Finite Element Analysis of 1D

Problems
Dr.K.Somasundara Vinoth
Associate Professor
Department of Production Engineering
PSG College of Technology
Coimbatore 641004
 Potential energy
The total potential energy of an elastic body , is defined as the
sum of total strain energy (U) and the work potential (WP) .
Π = U + WP
Work Potential WP = - Potential energy of loading
Π=U-W

The potential energy of an elastic body is defined as

  Strain energy (U)  potential energy of loading  W 

LINEAR ELASTIC SPRING
Linear Elastic spring
 Strain energy of a linear spring

F x
k k
1 F
u k
u
F = Force in the spring
u = deflection of the spring
k = “stiffness” of the spring

Hooke’s Law
F = ku
• The energy stored in a
spring depends on the
distance the spring is
deformed (stretched or
compressed) and the
spring constant which
defines the amount of
force required to
deform a spring by a
certain length (the work
done on the spring.
 Strain energy of a linear spring
dU Differential strain energy of the spring
F for a small change in displacement
(du) of the spring
dU  Fdu
u u+du For a linear spring
dU  kudu
The total strain energy of the spring
u 1
U k u du  k u 2
0 2
 Potential energy of the loading for a
single spring

x
k
F W  Fu
k
u

Potential energy of a linear spring

  Strain energy (U)  potential energy of loading  W 

1 2
Π  ku  Fu
2
 Nodal Displacements, Forces
• Consider a linear spring of stiffness k. Let the displacements
of its two ends, called nodes, be denoted by ui and uj, known
as nodal displacements. Let the forces acting at its two ends,
called nodal forces, be denoted by fi and fj.

Nodal
ui uj displacement
y
fi fj
x i j Nodal
k force
Reference
frame
Nodes
 Force-Displacement Relations
• The relationships between the nodal forces
and displacements (as shown below) are given
by:
f  k u  u 
i i j

f  k u  u 
j j i

ui uj

fi fj

k
 Element Stiffness Matrix
• These relations can be written in matrix form
as
�k  k ��ui � �f i �
� �� �� �
�k k � uj
�� fj

or more briefly as
ku  f
 Element Stiffness Matrix (cont’d)

• In this relation
�k  k �
k�
�k k ��
is known as the element stiffness matrix (always symmetric);

�ui �
u� �
�uj
is known as the element nodal displacement vector; and
 Element Stiffness Matrix (cont’d)

�f i �
f� �
�f j

is known as the element nodal force vector.

• The element nodal displacements are also known as element

nodal degrees of freedom (DOF)
 Singularity of Element Stiffness Matrix

• The equation ku = f cannot be solved for the nodal

displacements for arbitrary f because the matrix k is
singular. Physically this means that, in static equlibrium,
the displacements of the endpoints of a spring cannot be
determined uniquely for an arbitrary pair of forces acting
at its two ends. One of the ends must be fixed or given a
specified displacement; the displacement of the other
end can then be determined uniquely.
 Solution for Single Element
• If node i is fixed (i.e. its displacement is set to 0) then ku = f
reduces to
ku j  f j

and the displacement of node j is easily determined as

fj
uj 
k
which is the expected solution
ui=0 uj

fj

k
 Matrix Reduction
• Note that when a displacement or DOF is set to zero
rows and columns of k associated with that
displacement are eliminated and only the remaining
set is solved
Row(s)
�k  k ��ui � �f i � associated
� �� � �f � with ui
� k k ���
u j j

Column(s)
associated
with ui
 Multiple Elements
• Now consider two springs of different stiffness linked to each
other
Globally numbered
elements

u1  ui(1) u2  u(1) (2 )
j  ui u3  u(2j )
1 2
F1
1 2 F2 3 F3
k1 k2

Globally
numbered nodes
 Continuity Relations
• When two elements are joined together the joined
nodes become one and must have the same
displacement
u2  u(1)
j  ui
(2 )

where the subscript denotes the global node number,

the superscript denotes the global element number,
and i and j denote local element numbers
 Force Balance Relations
• The external nodal forces acting at each node must equal the
sum of the element nodal forces at all nodes

