MARii ALTAIR HYPERWORKS FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS (FEA)

TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMME 2024

Altair Linear Analysis (Fundamental)

Training and Certification 2024
Engineering Design & Analysis (EDA) is a powerful software technology for simulating
physical behavior on the computer. Will it break? Will it deform? These are the types of
questions for which design analysis provides answers. Instead of building a prototype and
developing elaborate testing regimens to analyze the physical behavior of a product, engineers
can extract information quickly and accurately on the computer. Design analysis can minimize or
even eliminate the need for physical prototyping and testing, the technology has gone
mainstream in the manufacturing world over the past decade as a valuable product development
tool in almost all fields of engineering.

Systems Manufacturing Electro- Structural Crash, Safety, Thermal Fluid Discrete

Simulation Simulation magnetics Analysis Impact & Blast Analysis Dynamics Element
Modeling
Simulation Industries
• Architecture, • Electronics
Engineering &
Consultant (AEC) • Energy

• Aerospace • Government Agencies

• Agriculture & • Healthcare

Construction
• Marine
• Architecture
• Process
• Automotive Manufacturing

• Consumer Goods • Rail

3
Simulation Applications © Altair Engineering Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

• AI Augmented • Manufacturing
Simulation
• Multiphysics
• Engineering Design &
Analysis (EDA) • Strength & Durability
Analysis
• Electromagnetics
• Multibody dynamics
• Electronic System (MBD)
Design
• Noise, Vibration &
• Fluids & Thermal Harshness (NVH)

• Industrial Design

4
ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS (PRODUCT DESIGN)

The Development Flow in Product Design Lifecycle

Advanced Mass
Conceptual CAD Validation CAM Prototype
Design (CAE)
Production

Experimental
SIMULATION
Testing Market

Design
Analysis
PD Evaluation
(FS)
Manufacturability
Analysis
Product Design & Engineering Analysis (CAD/CAE)

SOURCE: DEP
Purpose - Flow Chart for a PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT CYCLE
Delivery

Ideal Simulation Zone Manufacture

Soft/Hard
Tryout

Evaluate
Cost for
Modifications
Design

Time Line
 Evolution of Simulation driven Design
Physical Testing &
Product Validation

In-Service Operation

Computer
Simulation Data-driven AI/ML
Design

1960s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2024s

Product Design

3D CAD
Simulation-driven AI Driven &
Design Simulation-driven
Design
2D CAD &
Manual Design
Case studies
METHOD TO SOLVE Engineering Problems
Analytical Method Numerical Method Experimental Method
• Classical approach • Mathematical representation • Actual measurement
• 100% accurate results • Approximate, assumptions made • Time consuming and needs expensive
• Applicable even if a physical prototype is not available set up
• Closed form solution (initial design phase) • Applicable only if physical prototype is
• Applicable only for simple problems • Real life complex problems available
like cantilever and simply supported • Results cannot be believed blindly. Certain results must • Results cannot be believed blindly and a
beams, etc. be validated by experiments and/or analytical method. minimum of 3 to 5 prototypes must be
tested
• Complete in itself
Though analytical methods could also Finite Element Method: Linear, nonlinear, buckling, • Strain gauge
give approximate results if the solution thermal,
is not closed form, in general analytical • Photo elasticity
dynamic, and fatigue analysis
methods are considered as closed form
Boundary Element Method: Acoustics, NVH • Vibration measurements
solutions i.e. 100% accurate. • Sensors for temperature and pressure,
Finite Volume Method: CFD (Computational Fluid
Dynamics) and Computational Electromagnetics etc.
Finite Difference Method: Thermal and Fluid flow analysis
(in combination with FVM) • Fatigue test
Procedure for Solving Any Analytical or Numerical Problem
There are two steps to solving analytical or numerical problems:
Step 1) Writing of the governing equation – Problem definition, or in other words, formulating
the problem in the form of a mathematical equation.

Step 2) Mathematical solution of the governing equation.

The final result is the summation of step 1 and step 2. The result will be 100% accurate when
there is no approximation at either of the steps (analytical method).

