MEEG 481 / MEEG 681
Computer Solution of Engineering Problems
Session 1
 
 

• Introduction of students
• Course syllabus
• Further illustration of course format
• Getting ready for this class:   Computer essentials

Why using commerical packages in real-world engineering practice?

• They are well-developed, well-maintained, and well-supported
   
• Cost-effective: availability of the accurate solution method and fast computers
  
  • Test alternative configurations / new design concepts
  • Find optimum operation conditions of a given design
  • Explore limits of a given design
  • Study uncertainties of a given solution
  
   

Three real-world examples?

• Vehicle design optimization to meet crash safety requirements at Ford Motor Company (Computing in Science and Engineering, Nov/Dec 2000, pp. 8-13.)
  
  What are involved?
     Engineering principles: surface contact/elastic stress modeling
     Solution method: Finite element (space) / finite difference (time)
     Code development: Computer language
     Code implementation: parallelization on multiple processors
     Design optimization method: How to cover the parameter space with minimum number of test simulations
    
• Air flow modeling to study the cause of airway collapse (ASME J. Biomechanical Engr. Vol. 120, pp.416-422, 1998).
  
    
• Source modeling in thin film fabrication
   
    

  Other examples: ANSYS, FIDAP
  Why using commerical packages in this class?

• Tackle real-world problems in the classroom
• Take advantage of the computer resources for learning
• Integrate problem formulation, engineering fundamentals, finite-element theory, numerical methods, and computer technologies
• Motivate us to seek better understanding of fundamentals
• Bridge the gap between college education and industry practice

 

Outline of Lecture Sessions:

•     Fundamental Concepts in Continuum Mechanics
•     Approximate Formulation by Rayleigh-Ritz Method and Galerkin Method
•     Finite Element Modeling
•     Linear Elastic Solids (Hookean Solids)
•     Linear Viscous Fluids (Newtonian Fluids)
•     Plasticity
•     Statics versus Dynamical problems
•     Linear versus Nonlinear Problems
•     Nonlinear Elastic Materials (e.g., Mooney-Rivlin)
•     Non-Newtonian Fluids
•     Mesh Generation
•     Time Integration and Numerical Stability

Steps involved in system analysis

• Model development
• Engineering approximations
• Physical principles
• Mathematical formulation
• Model solution
• Analytical scaling
• Analytical solution (if possible)
• Numerical solution
• Model results and evalution
• How do we know that the solution is correct?
• What are the implications of the solution?
• How to improve the solution:

Should we relax the assumptions and how?

 

Getting ready for this class:   Computer essentials

• Familiarize yourself with this classroom
  • Visit http://www.che.udel.edu/ecalc/
  • Window 2000
  • UD Network and The Internet
  • How do I start using the computers in this room?
  • Instructor/student and student/student interactions

• Computer account on university network: copland, strauss, and mahler.

           You can go to http://www.udel.edu/help to
                    create a username
                    reset your password

• Do you have an alpha username on the university system

                   Run ``finger -m user#'' to find out
                              or use http://www.udel.edu/  Email and phone directory

                   To create a username, run ``username'' on copland.udel.edu
                           or use http://www.udel.edu/help

• How to use the computers in this room for UNIX applications?

         Use ``Exceed'' to create an xterm window on PC for a unix system
 
• How to run Exceed?


  1. Run exceed user setup

• Applications -- Exceed-UNIX -- Exceed User-Setup
• Type in your user name, press the Tab key
• Type in your password
• Wait for Status Box
• Dismiss the Status Window by clicking OK
  2. To run exceed
• Applications -- Exceed-UNIX
• Double-Click the Exceed icon
• Input User name and password
• Wait for a Copland xterm window
• Type ``xterm&'' for additional window

 
  3. Quitting Exceed
Simply close the Exceed icon on the taskbar
OR type ``exit" in the initial Copland xterm window

 
• Find IP address for your terminal (WINDOW 2000)


run ``cmd'' to bring up command window
run ``ipconfig'' within command window
 
• Please email (1) your email address and (2) your username on the UD network, to me at lwang@me.udel.edu