The Finite Element Method was introduced in the 1950s and currently is standard practice in engineering and related sciences. FEM can represent complicated geometries, loadings, and material properties and hence provides a very powerful approach for simulating real physical systems and phenomena. A given continuous domain is broken into smaller, simple sections called finite elements. These elements are interspaced at nodes, eventually forming a mesh that approximates the original domain.
Principle and Methodology of Finite Element Method
FEM is a methodology that segregates complex problems into smaller, manageable parts. Basically, it involves the following steps: breaking down a problem under consideration into a finite sub-domain; choosing an element type depending on the geometry and requirement; generating the governing equations; assembling global equations; applying the boundary conditions; solving the equations numerically; and post-processing to interpret the results, which may include visualizing stress distribution, temperature fields, or fluid flow patterns.
Instrumentation
Some of the software tools for such instrumentation are ANSYS, Abaqus, COMPSOL Multiphysics, MSC Nastran, among others. They are endowed with the pre-processing modules that include mesh generation, the solver module that includes solution computation, and the post-processing module for visualization and analysis of results. They have wide applications in most engineering disciplines, aerospace, and the automotive industries.
Applications of FEM
FEM has wide applications in several industries related to structural engineering, such as automotive engineering, aerospace engineering, and civil engineering. It is used for the analysis of stresses, strains, and deformations in structures, crash analysis, optimization of vehicle elements, determination of aircraft structural integrity, and design of infrastructure projects. This technique models and analyzes the mechanical behavior of biological tissues and medical devices in biomechanics, performs the thermal performance analysis in systems, and simulates fluid flow and pressure distribution in pipelines and HVAC systems.
