Postgraduate Course: The Finite Element Method (PGEE11046)

Course Outline
School	School of Engineering	College	College of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)	Availability	Not available to visiting students
SCQF Credits	10	ECTS Credits	5
Summary	The finite element method is an indispensable tool for engineers in all disciplines. This course introduces students to the fundamental theory of the finite element method as a general tool for numerically solving differential equations for a wide range of engineering problems. A range of field problems described by the Laplace, Poisson and Fourier equations is presented first and all steps of the FE formulation is described. Specific applications in heat transfer and flow in porous media are demonstrated with associated tutorials. The application of the method to elasticity problems is then developed from fundamental principles. Specific classes of problem are then discussed based on abstractions and idealisations of 3D solids, such as plane stress and strain, Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beams and Kirchoff and Mindlin-Reissner plates and shells.
Course description	Not entered

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites	Students MUST have passed:	Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student should be able to: - demonstrate the ability to produce FEM based numerical discretisations of mathematical descriptions (differential equations) of simple problems in continuum mechanics; - demonstrate the ability to use FEM for solving simple steady and transient field problems using a standard software package; - demonstrate the ability to use FEM to produce a reliable prediction of displacements and stresses in linear elastic bodies of relevance to engineering practice using a standard software package; - demonstrate the ability to make a critical assessment of the calculation.