Introduction to the Finite Element Method and Implementation with MATLAB®

An introductory textbook for engineering students, connecting finite element theory with practical application and implementation.

Gang Li (Author)

9781108471688, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 30 July 2020

522 pages, 265 b/w illus. 34 tables 110 exercises
25 x 17.5 x 2.8 cm, 1.14 kg

'An enormously accessible, didactic, and comprehensive text treating key engineering topics and providing the reader with the necessary elements of linear algebra, numerical methods, and meshing techniques, as well as numerous programming examples using MATLAB®. Professor Li's book can be used by teachers in the classroom for final-year undergraduate and graduate students, and by anyone else interested in learning the theory and computational implementation of the finite element method.' Gabriel Potirniche, University of Idaho

Connecting theory with numerical techniques using MATLAB®, this practical textbook equips students with the tools required to solve finite element problems. This hands-on guide covers a wide range of engineering problems through nine well-structured chapters including solid mechanics, heat transfer and fluid dynamics; equilibrium, steady state and transient; and 1-D, 2-D and 3-D problems. Engineering problems are discussed using case study examples, which are solved using a systematic approach, both by examining the steps manually and by implementing a complete MATLAB®code. This topical coverage is supplemented by discourse on meshing with a detailed explanation and implementation of 2-D meshing algorithms. Introducing theory and numerical techniques alongside comprehensive examples this text increases engagement and provides students with the confidence needed to implement their own computer codes to solve given problems.

Preface
1. Introduction
2. Mathematical preliminaries
3. Numerical analysis methods
4. General procedure of FEA for linear static analysis: 1-D problems
5. FEA for multi-dimensional scalar field problems
6. Mesh generation
7. FEA for multi-dimensional vector field problems
8. Structural elements
9. FEA for linear time-dependent analysis
Index.

Subject Areas: Robotics [TJFM1], Mechanics of solids [TGMD]