Course syllabus

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Contact details

Lecturer and examiner

Teaching Assistants

    

Course purpose

This course will give you an introduction, as well as a top perspective of the finite element method and its use in design. After completing the course, you will know how to perform common types of finite element analysis, using a commercial software tool. You will be able to set up FE models; apply boundary conditions; solve the models, and evaluate the results. The focus is on linear static analyses, but the course also includes thermal, linearized buckling and modal analysis.

With the tools learned in this course, you will be able to develop and optimize components and products in a virtual environment. This course also ties in with upcoming courses such as Product development project, Engineering design and optimization, as well as Thesis projects.

 

Schedule

Link to TimeEdit

 

Course literature

  • Lecture notes uploaded to Canvas
  • Finite Element Analysis for Design Engineers, Paul M. Kurowski.

This e-book is available freely through www.lib.chalmers.se. There are two versions available, one as a PDF and one for online viewing.

 

Course design

To support you in your learning and prepare you for the written examination, lectures and computer labs are provided.

During the lectures, the theory is presented as well as practical aspects of using industrial FE software.

During computer labs, you will be working on computer assignments (CA), which focus on different aspects of finite element analysis (FEA), using the industrial software ANSYS. Here, you will apply the theory covered during lectures and practice your skills in carrying out FEA.

Attending lectures and computer labs is voluntary.

 

Schedule 

  • Lectures are given:
    • Monday 08.00-11.45
    • Wednesday 10.00-11.45
    • Note that some of the lectures also include time for working with your projects and hands-on illustrations of ANSYS topics
  • Computer labs each Wednesday 13.15-17.00.

 

Examination

The examination consists of two parts and the course gives 7.5 HEC when completed with a passing grade. The parts are:

  • Written exam (4.5 HEC) in computer rooms which determines the final grade of the course.
    • Exam date and place: to be announced
  • Hand-in assignments (3.0 HEC)
    • Mandatory but NOT contribute to the final grade.

 

Hand-in assignments

During the course, you must complete three hand-in assignments which should be solved individually. All assignments must be marked as passed, to be allowed to write the final exam, and are valid until the course begins again next academic year. Each student must hand in an individual report (through Canvas) before the deadline for each assignment.

Deadlines for the assignments will be posted on the course homepage.

 

Learning objectives

  • Summarize what the Finite Element Method (FEM) is and exemplify what it could be used for.
  • Describe the theoretical basis of FEM and explain strong form, weak form, and FE-form.
  • Compare FEM to Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and illustrate the steps involved in each.
  • Identify and choose relevant boundary conditions for a given problem. 
  • Select and motivate the appropriate choice of element type for a given analysis. 
  • Judge the quality of a given mesh. Can identify and motivate regions where the mesh density must be high.
  • Explain essential and natural boundary conditions, also list these conditions for all studied elements. Exemplify boundary conditions of mixed type. 
  • Recognize the governing equations for different mathematical models and explain their constituents.
  • Perform a convergence study and evaluate the results.
  • Derive FE-equations for linearized buckling and free vibration.
  • Construct FE-models and perform: 
    • static structural analysis to determine deformations, stresses, and strains.
    • linearized buckling analysis to estimate critical buckling loads and buckling modes.
    • free-vibration analysis to estimate natural-frequencies and modal shapes.
    • steady-state thermal analysis to determine temperature and heat flow.
    • sequential thermo-mechanical analysis to determine thermal stresses.
  • Use FEA to guide the design of a component, with respect to given criteria, in an iterative process.
  • Summarize the following element types: bars, beams, plates, shells, 2D solids (plane stress/strain, axisymmetry) and 3D solids.
  • Explain the difference between linear and nonlinear problems and how they are solved. List sources leading to nonlinear FE-problems.
  • Set up, solve and evaluate results from FEA containing:
    • Contact formulations (Penalty, Lagrange, Augmented-Lagrange). 
    • Linear material models (Hooke's law, Fourier's law), elastic-plastic models (elastic-ideally-plastic, linear hardening), fiber-reinforced composites (transverse isotropy).
  • Prepare CAD-geometry for FEA (defeaturing and repairing).
  • Explain what topology optimization is and be able to perform an analysis where the compliance is minimized. 

Course summary:

Date Details Due