Overview

The course introduces students to the basic methods of numerical modeling for typical physical problems encountered in solid mechanics and the thermal/fluid sciences. Problems that can be solved analytically will be chosen initially and solutions will be obtained by appropriate discrete methods. Basic concepts in numerical methods, such as convergence, stability and accuracy, will be introduced. Various computational tools will then be applied to more complex problems, with emphasis on finite element and finite difference methods, finite volume techniques, boundary element methods and griddles Lagrangian methods. Methods of modeling convective non-linearities, such as upwind differencing and the Simpler method, will be introduced. Discussion and structural mechanics, internal and external fluid flows, and conduction and convection heat transfer. Steady state, transient and eigenvalue problems will be addressed.

Prerequisites

• MA3132
• ME2101
• ME2601
• ME3201
• (ME3201 may be taken concurrently.)

Learning Outcomes

The course will progress along roughly two parallel paths. On the one hand, students will first briefly go over the underlying governing equations of structural analysis and fluid flow, followed by a detailed development of the finite element and finite volume methods and their application to these equations. And on the other hand, they will also simultaneously get hands-on experience in the computer lab by working with a typical commercially available FEM and CFD package.

One of the goals of the course is to synthesize these two approaches.