FINITE ELEMENT METHODS 18ME73 ASSIGNMENTS 7th A (20 MARKS)

Students are required to carry out the analysis in ANSYS Workbench and submit the results
as a PowerPoint of PDF format. Max number of students allowed per group is 4.
1-D BAR ELEMENTS
1. Consider the structure shown in Fig. A rigid bar of negligible mass, pinned at one end, is supported by
a steel rod and an aluminum rod. A load P = 30 KN is applied as shown. Solve for Q and determine
element stresses.

2. An axial load P = 400 KN is applied to the composite block shown in Fig. Determine the stress in each
material.

3. Consider the bar shown in Fig. Determine the nodal displacements, element stresses, and support
reactions.

Page 1 of 10
 4. For the structure shown, find the deflection at the free end under its own weight. It is the frustum of a
square pyramid with top (fixed) face 100 mm x 100 mm and the bottom face 25 mm x25 mm size.

5. The structure in Fig. is subjected to an increase in temperature, T = 80°C. Determine the

TRUSSES
6. A small railroad bridge is constructed of steel members, all of which have a cross-sectional area of 3000
mm2. A train stops on the bridge, and the loads applied to the truss on one side of the bridge are as shown
in Fig. Estimate how much the point R moves horizontally because of this loading. Also determine the
nodal displacements and element stresses.

Page 2 of 10
7. For the three-bar truss shown in Fig. determine the nodal displacements, displacements, elemental
stresses and strains. Also determine the support reactions

8. Find the deflections at the nodes for the truss configuration shown in Fig. Area = 8 inch2 for each
member. (kips=kilo pounds)

Page 3 of 10
9. In the 11-member truss shown in Fig, the horizontal and vertical members have a cross-sectional area of
200 mm2, and all other members have a cross-sectional area of 90 mm2. All members are made of steel.
For the loading shown, determine nodal displacements and element stresses. If Euler critical load (buckling
load) of a member of length l is (2EI / l2), check if all members in compression are safe in buckling.

BEAMS

10. A three-span beam is shown in Fig. Determine the deflection curve of the beam and evaluate the
reactions at the supports.

11. A commonly used street light arrangement is shown in Fig. Assuming fixed condition at A, compare
the deformed shapes for the following two cases:
(a) Without the rod BC (i.e., only member ACD supports the light)
(b) With tie rod BC.

Page 4 of 10
12. Find the deflection at the load and the slopes at the ends for the steel shaft shown in Fig. Consider the
shaft to be simply supported at bearings A and B.

13. Figure P5.6 shows a cantilever beam with three rectangular openings. Find the deflections for the beam
shown and compare the deflections with a beam without openings. Assume the Young’s modulus of
the material is 4.5x106 psi.

Page 5 of 10
14. A simplified section of a machine tool spindle is shown in Fig. Bearing B has a radial stiffness of 60
N/μm and a rotational stiffness (against moment) of 8 x105 Nm/rad. Bearing C has a radial stiffness of
20 N/μm and its rotational stiffness can be neglected. For a load of 1000 N, as shown, determine the
deflection and slope at A. Also, give the deflected shape of the spindle center line. (1 μm = 10–6 m)

2-D CST ELEMENTS

Page 6 of 10
16. For the plate with a hole under plane stress as shown in fig, find the deformed shape of the hole and
determine the maximum stress distribution along AB by using stresses in elements adjacent to the line.
(Note: The result in this problem is the same for any thickness. You may use t = 1 inch)

17. Model the octagonal pipe shown in Fig. Show the deformed configuration of the segment and the
distribution of maximum in-plane shear stress.

18. Determine the location and magnitude of maximum principal stress and maximum shearing stress in
the fillet shown in Fig.

Page 7 of 10
19. The torque arm shown in Fig. is an automotive component, fixed at left bolt hole. Determine the location
and magnitude of maximum von Mises stress.

HEAT TRANSFER
20. Refer to Fig, the outside of a heating tape is insulated, while the inside is attached to one face of a 4-
cm thick stainless-steel plate (k = 16.6 W/m°C). The other face of the plate is exposed to the
surroundings, which are at a temperature of 20°C. Heat is supplied at a rate of 300 W/m 2. Determine
the temperature of the face to which the heating tape is attached.

21. An induction furnace wall is made up of three layers inside, middle & outer layer with thermal
conductivity as shown in fig. Determine the nodal temperatures.

Page 8 of 10
22. A composite wall consists of three materials, as shown in Fig. The outer temperature is To= 200C.
Convection heat transfer takes place on the inner surface of the wall with temperature 8000C and h =
25 W/m2°C. Determine the temperature distribution in the wall.

23. A metallic fin, with thermal conductivity k =360 W/m°C, 0.1 cm thick, and 10 cm long, extends from
a plane wall whose temperature is 235°C. Determine the temperature distribution and amount of heat
transferred from the fin to the air at 20°C with h = 9 W/m2 -°C. Take the width of fin to be 1 m.

Page 9 of 10
 DYNAMIC ANALYSIS
24. Determine the eigenvalues and eigenvectors for the stepped bar shown in Fig

25. Evaluate the lowest eigenvalue and the corresponding eigenmode for the beam shown in Fig.

26. Determine the lowest critical speed (or transverse natural frequency) of the shaft shown in Fig. The shaft
has two lumped weights, W1 and W2, representing flywheels, as shown. Take E = 30×106 psi and mass
density of shaft  = 0.0007324 lb·s 2 /in.4

********

Page 10 of 10