© 2012 Cengage Learning Engineering. All Rights Reserved.
Finite Element Method, Fifth Edition Logan

Example 2.4 solution continued

© 2012 Cengage Learning Engineering.

All Rights Reserved. 13
Finite Element Method, Fifth Edition Logan

Example 2.4 solution continued

14
© 2012 Cengage Learning Engineering. All Rights Reserved.
Finite Element Method, Fifth Edition Logan

Example 2.4 solution continued

15
© 2012 Cengage Learning Engineering. All Rights Reserved.
 Problems with Many DOFs
where

• Take derivative as many as number of independents DOFs

• Each equation we obtain is equal to zero when system is in
equilibrium

or

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 16

Example with Many DOFs

n  Πp=U+(-PiDi)
q  U=1/2 kD2 and Ω=-PD
q  Πp=1/2 kD2-PD

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 17

Re-arranging the Eqns:
Take derivative with respect to individual DOFs, i.e. D1, D2, and D3

3 DOF,
therefore, 3 eqns

Same equations in matrix form

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 18

 Remarks
n  Symmetric [k] matrix
n  Di nodal disp and dΠp/dDi=0 is equilibrium of
forces applied at the node
n  Static indeterminacy does not make the
formulation more difficult
n  Strain energy of a elastic structure can be written
as

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 19

Potential Energy of an Elastic Body
Strain Energy per Unit Volume or
Strain Energy Density

After Integration

Stress-Strain Relation

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 20

 Total Strain Energy by Integrating
Strain Energy per Unit Volume
Writing Uo using Stress-Strain Relations, we get

Integrate to obtain the Total Strain Energy

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 21

Potential Energy
Total Strain Energy

Potential or work done by body forces, surface

tractions and forces applies at nodes

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 22

Beam Example

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 23

Formulations for the Beam Example

Iz for a rectangular beam

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 24

Bar Under Axial Load and Heated
Uniformly

For end disp. D, dΠp/dD=0

Then Axial
Stress:
FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 25
Rayleigh-Ritz Method

n  Procedure for determining parameters in an

approximating field so as to achieve an extremum
of a function such as Πp.
n  The need to solve complex differential equations
can be avoided by applying R-R Method to a
functional such as Πp.

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 26

 Rayleigh-Ritz Method
n  Problem: Displacements and stresses on an elastic
solid is required.
n  First, approximate fields such as:

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 27

Rayleigh-Ritz Method (cont)
n  Secondly, use strain-disp. relation to obtain {ε}
n  Then obtain Πp using

n  Πp becomes a function of ai

n  Use Principal of Stationary Potential Energy, the
equilibrium configuration is defined by n equations as

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 28

Bar Under Linearly Varying Distributed Load
u=? and σx=?

General equation

For this example, it becomes:

Assumed field for u in general is:

Note that a =0 since it would Energy

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) 0
not satisfy
Methods
the boundary conditions 29
Bar Under Linearly Varying Distributed Load
Case 1: u=a1x

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 30

Bar Under Linearly Varying Distributed Load
Case 2: u=a1x+a2x2
After dΠp/da1=0 and dΠp/da2=0

Check differential equation of equilibrium:

Not satisfied!!
FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 31
Bar Under Linearly Varying Distributed Load
Exact Solution

Case 3: u=a1x+a2x2+a3x3

Case 3 is same with Exact Solution

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 32
 Bar Under Linearly Varying Distributed Load
n  Comparison of Results

FEM (rev. Fall 2013-FNC) Energy Methods 33