Nonlinear finite elements/Homework 6/Solutions/Problem 2

Problem 2: Exploring commercial software

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Track down the different types of beam and shell elements that ANSYS and LS-DYNA provide. For each element that you find, answer the following

  1. What is the name of the element?
  2. How many nodes does the element have?
  3. How many displacement type (displacements, rotations) degrees of freedom are there at each node?List them.
  4. How many force type (forces, moments) boundary conditions can be applied at each node?List them.
  5. What is the form of the shape functions used by the element? (Alternatively, you may write down the approximate solutions assumed by the element.)
  6. Is the beam element a continuum-based one or one derived from the equations of beam theory?
  7. Does the element allow for full and reduced integration?


ANSYS Beam Elements
Element
name
Description Nodes Degree of
freedom
Load Shape
function
Theory Full/reduced
integration
BEAM3 2D elastic 2         no
BEAM4 3D elastic 2  
 
 
 
    no
BEAM23 2D plastic 2         no
BEAM24 3D thin-walled 2  
 
 
 
    no
BEAM44 3D elastic
tapered
unsymmetric
2  
 
 
 
    no
BEAM54 2D elastic
tapered
unsymmetric
2         no
BEAM161 Explicit 3D 2  
 
 
 
      no
BEAM188 3D linear
finite strain
3  
 
 
 
  Beam no
BEAM189 3D quadratic
finite strain
4  
 
 
 
  Beam no
  not specified by the software.
  see ANSYS Theory Reference: Chapter 14.
ANSYS Shell Elements
Element
name
Description Nodes Degree of
freedom
Load Shape
function
Full/reduced
integration
SHELL28 Shear/twisted
panel
4  
 
 
 
  no
SHELL41 Membrane 4       no
SHELL43 Plastic large
strain
4  
 
 
 
  no
SHELL51 Asymmetric 2    
 
  no
SHELL57 Thermal 4 Temperature     no
SHELL61 Asymmetric-
harmonic
2    
 
  no
SHELL63 Elastic 4  
 
 
 
  no
SHELL91 Nonlinear
layered
8  
 
 
 
  no
SHELL99 Linear
layered
8  
 
 
 
  no
SHELL143 Plastic small
strain
4  
 
 
 
  no
SHELL150 p-Element 8  
 
 
 
  no
SHELL157 Thermal 4 Temperature
current
    no
SHELL163 Explicit thin 4  
 
 
 
 
 
  no
SHELL181 Finite strain
layered
4  
 
 
 
  yes
  see ANSYS Theory Reference: Chapter 14.
LS-DYNA BEAM Elements: ELFORM 1-9 
Element
name
Nodes Degree of
freedom
Load Shape
function
Theory Full/reduced
integration
Belytschko 2  
 
 
 
  C-B  
Hughes-Liu 8  
 
 
 
  C-B  
  see LS-DYNA Theory Manual: Chapter 4-5
  see LS-DYNA User Keyword Manual: Chapter 26:  SECTION.
  depends on chosen ELFORM.
LS-DYNA SHELL Elements: ELFORM 1-18,20-22,31,32,43,44,99 
Element
name
Nodes Degree of
freedom
Load Shape
function
Theory
Belytschko-Lin-Tsay 4  
 
 
 
   
C0 triangular 3  
 
 
 
   
Marchertas-Belytschko Triangular 3  
 
 
 
   
Hughes-Liu 4  
 
 
 
   
8-node solid 8  
 
 
 
   
  see LS-DYNA Theory Manual: Chapter 6-10.
  see LS-DYNA User Keyword Manual: Chapter 26:  SECTION.
  depends on chosen ELFORM.