ME6603FINITEELEMENTANALYSIS

PARTAQUESTIONSWITHANSWERS
UNIT1
1.

Whatismeantbyfiniteelement?
Asmallunitshavingdefiniteshapeofgeometryandnodesiscalledfiniteelement.

2.

Whatismeantbynodeorjoint?
Eachkindoffiniteelementhasaspecificstructuralshapeandisinterconnected
with the adjacent element by nodal point or nodes. At the nodes, degrees of
freedomarelocated.Theforceswillactonlyatnodesatanyothersplaceinthe
element.

3.

Whatisthebasicoffiniteelementmethod?
Discretization is the basis of finite element method. The art of subdividing a
structure in to convenient number of smaller components is known as
discretization.

4.

Whatarethetypesofboundaryconditions?
Primaryboundaryconditions
Secondaryboundaryconditions

5.

Statethemethodsofengineeringanalysis?
Experimentalmethods
Analyticalmethods
Numericalmethodsorapproximatemethods

6.

Whatarethetypesofelement?
1Delement
2Delement
3Delement

7.

State the three phases of finite element

method.Preprocessing
Analysis
PostProcessing

8.

Whatisstructuralproblem?
Displacement at each nodal point is obtained. By these displacements solution
stressandstrainineachelementcanbecalculated.

.Whatisnonstructuralproblem?
Temperatureorfluidpressureateachnodalpointisobtained.Byusing
thesevaluespropertiessuchasheatflowfluidflowforeachelementcan
becalculated.
10.

Whatarethemethodsaregenerallyassociatedwiththefiniteelement
analysis?
Forcemethod
Displacementorstiffnessmethod.

11. Explainstiffnessmethod.
Displacementorstiffnessmethod,displacementofthenodesisconsidered
astheunknownoftheproblem.Amongthemtwoapproaches,displacement
methodisdesirable.
12. Whatismeantbypostprocessing?
Analysis and evaluation of the solution result is referred to as post
processing.Postprocessorcomputerprogramhelptheusertointerpretthe
resultbydisplayingthemingraphicalform.
13.

Namethevariationmethods.
Ritzmethod.
RayLeighRitzmethod.

14. Whatismeantbydegreesoffreedom?
When the force or reaction act at nodal point node is subjected to
deformation. The deformation includes displacement rotation, and or
strains.Thesearecollectivelyknownasdegreesoffreedom
15. Whatismeantbydiscretizationandassemblage?
The art of subdividing a structure in to convenient number of smaller
componentsisknownasdiscretization.Thesesmallercomponentsarethen
puttogether.Theprocessofunitingthevariouselementstogetheriscalled
assemblage.
16. WhatisRayleighRitzmethod?
It is integral approach method which is useful for solving complex
structuralproblem,encounteredinfiniteelementanalysis.Thismethodis
possibleonlyifasuitablefunctionisavailable.
17. WhatisAspectratio?
Itis definedastheratio ofthelargest dimensionoftheelement tothe
smallest dimension. In many cases, as the aspect ratio increases the in

accuracyofthesolutionincreases.Theconclusionofmanyresearchesis
thattheaspectratioshouldbeclosetounityaspossible.

18. Whatistrusselement?
Thetrusselementsarethepartofatrussstructurelinkedtogetherbypoint
jointwhichtransmitsonlyaxialforcetotheelement.
19. Whatarethehandpversionsoffiniteelementmethod?
Itisusedtoimprovetheaccuracyofthefiniteelementmethod.Inh
version,theorderofpolynomialapproximationforallelementsiskeptconstant
andthenumbersofelementsareincreased.Inpversion,thenumbersofelements
aremaintainedconstantandtheorderofpolynomialapproximationofelementis
increased.
20. Name the weighted residual

method Point collocation

method
Sub domain collocation
method Least squares
methodGalerkinsmethod.
UNIT2
21. Listthetwoadvantagesofpostprocessing.
Requiredresultcanbeobtainedingraphicalform.Contourdiagramscanbe
usedtounderstandthesolutioneasilyandquickly.
22. Duringdiscretization, mention theplaces whereitis necessarytoplacea
node?
ConcentratedloadactingpointCrosssectionchangingpointDifferentmaterial
interjectionsSuddenchangeinpointload
23. Whatisthedifferencebetweenstaticanddynamicanalysis?
Staticanalysis:Thesolutionoftheproblemdoesnotvarywithtimeisknownas
staticanalysis
Example:stressanalysisonabeam
Dynamicanalysis:Thesolutionoftheproblemvarieswithtimeisknownas
dynamicanalysis
Example:vibrationanalysisproblem.
24. Name any four FEA softwares.

