This module can only be taken as part of the Vehicle and Weapon Engineering (USA) MSc

This course is designed to introduce the fundamental skills and knowledge required to perform a computational heat transfer, structural or impact analysis using an industry standard finite element or hydrocode package, and to be able to critically assess such an analysis in terms of modelling and numerical error.

At a glance

  • Dates
    • Please enquire for course dates
  • Duration5 days
  • LocationExternal

What you will learn

This course is designed to introduce the fundamental skills and knowledge required to perform a computational heat transfer, structural or impact analysis using an industry standard finite element or hydrocode package, and to be able to critically assess such an analysis in terms of modelling and numerical error.

Core content

  • Trusses: element and global geometries,

  • Mathematical Foundations: overview of finite-elements in one dimension, weighted residuals, Galerkin method and weak form, shape and weight functions, one-dimensional elements, time-dependent problems, applications to heat transfer and mechanics,

  • Two-dimensional Problems: review of 2D heat transfer and mechanics, 2D elements, linear and quadratic, rectangular and triangular elements, practical - 2D heat flow,

  • Three-dimensional problems: review of 3D mechanics, 3D elements, grid generation, solution singularities, modelling failure, practical – 3D mechanics,

  • Introduction to Design Optimisation: the design cycle; design as an optimisation process; objective and constraints; gradient-based versus heuristic methods; multi-objective problems

  • Hydrocodes: background, Lagrangian and Eulerian approaches, time-integration, artificial viscosity, methods for material contact and large deformations, overview of material and explosive modelling, applications, practical – impact problem,

  • Material modelling: stress-strain relations, equations of state, case studies,

  • Dynamic Problems: finite element methods to determine natural frequencies.

Who should attend

If you are an engineer who needs to:

  • perform or understand how to perform a computational analysis of a simple problem in structures, heat transfer, or impact using an industry standard finite element or hydrocode package,
  • critically assess an engineering finite element or hydrocode simulation using: knowledge of the underlying mathematical model and numerical algorithm; their engineering judgment.

Speakers

Read our Professional development (CPD) booking conditions.