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MANE 4240 & CIVL 4240
Introduction to Finite Elements

  
 Credits: 3

 Lectures   T/F 12:00-1:50 pm, SAGE 5510   

  Title: A First Course in the Finite Element Method

  Author: Daryl Logan

  Edition: Fourth

  Publisher: Brooks/Cole

  ISBN: 0-534-55298-6

Lecture notes are posted here at the course website. The classes will follow these notes closely. The textbook  will be used to assign homework exercises. It is expected that students have read and thoroughly understood the material in the lecture notes as these will serve as the primary reading materials.

  Other reference texts:

  Finite element procedures, K. J. Bathe, Prentice Hall

  A First Course in Finite Elements, J. Fish and T. Belytschko

LECTURE NOTES
Introduction (Lec 1, 2)	ppt	pdf
The "Direct Stiffness" method: spring elements (Lec 2,4,5)	ppt	pdf
Bar elements and truss analysis (Lec 6,7)	ppt	pdf
Introduction to BVP (Lec 8)	ppt	pdf
Principle of minimum potential energy (Lec 9)	ppt	pdf
Shape funtions in 1D (Lec 10)	ppt	pdf
Finite element formulation for 1D elasticity (Lec 11)	ppt	pdf
Numerical integration in 1D (Lec 12)	ppt	pdf
Introduction to ealsticity in multiple dimensions (Lec 13)	ppt	pdf
Finite element formulation of 2D elasticity (Lec 14)	ppt	pdf
The constant strain triangle (CST) (Lec 15)	ppt	pdf
The four-noded quadrilateral element (Lec 16)	ppt	pdf
Practical Considerations in FEM modeling (Lec 17)	ppt	pdf
Convergence analysis of FEM results (Lec 18)	ppt	pdf
Higher order elements (Lec 19)	ppt	pdf
Isoparametric formulation (Lec 20, 21)	ppt	pdf
Numerical integration in 2D (Lec 22)	ppt	pdf

NOTE: On September 22 and 25 come to class with your laptop with Abaqus SE installed

 

Download and read ABAQUS tutorial     

  Important dates

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 MINI PROJECT

  Download the mini project.

 

MAJOR PROJECT:

 

Sample projects (from previous years):

1. Analysis of a rocker arm

2. Analysis of a bicycle crank-pedal assembly

3. Design and analysis of a "portable stair climber"

4. Analysis of a gear train

5.Gear tooth stress in a wind- up clock

6. Analysis of a gear box assembly

7. Analysis of an artificial knee

8. Forces acting on the elbow joint

9. Analysis of a soft tissue tumor system

10. Finite Element analysis of a skateboard truck

 

Collaboration and academic integrity:

Student-teacher relationships are built on trust. For example, students must trust that teachers have made appropriate decisions about the structure and content of the courses they teach, and teachers must trust that the assignments that the students turn in are their own. Acts, which violate this trust, undermine the educational process. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. The Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities defines various forms of Academic Dishonesty and you should make yourself familiar with these. The following specific collaboration rules apply to this class:

1.      You are encouraged to collaborate in the solution of HW problems, but submit independent solutions that are NOT copies of each other. If you have collaborated in the solution of your homework, please indicate names of the student/s you have collaborated with. If you are found in violation of this policy, you will receive a grade of zero for the first violation and a grade of ‘F’ in the course for the second violation. The same rule applies if you copy from solutions of homework problems distributed in previous years.

2.      Groups of 2 are allowed to collaborate for the projects.

3.      Collaboration during exams is strictly prohibited. Any violation will result in a grade of zero for that examination.

If you have any questions concerning this policy before submitting an assignment, please ask for clarification.