Publisher's Synopsis
This book presents a clear, easy-to-understand manner on fundamentals and applications of the finite element method. The book is divided into two parts suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses. The first part consisting of five chapters presents fundamentals of the finite element method in their simplest forms so that beginners can understand the method easily and quickly. Such fundamentals are explained in details with accompanied examples and exercises.
The second part presents the formulation and applications of the method for structural, heat transfer, and fluid flow problems. For the structural problems, the static and dynamic analyses using truss, beam, plane, plate and solid elements are presented. Finite element formulations for analyzing conduction, convection and radiation heat transfer problems under steady-state and transient conditions are explained in details. For the fluid flow problems, finite element formulations for different classes of flow behaviors such as the potential, viscous, incompressible and compressible flows are presented. Numerous examples are illustrated to increase under-standing of the finite element method for analyzing these problems.
The book also includes details and listings of three finite element computer programs and a computer graphics program in the last chapter so that students can use or modify them for their research work.