ANSY
S
NAST
RN
COSM
OS

25. Differentiatebetweenglobalandlocalaxes.
Localaxesareestablishedinanelement.Sinceitisintheelementlevel,they
changewiththechangeinorientationoftheelement.Thedirectiondiffers
fromelementtoelement.
Globalaxesaredefinedfortheentiresystem.Theyaresameindirectionfor
alltheelementseventhoughtheelementsaredifferentlyoriented.
26.

Distinguish between potential energy function and potential energy

functional
Ifasystemhasfinitenumberofdegreeoffreedom(q1,q2,andq3),thenthe
potentialenergyexpressedas,
= f (q1,q2,andq3)
Itisknownasfunction.Ifasystemhasinfinitedegrees offreedomthenthe
potential
energyisexpressedas

dyd2y
f x,y
.... dx

,
,2

dx dx

27.

Whatarethetypesofloadingactingonthestructure?
Bodyforce(f)
Traction
force (T)
Point load
(P)

28.

Definethebodyforce
Abodyforceisdistributedforceactingoneveryelementalvolumeof
thebodyUnit:Forceperunitvolume.
Example:Selfweightduetogravity

29.

Definetractionforce
Tractionforceisdefinedasdistributedforceactingonthesurfaceof
thebody.Unit:Forceperunitarea.
Example:Frictionalresistance,viscousdrag,surfaceshear

30.

Whatispointload?

31.

Pointloadisforceactingataparticularpointwhichcausesdisplacement.
Whatarethebasicstepsinvolvedinthefiniteelement
modeling.Discretizationofstructure.
Numberingofnodes.

32.

Writedownthegeneralfiniteelementequation.
FKu

33.

Whatisdiscretization?
Theartofsubdividingastructureintoaconvenientnumberofsmaller
componentsisknownasdiscretization.

34.

Whataretheclassificationsofcoordinates?
Globalcoordinates
Local
coordinates
Natural
coordinates

35.

WhatisGlobalcoordinates?
Thepointsintheentirestructurearedefinedusingcoordinates systemis
knownasglobalcoordinatesystem.

36.

Whatisnaturalcoordinates?
Anaturalcoordinatesystemisusedtodefineanypointinsidetheelementby
asetofdimensionlessnumberwhosemagnitudeneverexceedsunity.This
systemisveryusefulinassemblingofstiffnessmatrices.

37.

Defineshapefunction.

Approximaterelation(x,y)=N1(x,y)1+N2(x,y) 2+N3(x,y) 3
Where 1, 2, and 3 arethevaluesofthefieldvariableatthenodesN 1, N2,
and N3aretheinterpolationfunctions.
N1, N2, and N3 are also called shape functions because they are used to
expressthegeometryorshapeoftheelement.
38.

Whatarethecharacteristicofshapefunction?
Ithasunitvalueatonenodalpointandzerovalueatothernodalpoints.The
sumofshapefunctionisequaltoone.

39.

Whypolynomialsaregenerallyusedasshape
function? Differentiation and integration of
polynomialarequiteasy.
Theaccuracyoftheresultcanbeimprovedbyincreasingtheorderofthe
polynomial. It is easy to formulate and computerize the finite element
equations

40.

Howdoyoucalculatethesizeoftheglobalstiffnessmatrix?
Globalstiffnessmatrixsize=NumberofnodesXDegreesoffreedompernode

UNIT3
41.

Write down the expression of stiffness matrix for one dimensional bar
element.
AE 1 1
K

42.

43.

Statetheproperties ofstiffness
matrixItisasymmetricmatrix
Thesumofelementsinanycolumnmustbeequaltozero
Itisanunstableelement.Sothedeterminantisequaltozero.
Writedowntheexpressionofstiffnessmatrixforatrusselement.

l 11

44.

u
1

0
u1 lm0
u2

u 00l
m
u
2
3

4
Write downthe expressionofshape functionNanddisplacement ufor
one
dimensionalbarelement.
U=N1u1+N2u2
N1=1
X/l
N2=X
/l

45.

Definetotalpotentialenergy.
Total potential energy, = Strain energy (U) + potential energy oftheexternal
forces
(W)

46.

Statetheprincipleofminimumpotentialenergy.
Amongallthedisplacementequationsthatsatisfiedinternalcompatibility
and the boundary condition those that also satisfy the equation of
equilibriummakethepotentialenergyaminimumisastablesystem.

47.

Writedownthefiniteelementequationforonedimensionaltwonodedbar
element.
AE 1 1
K

48.

l 1 1
Whatistruss?
A truss is defined as a structure made up of several bars, riveted or welded
together.

49.

