The Finite Element Method and Applications in Engineering Using ANSYS®

This user-friendly book provides the reader with a theoretical and practical knowledge of the finite element method (FEM) and with the skills required to analyze engineering problems with ANSYS®. A self-contained, introductory text, it minimizes the need for additional reference material, covering the fundamental topics in FEM as well as advanced topics concerning modeling and analysis with ANSYS®. Extensive examples from various engineering disciplines are presented in a step-by-step fashion, focusing on the use of ANSYS® through both the Graphics User Interface (GUI) and the ANSYS® Parametric Design Language (APDL). Additional materials for this book, including the "input" files for the example problems, as well as the colored figures and screen shots, allowing them to be regenerated on the reader’s own computer, may be downloaded from http://extras.springer.com.

The Finite Element Method and Applications with ANSYS^® provides the reader with theoretical and practical knowledge of the finite element method and with the skills required to analyze engineering problems with ANSYS^®, a commercially available FEA program. This self-contained, introductory text minimizes the need for additional reference material, covering the fundamental topics in finite element methods, as well as advanced topics concerning modeling and analysis with ANSYS^®. These subjects are introduced through extensive examples from various engineering disciplines and are presented in a clear, step-by-step fashion. The book focuses on the use of ANSYS^® through both the Graphics User Interface (GUI) and the ANSYS^® Parametric Design Language (APDL).

This volume addresses these specific areas:

An introduction to FEM

Fundamentals and analysis capabilities of ANSYS^®, with practical modeling considerations

Fundamentals of discretization and approximation functions

Modeling techniques and details of mesh generation in ANSYS^®

Creating solutions and reviewing results

Finite element equations based on the method of weighted residuals and on the principle of minimum potential energy

The use of commands and APDL and the development of macro files

Example problems and solutions corresponding to linear structural analysis

Example problems and solutions related to heat transfer and moisture diffusion

Nonlinear structural problems

Advanced subjects such as submodeling, substructuring, interaction with external files, and modification of ANSYS^®-GUI

Additional materials for this book, including the "input" files for the example problems, as well as the colored figures and screen shots, allowing them to be regenerated on the reader’s own computer, may be downloaded from http://extras.springer.com.

Students, researchers, and practicing engineers will find this an essential reference for use in predicting and simulating the physical behavior of complex engineering systems using ANSYS^®.