F1  f i(1)
F2  f j(1) + f i(2 )
F3  f j(2 )

where F1, F2, F3 are external nodal forces numbered globally

 Assembly of Equations
• When these continuity and force balance relations are
imposed the resulting global equilibrium equations are

�k1  k1 0 �� u1 � �F1 �
� � � � �
 k k1 + k 2  k2 ��
u  F
� 1 � 2 � �2 �
� 0
����  k2 k2 �� u3 � �F3 �
• More briefly this can be written as

KU  F
 Global Stiffness Matrix
• In this relation
�k1  k1 0 �
K�k k1 + k 2  k2 �
� 1 �
�0
�  k2 k2 ��

is known as the global stiffness matrix (always symmetric);

�u1 �
� �
U�u2 �
�u3 �
�
is known as the global nodal displacement vector; and
 Global Stiffness Matrix (cont’d)

�F1 �
��
F�
F2 �
�F3 �
�
is known as the global nodal force vector or the global load
vector

• The global nodal displacements are also known as global

degrees of freedom (DOF)
 Assembly of Global Stiffness Matrix

• Note that the global stiffness matrix is assembled from

element matrices as follows

Stiffness matrix from

element 1

�k1  k1 0 �
K�k k1 + k 2  k2 �
� 1 �
�0
�  k2 k2 ��

Stiffness terms from two

Stiffness matrix from
matrices add at coinciding
element 2
DOF
 Singularity of Global Stiffness Matrix

• As in the case of individual element matrices the global

stiffness matrix K is singular. Some nodes of the
structure need to be constrained (i.e. fixed or given
known displacements) to make it statically determinate
or overconstrained. Then the remaining DOF can be
determined.
• Constraining some nodes in the structure is known as
applying boundary conditions.
 Solution for Global Structure
• If node 1 is fixed (i.e. its displacement is set to 0) then the
equilibrium equations reduce to

k1 + k2  k2 ��
� u2 � �
F2 �
� k �� � � �
���� 2 k2 u3 F3

u1  0 u2 u3
1 2

1 2 F2 3 F3
k1 k2
 Solution for Global Structure (cont’d)

• The displacements of nodes 2 and 3 can now be found from

1
k1 + k 2
u2 � �
�  k2 � �
F2 �
� � � ��
u3
����  k2 k2 � F3

• It can be shown that the constrained global stiffness matrix is

not singular
 Matrix Reduction
• Note that when a DOF is set to zero rows and columns of K
associated with that DOF are eliminated and only the
remaining set is solved

�k1  k1 0 ��u1 � �F1 �

� � � ��
 k k1 + k 2  k2 ��
u  F Row(s)
� 1 � 2 � �2 � associated
� 0
����  k2 k2 �� u3 � �F3 �
with u1

Column(s)
associated
with u1
BAR ELEMENT
Analogy between spring and Bar
P P P A, E P

keq
L
dU dε

F σ

u u+du ε ε+dε
Hooke’s Law σ = F/A and ε = u/L
F = kequ Hooke’s Law  σ = Eε
F/A = Eu/L
AE F = AE/L * u
keq 
L
The Matrix form of Stiffness Equation for spring is given by

The Matrix form of Stiffness Equation for spring is given by

Stiffness Matrix --- A Formal Approach

• Define two linear shape functions as follows

N i (ξ ) = 1 − ξ , N j (ξ ) = ξ
Where

u( x ) = u(ξ ) = N i (ξ )ui + N j (ξ )u j
 Example
• Find the stresses in the
two bar assembly which
is loaded with force P,
and constrained at the
two ends,as shown in
the figure.
Stress in element 1 is
Distributed Load
TRUSS
Truss Element
• Using transformations
k ' Tu = Tf
• Multiplying both sides by TT and noticing
that TTT = I, we obtain
T T k ' Tu = f
• The element stiffness matrix k in the
global coordinate system is
k = TT k 'T
• k is a is a 4×4 symmetric matrix.
Elemental Stresses
 Example
• A simple plane truss is
made of two identical bars
(with E, A, and L), and
loaded as shown in the
figure.Find
1) displacement of node 2
2) stress in each bar
• Element 1: • Element 2

the stiffness matrix in the global system the stiffness matrix in the global system