Statestheassumptionaremadewhilefindingtheforcesinatruss.
Allthemembersarepinjointed.
Thetrussisloadedonlyatthejoint
Theselfweightofthemembersisneglectedunlessstated.

50.

Statetheprinciplesofvirtualenergy?
A body is in equilibrium if the internal virtual work equals the external
virtualworkfortheeverykinematicallyadmissibledisplacementfield

51.

Whatisessentialboundarycondition?
PrimaryboundaryconditionorEBCBoundaryconditionwhichintermsof
fieldvariableisknownasPrimaryboundarycondition.

52.

Naturalboundaryconditions?
Secondary boundary natural boundary conditions which are in the
differential form of field variable is known as secondary boundary
condition

53.

Howdoyoudefinetwodimensionalelements?
Two dimensional elements are define by three or more nodes in a two
dimensionalplane.Thebasicelementusefulfortwodimensionalanalysisis
thetriangularelement.

54.

WhatisCSTelement?

Three nodedtriangular elements are knownas CST.It has sixunknown

displacementdegreesoffreedom(u1,v1,u2,v2,u3,v3).Theelementis
calledCSTbecauseithasaconstantstrainthroughoutit.
55.

WhatisLSTelement?
SixnoddedtriangularelementsareknownasLST.Ithastwelveunknown
displacement degrees of freedom. The displacement function for the
elementsarequadraticinsteadoflinearasintheCST.

56.

WhatisQSTelement?
TennoddedtriangularelementsareknownasQuadraticstraintriangle.It
isalsocalledascubicdisplacementtriangle.

58.

Whatmeantbyplanestressanalysis?
Planestressisdefinedtobeastateofstressinwhichthenormalstress
andshearstressdirectedperpendiculartotheplaneareassumedtobe
zero.
Planestrainisdefinedtobestateofstrainnormaltothexyplaneandthe
shearstrainsareassumedtobezero.
UNIT4

61.

WritedownthestiffnessmatrixequationfortwodimensionalCSTelements.

StiffnessmatrixKBTDBAt
BTStraindisplacementDStressstrainmatrixBStraindisplacementmatrix
62.

Writedownthestressstrainrelationshipmatrixforplanestressconditions.

112

63.

0
12
2

Whatisaxisymmetricelement?
Manythreedimensionalprobleminengineeringexhibitsymmetryaboutan
axisofrotationsuchtypeofproblemaresolvedbyspecialtwodimensional
elementcalledtheaxisymmetricelement

64.

Whataretheconditionsforaproblemtobeaxisymmetric?
The problem domain must be symmetric about the axis of revolution All
boundaryconditionmustbesymmetricabouttheaxisofrevolutionAllloading
conditionmustbesymmetricabouttheaxisofrevolution

65.

Givethestiffnessmatrixequationforanaxisymmetrictriangularelement.
StiffnessmatrixKBTDB2rA

66.

WhatisthepurposeofIsoparametricelement?
It is difficult to represent the curved boundaries by straight edges finite
elements. A large number of finite elements may be used to obtain
reasonableresemblancebetweenoriginalbodyandtheassemblage.

67.

Writedowntheshapefunctionsfor4nodedrectangularelementsusing
naturalcoordinatesystem.

N1 11

1
N3 11
4
68.

N2 11

1
N4 11
4

WritedownJacobianmatrixfor4nodedquadrilateralelements.
J

69.

J
1
J
11 2
2
2
J2
J 1
Writedownstiffnesmatrixequationfor4nodedisoparametricquadrilateral
elements.
StiffnessmatrixKt11BTDBJ
11

70.

Definesuperparametricelement.
Ifthenumberofnodesusedfordefiningthegeometryismorethanofnodes
usedfordefiningthedisplacementisknownassuperparametricelement

71.

Definesubparametricelement.

Ifthenumberofnodesusedfordefiningthegeometryislessthannumber
ofnodesusedfordefiningthedisplacementisknownassubparametric
element.
72.

WhatismeantbyIsoparametricelement?
Ifthenumberofnodesusedfordefiningthegeometryissameasnumberof
nodesusedfordefiningthedisplacementisknownasIsoparametricelement.

73.

IsbeamelementanIsoparametricelement?
Beam element is not an Isoparametric element since the geometry and
displacementaredefinedbydifferentorderinterpretationfunctions.

74.

What is the difference between natural coordinate and simple

naturalcoordinate?
L1=1x/l
L2=x/l

75.

WhatisAreacoordinates?
L1=A1/A

76.

L2=A2/A

L3=A3/A

Whatissimplenaturalcoordinate?
Asimplenaturalcoordinateisonewhosevaluebetween1and1.

77.

