Finite Element AnalysisCornell Certificate Program

Finite element analysis (FEA) is a computational technique used to predict how a part or assembly behaves under given conditions, thus reducing the need for physical prototypes in product design while enabling the exploration of a large number of potential designs. It can be used, for example, to simulate the buckling of a wind turbine blade, the deformation of a pressure vessel, or the vibrational response of an electronics enclosure; these are all problems that can be solved computationally that would otherwise be impossible to do by hand.

FEA also helps you generate clear visual representations of your solution that make interpretation by humans much easier and enable us to develop physical intuition. To ensure that your solutions accurately represent reality, however, you first need to understand how the “black box” of your modeling software functions and have methods to verify and validate your results.

In this course, you will investigate the major elements of what is inside the black box to gain a deep conceptual understanding of how FEA software produces solutions. This will help you build an intuitive understanding of the fundamental mathematical models and physics underlying simulations of the static and dynamic behavior of engineering structures.

You will also familiarize yourself with the numerical solution strategy employed to solve the mathematical models using the finite element method as well as how to minimize errors. Ultimately, this course will prepare you to build reliable and valid FEA simulations for practical problems using industry-standard simulation software such as Ansys.

Professor Bhaskaran’s framework for solving finite element problems can be applied to an array of situations and contexts. In this course, you will have the opportunity to practice applying this framework and begin creating simulations using Ansys.
This course has been designed with a focus on problem-based learning. Guided by faculty video, you will work on a “bar in extension” problem in Ansys then practice solving a challenge problem on your own. To get the most out of the experience, you should work through each phase of the problem and reach out to your facilitator when you are stuck.

Once you have completed the “bar in extension” problem, you will be ready to take on a new but similar challenge: bar under gravity force. This challenge problem will require you to apply the same concepts and techniques that you practiced in the example problem but without videos to guide you. You’ll be required to answer graded questions at each stage of the process.

Your final simulation will be a product of your efforts and give you the confidence to begin working on more complex problems in finite element analysis.

Professor Bhaskaran’s framework for solving finite element problems can be applied to an array of situations and contexts. To practice applying this framework and create simulations using Ansys, your effort in this course will be focused on problem-based learning.

You will explore the big ideas in 3D elasticity then apply them to solve an example static structural problem in Ansys. The example problem will involve analyzing a pressure vessel with a realistic geometry and loads. The geometry will be provided to you as a CAD file.

As we set up and solve the simulation in Ansys, we will keep returning to the big ideas to make sense of the Ansys inputs and outputs. You will follow along in Ansys and study best practices for simulating static structural applications.

Your final simulation will be a product of your efforts and give you the confidence to create reliable static structural simulations.

Professor Bhaskaran’s framework for solving finite element problems can be applied to an array of situations and contexts. To practice applying this framework and create simulations using Ansys, your effort in this course will be focused on problem-based learning.

You will examine the big ideas in beam and shell theories which form the basis for many practical static and dynamic simulations. Shell theory details are complex, but we can understand the underlying concepts as an extension of beam theory. You’ll apply the big ideas in shell theory to solve a practical problem in Ansys; namely, a wind turbine blade with realistic geometry and loads.

You will walk through solving the wind turbine blade example problem in Ansys. The geometry will be provided to you as a CAD file. As you set up and solve the simulation in Ansys, you’ll continue to refer back to the big ideas to make sense of the Ansys inputs and outputs. You’ll also consider best practices for simulating practical shell problems.

Your final simulation will be a product of your efforts and give you the confidence to create reliable beam and shell simulations.

Vibration is an important consideration in many engineering applications, including compressors, turbines, gears, and bearings. Modal analysis is used to predict the natural frequencies of the structure. Knowing these frequencies, the engineer can design the structure to avoid resonance leading to catastrophic failure.

In this course, you will explore the big ideas in modal analysis by extending 3D elasticity concepts then apply those big ideas to solve a practical problem in Ansys: predicting the natural frequencies and mode shapes for a turbine disk with blades.

You will walk through solving the “turbine disk with blades” example problem in Ansys. The geometry will be provided to you as a CAD file. As you set up and solve this vibration simulation in Ansys, you’ll continue to refer back to the big ideas in modal analysis to make sense of the Ansys inputs and outputs. You’ll follow along in Ansys and consider best practices for simulating vibration problems.

Your final simulation will be a product of your efforts and give you the confidence to create reliable vibration simulations.

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