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Due to complications I have with drawing and uploading pics at the moment, I'll simply describe the model instead of posting a pic; it's a cantilever beam (ignore the cross section and modulus of elasticity given in the pic, and the force P) of length L = 1, the coordinate axis x is along the beam, and the axis z is pointing downwards, with the origin at the fixed support on the left side of the beam. Imagine some continuous load q as a function of x distributed along the beam. This is the only load acting on the beam. The modulus of elasticity E and moment of inertia I are assumed to be constant along the beam. One needs to find the displacement w of the beam, i.e. solve the boundary problem:
[tex]EI \frac{d^4 w}{dx^4} = q[/tex] (1)
with boundary conditions
[tex]w(0) = 0[/tex] (vertical displacement at support equals zero)
[tex]w'(0) = 0[/tex] (slope at support equals zero - no rotation)
[tex]EI \frac{d^3 w}{dx^3} = 0[/tex] (shear force at x = 1 equals zero)
[tex]EI \frac{d^2 w}{dx^2} = 0[/tex] (torque at x = 1 equals zero).
This is where I need a push - I assume the first step is to find the variational formulation of the problem? Do I simply have to take some function satisfying the homogenous boundary condition and multiply equation (1) with it, integrate, and try to obtain a variational formulation that way? Further on, I read about the Galerkin approximation method. I'm interested in how exactly to construct the basis functions for the discretization space of the domain [0, 1] of the problem.
Anyone with some experience in FEM modeling of such simple mechanical systems - please help. The book I'm working with isn't specific enough, and it skips some steps. I'd like to solve this problem step by step in a clear and precise manner. Further on, I'm interesting in creating a Mathematica program, i.e. implementing this idea into an algorithm.
[tex]EI \frac{d^4 w}{dx^4} = q[/tex] (1)
with boundary conditions
[tex]w(0) = 0[/tex] (vertical displacement at support equals zero)
[tex]w'(0) = 0[/tex] (slope at support equals zero - no rotation)
[tex]EI \frac{d^3 w}{dx^3} = 0[/tex] (shear force at x = 1 equals zero)
[tex]EI \frac{d^2 w}{dx^2} = 0[/tex] (torque at x = 1 equals zero).
This is where I need a push - I assume the first step is to find the variational formulation of the problem? Do I simply have to take some function satisfying the homogenous boundary condition and multiply equation (1) with it, integrate, and try to obtain a variational formulation that way? Further on, I read about the Galerkin approximation method. I'm interested in how exactly to construct the basis functions for the discretization space of the domain [0, 1] of the problem.
Anyone with some experience in FEM modeling of such simple mechanical systems - please help. The book I'm working with isn't specific enough, and it skips some steps. I'd like to solve this problem step by step in a clear and precise manner. Further on, I'm interesting in creating a Mathematica program, i.e. implementing this idea into an algorithm.
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