Giveexampleforessentialboundaryconditions.
Thegeometryboundaryconditionaredisplacement,slope.

78.

Giveexamplefornonessentialboundaryconditions.
Thenaturalboundaryconditionsarebendingmoment,shearforce

79.

Whatismeantbydegreesoffreedom?
When the force or reaction act at nodal point node is subjected to
deformation.Thedeformationincludesdisplacementrotation,andorstrains.
Thesearecollectivelyknownasdegreesoffreedom.

80.

WhatisQSTelement?
TennodedtriangularelementsareknownasQuadraticstraintriangle.Itis
alsocalledascubicdisplacementtriangle.

UNIT5
81.

Whatmeantbyplanestressanalysis?
Planestressisdefinedtobeastateofstressinwhichthenormalstressand
shearstressdirectedperpendiculartotheplaneareassumedtobezero.

82.

Defineplanestrainanalysis.
Planestrainisdefinedtobestateofstrainnormaltothex,yplaneandthe
shearstrainsareassumedtobezero.

83.

Whatistrusselement?
Thetrusselementsarethepartofatrussstructurelinkedtogetherbypointjoint

whichtransmitsonlyaxialforcetotheelement.
84.

List the two advantages of post

processing. Required result can be
obtainedingraphicalform.
Contourdiagramscanbeusedtounderstandthesolutioneasilyandquickly.

85.

Whatarethehandpversionsoffiniteelementmethod?
Itisusedtoimprovetheaccuracyofthefiniteelementmethod.Inhversion,
theorderofpolynomialapproximationforallelementsiskeptconstantand
thenumbersofelementsareincreased.Inpversion,thenumbersofelements
are maintained constant and the order of polynomial approximation of
elementisincreased.

86.

Duringdiscretization,mentiontheplaces whereitisnecessarytoplacea
node?Concentratedloadactingpoint
Crosssection changing point
Differentmaterialinterjunction
point Sudden change in point
load

87.

Whatisthedifferencebetweenstaticanddynamicanalysis?
Static analysis: The solution of the problem does not vary with time is
knownasstaticanalysis
Example:stressanalysisonabeam
Dynamicanalysis:Thesolutionoftheproblemvarieswithtimeisknownas
dynamicanalysis
Example:vibrationanalysisproblem.

88.

Whatismeantbydiscretizationandassemblage?
The art of subdividing a structure in to convenient number of smaller
componentsisknownasdiscretization.Thesesmallercomponentsarethen

puttogether.Theprocessofunitingthevariouselementstogetheriscalled
assemblage.
89.

WhatisRayleighRitzmethod?
It is integral approach method which is useful for solving complex
structuralproblem,encounteredinfiniteelementanalysis.Thismethodis
possibleonlyifasuitablefunctionisavailable.

90.

WhatisAspectratio?
It is defined as the ratio of the largest dimension of the element to the
smallest dimension. In many cases, as the aspect ratio increases the in
accuracyofthesolutionincreases.Theconclusionofmanyresearchesisthat
theaspectratioshouldbeclose
tounityaspossible.

91.

Whatisessentialboundarycondition?
PrimaryboundaryconditionorEBC,Boundaryconditionwhichintermsof
fieldvariableisknownasPrimaryboundarycondition

92.

Naturalboundaryconditions.
Secondary boundary natural boundary conditions which are in the differential
formoffieldvariableisknownassecondaryboundarycondition.

93.

Howdoyoudefinetwodimensionalelements?
Two dimensional elements are define by three or more nodes in a two
dimensional
plane. The basic element useful for two dimensional analysis is the
triangularelement.

94.

Statetheprinciplesofvirtualenergy?
Abodyisinequilibriumiftheinternalvirtualworkequalstheexternal
virtualworkfortheeverykinematicallyadmissibledisplacementfield.

95.

DefineEigenvalueproblem.
The problem of determining the constant is called eigen value
problem.
d
du

96.

a
udxdx

Whatisnonhomogeneousform?
Whenthespecifiedvaluesofdependentvariablesarenonzero,theboundary
conditisaidtobenonhomogeneous.

97.

Whatishomogeneousform?

When the specified values ofdependent variables is zero, the boundary

conditionaresaidtobehomogeneous.
98.

Defineinitialvalueproblem.
An initial value problem is one in which the dependent variable and
possiblyisderivativesarespecifiedinitially.

99.

Defineboundaryvalueproblem.
Adifferentialequationissaidtodescribeaboundaryvalueproblemifthe
dependentvariableanditsderivativesarerequiredtotakespecifiedvalues
ontheboundary.

100. Definegoverningequation.
d

du
d A
E
dx A
x 0