Numerical methods make an approximation at step 1 and at step 2, therefore all numerical
methods are approximate. Analytical “Approximation” Numerical “Approximation”
Step 1 Little or no approximation ✓
Step 2 Little or no approximation ✓
Accuracy High accuracy Approximate results
Brief Introduction to Different Numerical Methods

1) Finite Element Method (FEM)

FEM is the most popular numerical method. The Finite Element Method (FEM) is a
numerical technique used to determine the approximated solution for a partial
differential equations (PDE) on a defined domain (W). To solve the PDE, the
primary challenge is to create a function base that can approximate the solution.
There are many ways of building the approximation base and how this is done is
determined by the formulation selected. The Finite Element Method has a very
good performance to solve partial differential equations over complex domains
that can vary with time.
 Brief Introduction to Different Numerical Methods

1) Finite Element Method (FEM)

Are FEA and FEM different?

Finite Element Method (FEM) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) are one and the
same.
The term “FEA” is more popular in industries while “FEM” is more popular at
universities.
Many times, there is confusion between FEA, FEM, and one more similar but
different term FMEA (Failure Mode Effect Analysis). FEA/FEM is used by design or
Research and Development departments only, while FMEA is applicable to all of
the departments.
2) Boundary Element Method (BEM)

This is a very powerful and efficient technique to solve acoustics or NVH problems. Just
like the finite element method, it also requires nodes and elements, but as the name
suggests it only considers the outer boundary of the domain. So, when the problem is of a
volume, only the outer surfaces are considered. If the domain is of an area, then only the
outer periphery is considered. This way it reduces the dimensionality of the problem by a
degree of one and thus solving the problem faster.
2) Boundary Element Method (BEM)

The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is a numerical method of solving linear PDE which have been
formulated as integral equations. The integral equation may be regarded as an exact solution of the
governing partial differential equation. The BEM attempts to use the given boundary conditions to fit
boundary values into the integral equation, rather than values throughout the space defined by a
partial differential equation. Once this is done, in the post-processing stage, the integral equation can
then be used again to calculate numerically the solution directly at any desired point in the interior of
the solution domain. The boundary element method is often more efficient than other methods,
including finite elements, in terms of computational resources for problems where there is a small
surface/volume ratio. Conceptually, it works by constructing a “mesh” over the modeled surface.
However, for many problems boundary element methods are significantly less efficient than volume-
discretization methods like FDM, FVM or FEM.
3) Finite Volume Method (FVM)

The Finite Volume Method (FVM) is a method for representing and evaluating partial
differential equations as algebraic equations [LeVeque, 2002; Toro, 1999]. It is very similar to
FDM, where the values are calculated at discrete volumes on a generic geometry. In the FVM,
volume integrals in a partial differential equation that contain a divergence term are converted
to surface integrals, using the divergence theorem. These terms are then evaluated as fluxes at
the surfaces of each finite volume. Because the flux entering a given volume is identical to that
leaving the adjacent volume, these methods are conservative. Another advantage of the finite
volume method is that it is easily formulated to allow for unstructured meshes. The method is
used in many computational fluid dynamics packages.
4) Finite Difference Method (FDM)

Finite Element and Finite Difference Methods share many common things. In general, the Finite
Difference Method is described as a way to solve differential equation. It uses Taylor’s series to
convert a differential equation to an algebraic equation. In the conversion process, higher order
terms are neglected. It is used in combination with BEM or FVM to solve thermal and CFD
coupled problems.

Finite Difference Method is the discretization of partial differential equations while Finite
Element Method, Boundary Element Method and Finite Volume Method are the discretization
of the integral form of the equations
 Question: Is it possible to use all of the methods listed above (FEA, BEA, FVM,
FDM) to solve the same problem (for example, a cantilever problem)?

The answer is YES! But the difference is in the accuracy achieved, programming ease, and the time required
to obtain the solution.

