Finite Element Analysis Helps To Shape Our World— Tools To Help Understand It
From roadway designs, pavement evaluations, transportation planning and managing the structural designs of buildings that tower over us throughout our major cities, it was all made possible by finite element analysis.
Engineers versed in finite element analysis are able to use physics to understand the mechanics of real-world problems such as:
- structural analysis
- the transfer of heat from one object to another
- the flow of fluids
- mass transport.
It’s a complex topic, so if you’re interested in learning more about finite element analysis, continue reading to learn about all of the resources available to you.
Finite Element Analysis Courses
The finite element analysis courses available online range from teaching students everything from the basic to more advanced concepts. Udemy offers a free course on learning finite volume analysis aptly named ‘Learn Finite Volume Analysis from Daily Life Examples’. It consists of a series of short videos. The entire course is about 30 minutes long, but it gives you a solid understanding of the basics before you move forward.
If you’re looking for more of a challenge, MIT offers an online course on their site MITOpenCourseware . It’s free to access and also free to the public. This course covers the analysis of solids and fluids, the finite element formulation, heat transfer analysis, and more.
Coursera offers an intermediate level course that is much more involved. It’s also free to enroll; however, this class is also more time-consuming. The entire course is around 30 hours but covers so much more than the previous courses mentioned. You’ll learn about boundary conditions, coding, and numerical quadrature.
Finite Element Analysis Software
Finite element analysis software is meant to assist those who already have a solid understanding of the subject. We’re talking engineers and physicists. Here are a few programs that serve as valuable tools for the difficult problems they solve regularly.
- Moldflow- helps to simulate the reactive injection molding process in real time.
- Revit- helps to plan, design, and eventually construct large-scaled buildings.
- Maya- helps create 3-D animations for video games, movies, and TV shows. It utilizes a process called photogrammetry, where a two-dimensional drawing is referenced to create a three-dimensional model.
Applying finite element analysis in the world around you
Finite element analysis helps us to create realistic models that help solve our everyday problems. We study it to learn about how to build better structures, roads and improve our standard of living. It’s a fascinating science, and thankfully, there are free finite element analysis courses you can take online if you wish to further your knowledge.