GUIDELINES FOR FEM ASSIGNMENT WRITING TYPICAL ASSIGNMENT STRUCTURE: ABSTRACT Write a representative summary of your work. This should include short statement about: • Brief problem definition including background • Method • Results summary • Conclusion statement Highlight anything extra-ordinary (above the basic requirements) that you may have included in the report. INTRODUCTION: • An introduction should be at the start of the report, with a clear detailed description of the problem and the objectives of the assignment. • Explain the background of the problem and why numerical simulation is needed to be used to help solve it. MODEL DEVELOPMENT: • The geometry of the models being produced should be presented in the report (including neat hand sketches) • Discuss and explain reasons for the selection of: • The type of geometry used – i.e. 2D, 3D .etc • Type of assigned section, • Specific material properties • Type of constraints (boundary conditions) used in terms of degrees of freedom, symmetry, etc. and where these should be applied, • Types of selected loads & boundary conditions, where they should be applied & why, • Element type selected, also discuss other viable possibilities, advantages & disadvantages of each, also explain the formulation and the cost of using the selected elements. • The type of seeding used (CAE) and why you selected to have a mesh of that density.
• Techniques used to minimize use of computational resources, e.g. applying symmetry conditions, etc. ANALYSIS • The report should have a detailed discussion on the types of analysis steps used in the simulation, this discussion should include: • What type of analysis did you use for that step, • What assumptions are implied in selecting that specific step, • Why did you use that type, • How does that step work, • What is the effect of the step on computational efficiency, • The report should contain methods of reducing the computational expense of the simulation, the following should be…