When internal details are required (such as stresses inside the 3D object) BEM will lead to poor results (as it
only considers the outer boundary), while FEM, FDM, or FVM are preferable. FVM has been used for solving
stress problems but it is well suited for computational fluid dynamics problems where conservation and
equilibrium is quite natural. FDM has limitations with complicated geometry, assembly of different material
components, and the combination of various types of elements (1D, 2D and 3D). For these types of
problems FEM is far ahead of its competitors.
 The Finite Element analysis
(numerical method)

Discretization of Problem
There are two approaches to solve any problem

Continuous Discrete
approach approach Discrete (mathematical equivalent)
All real-life components are modeling
model, represented by shell and
continous
chair beam elements, person via lumped
mass at C.G.
CONVERTING THE REAL PROBLEM TO MATHEMATICAL DIAGRAM

From a mechanical engineering point of view, any component or system can be represented
by three basic elements:

Mass ‘m’

Spring
‘k’ K

Damper ‘c’

All the numerical methods including the Finite Element Method follow the discrete approach. Meshing (nodes
and elements) is nothing but the discretization of a continuous system with infinite degrees of freedom to a
finite degrees of freedom.
BASIC FEA FORMULATION FOR LINEAR STATIC
HOOKE’S LAW
Hooke's law is an empirical law which
states that the force (F) needed to extend
or compress a spring by some distance (x)
scales linearly with respect to the
distance, where k is a constant factor
characteristic of the spring

F = k.δx
THE IMPORTANCE OF STIFFNESS IN FEA
Stiffness ‘K’ is defined as Force/length (units N/mm). Physical interpretation – Stiffness is equal to the force
required to produce a unit displacement. The stiffness depends on the geometry as well as the material
properties.

Consider 3 rods of exactly the same geometrical dimensions – Cast Iron, Mild Steel, and Aluminium. If we measure the
force required to produce a 1 mm displacement then the Cast Iron would require the maximum force, followed by Steel
and Aluminium respectively, indicating KCI > KMS > KAl. Importance of the stiffness matrix - For structural analysis,
stiffness is a very important property. The equation for linear static analysis is [F] = [K] [D].
STIFFNESS MATRIX
Methods for formulating the stiffness matrix:

1. Direct Method
2. Variational Method
3. Weighted Residual Method
Rod Element Stiffness Matrix Derivation by The Direct Method
Methodology for derivation of stiffness matrix by the direct method:
In the finite element method for the numerical
Assume there are n dof’s for a given element (e.g;, a quad4, total dofs = 4*6 = 24).
solution of elliptic partial differential equations, the
Step 1) Assume the 1st dof ≠ 0, and all the other dof = 0. This will lead to equation 1.
stiffness matrix is a matrix that represents the
Step 2) Assume the 2nd dof ≠ 0, and all the other dof = 0. This will lead to equation 2.
system of linear equations that must be solved in-
Step n) Assume the nth dof ≠ 0, and all the other dof = 0. This will lead to equation n.
order to ascertain an approximate solution to the
Step n+1) Sum all the equations, 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 ………..+ n.
differential equation.
Step n+1 will give us the most generalized formulation of the stiffness matrix.
 EXAMPLE OF STIFFNESS MATRIX FOR 1DOF BEAM
Step 3:

Step 1: Step 2:

ODE matrix form. Can be solved using using linear

polynomial or numerical approximation
approach. For linear static, by default, the direct
solver in Optistruct use Gauss elimination to solve
the matrix.
Degree Of Freedom (DOF)

Quad4 Element
dof/node = 6 total
dofs = 6X4 = 24,
order of the stiffness matrix = 24 x 24
Tetra10 Element
|F|24x1 = |K|24x24 |δ|24x1
This means to solve a single quad4 element
problem, the software will have to solve 24
equations internally.
dof /node = 3 total dofs = 3*10 = 30
order of stiffness matrix = 30 x30
|F|30x1 = |K|30x30 |δ|30x1
For a Given FE Model, How Many Equations Does a Software Solve?

Assume there are 20,000 nodes for a mesh model consisting of only thin shell elements (6
dof/node).

Total dofs = 20000*6 = 120,000.

Stiffness matrix order = 120,000x120,000

Number of equations the FEA software will solve internally = 120,000

 What is Needed to Run a Finite Element Analysis?

In a high-level summary, the “working” steps

involved in a finite element analysis may be
categorized as:
• Modeling (pre-processing)
• Solution
• Visualization of solution results (post-processing)

27
 Modeling / Pre-Processing

CAD Data
In many cases, the imported geometry is not ready for meshing. Quite
often the geometry needs a cleanup first due to

• “broken” surfaces
• surfaces which are not stitched together
• redundant (multiple) surfaces
• surfaces which are too small to be meshed in a reasonable way later
on
Pre-Processing (Model Setups)
➢ FE Modelling (Meshing)
o What is element?
• Represents the mathematical model of a structure / design thru discretization process ( e.g breaking
down a geometry into finite elements)
• Consists of lines and nodes
• Nodes contains or represents the governing differential equations for the model

o Types of Elements
• Categorized by 1D , 2D & 3D elements
• 1D ( bar , beam) ; 2D ( plate , shell) ; 3D ( Tetra, Hexa, Pyramid , Prism)
• What, Why , When & How of each types of elements
▪ 1D :- Mostly represents any line-based structures
▪ 2D – to represent structures which has large ratio of surface area / thickness
▪ 3D – to represent solid / bulk volume of structures
o Mesh Convergence
o To check result accuracy & saturation based on mesh adaptivity
o Convergence of the result can be checked by applying
o P – adaptivity meshing ( polynomial order of the elements) ( e.g : 2nd order – QUAD8 ; TRIA6, TETRA10)
o H – adaptivity meshing ( mesh density / number of elements)

o QA & QC of Meshing
o To check the quality of the elements based on certain defined criteria for an efficient meshing process which
effects the result accuracy
o Criteria such as ( aspect ratio , skew angle, jacobian ratio, min /max interior angles , etc)
o Mesh refinement / remeshing can be applied to attain the best / optimized qualities
Processing (Solving)
➢ Types of analysis selection
o To first determine the right analysis type for a particular model design investigation / validation
o 4 types :- Linear static ; Linear Dynamic ; Non-linear Static ; Non linear dynamic
o Based on this selection, the solver set up is being carried out ( solver set up fully depends on the type of selected
analysis)

➢ Solver set up rechecks

o To set up the solution process once the FE modelling is done
o Basically 3 thumb rule for a solution set up :-
❑ Geometry ( Design model)
❑ Material properties ( Young’s Modules- E , Poisson ratio & mass density)
❑ Loading (e.g force / pressure) & Boundary condition / constraints (BC) (6 dof – x, y,z translational & rotational)
o For this program, focus are mainly given on linear static & dynamic analysis only
o Once solver set up is fully prepared , analysis will be executed (run) and debugging will be done if any error occurs.
Post processing (Solving)
➢ Result output checking
o To check on the result visualization and further interpretation
▪ 2 types of results are commonly checked upon which are von mises stresses & deflection
▪ Von mises stresses represents the combination of stresses from all direction ( 6 DOF)
▪ This von mises stresses are further studied comparing with the structure’s material yield
strength to determine its factor of safety (FoS = Yield strength / von mises stress)
▪ For a safe & good design structure, the FoS must be equal or more than 1
o Result verification & convergence
o Simulation results will be further verified with the experimental / actual
testing results for better correlation & convergence
o Normally there will be some accuracy difference btwn simulation and
actual test results which amounts to 3 – 5 % deviation

o Report generation
o CAE reports are generated based on this result interpretation and
verification for final presentation to the engineering team
o This report will mainly elaborate the engineering judgments based on the
interpreted results with some modification / recommendation being
included for further design improvement / optimization
Accuracy of analysis
Planning is very important!!!
• High efficiency & accurate FE model set-up (70 – 80%
How?
• Results consistency – convergence!!
• Correlation with actual test - benchmark
10 Questions guideline
1. What is the problem you are trying to 7. What are your loads?
solve? 8. How are you combining the loads and
2. What geometry are you using? the constraints.
3. What solution type are you using? 9. What are the results?
• What results are important for this problem?
4. What is your material model? • Success?

5. What are your element selections? 10. Are the results correct?
• How do you know?
6. What are your constraints?
• How are you holding the model.
• Over constrained or under constrained?

What are your recommendations?

CHANGING TOMORROW,
TOGETHER.
altair.com

#ONLYFORWARD