Choosing the Right Finite Element | MSC

Nastran
Christian Aparicio July 11, 2013 0
MSC Nastran contains a large library of structural elements. n many situations se!eral elements are
capable of mo"eling the same structural effects. #he criteria for the selection of an element may
inclu"e its capabilities $for e%ample, &hether it supports anisotropic material properties', its cost $in
general, the more ()* an element has, the more e%pensi!e it is', an"+or its accuracy.
n this conte%t, it is critical that you ha!e a fairly goo" i"ea of ho& the structure &ill beha!e prior to
generating your finite element mo"el. #he best source of such insight is usually e%perience &ith
similar structures. n other &or"s, un"erstan"ing the loa" path is crucial in the selection of the
appropriate element. n a""ition, a fe& han" calculations can usually pro!i"e a rough estimate of
stress intensities. Such calculations are al&ays recommen"e". f you "o not ha!e a fairly goo" i"ea
of ho& the structure &ill beha!e, you may be misle" by incorrect results "ue to errors or incorrect
assumptions in your input "ata preparation.
#he follo&ing gui"elines are pro!i"e" to help you in selecting the ,right- element for your tas..
General Guidelines
Al&ays e%periment &ith a small test mo"el &hen using elements that you are not familiar &ith.
#his practice is cheaper than e%perimenting &ith a large pro"uction mo"el, an" it gi!es you a better
un"erstan"ing of an element/s capabilities an" limitations prior to applying it to a large pro"uction
mo"el.
Zero-Dimensional Elements
0hen you use C12ASi elements to represent concentrate" springs bet&een t&o components of
translation, the "irections of the t&o components must be coa%ial. 1!en small "e!iations in
"irection can in"uce a significant moment to your mo"el that "oes not e%ist in your physical
structure. t is recommen"e" that &hen a C12ASi element is use", the locations of the t&o en"
points be coinci"ent in or"er to a!oi" this type of problem. f the t&o en" points are not coinci"ent,
you shoul" consi"er using a C3)( or C45S6 element instea".
One-Dimensional Elements
f only an a%ial an"+or torsion loa" is to be transmitte" in an element, then the C3)( is the easiest
element to use.
A C4A3 is easier to use than a C41AM element. #he 1 an"+or 2 !alues can be set to 7ero.
5se the C41AM element instea" of the C4A3 element if any of the follo&ing features is
important8
#he cross9sectional properties are tapere".
#he neutral a%is an" shear center "o not coinci"e.
#he effect of cross9sectional &arping on torsional stiffness is critical.
#he "ifference in the mass center of gra!ity an" the shear center is significant.
#he formulation for the C41AM element is base" on a fle%ibility approach: the element stiffness
matri% is generate" by in!erting the fle%ibility matri%. *or this reason, 1 an" 2 must not be 7ero for
the C41AM element.
C41AM3 elements fa!or a structure &ith initial cur!atures an" &ith high or"er shell elements.
Two-Dimensional Elements
n general, ;ua"rilateral elements $C<5A(= an" C<5A(>' are preferre" o!er the triangular
elements $C#3A3 an" C#3A?'. #he C#3A3 element is a constant strain element. t is
e%cessi!ely stiff, an" &hen use" alone, it is generally less accurate than the C<5A(= element,
particularly for membrane strain. 0hene!er feasible, the C<5A(= element shoul" be use" instea"
of the C#3A3 element. C#3A3 shoul" only be use" &hen necessary for geometric or topological
reasons, for e%ample, mesh transition bet&een regions of ;ua"rilateral elements &ith "ifferent
meshes or near the polar a%is of a spherical shell.
A!oi" using C#3A3 in locations &here the membrane stresses are changing rapi"ly, for e%ample,
in the &eb of an 9beam. Since C#3A3 has constant membrane stresses, a large number of them
may be nee"e" to obtain acceptable accuracy. t is better to use ;ua"rilateral elements or C#3A?
elements, if possible.
(o not use plate or shell elements $C<5A(i, C#3Ai' in stiffene" shell structures &ith !ery thin
panels that can buc.le. Shear panels $CS61A3' shoul" be use" in this case or in any situation
&here "irect stresses cannot be supporte", such as in a !ery thin cur!e" panel.
A!oi" highly s.e&e" elements $see *igure @91'. #he angle shoul" be as close to @0 "egrees as
possible.

*igure @91 6ighly S.e&e" 1lement

*or the C#3A3 element, the s.e& test is base" upon the three !erte% angles.
Aspect ratio is "efine" as l / $length+&i"th'. Aery high aspect ratio $see *igure @92' shoul" also be
a!oi"e", although it is no longer true that accuracy "egra"es rapi"ly &ith aspect ratios as it once "i"
&ith some of the obsolete elements.

*igure @92 1lement &ith 6igh Aspect 3atio

0arping is a measure of the amount the element "e!iates from being planar $see *igure @93'.
1lement &arping shoul" be minimi7e".
*igure @93 6ighly 0arpe" 1lement

*or the C<5A(> elements, if mi"si"e no"es are present, they shoul" be locate" &ithin the mi""le
thir" of the e"ge. f a mi"si"e no"e is locate" at one9fourth the "istance of the e"ge as measure"
from either corner no"e on the e"ge, the internal strain fiel" becomes singular at the corners of the
element. *or best results, it is recommen"e" that the mi"si"e no"e be locate" as close to the center
of the e"ge as possible. f mi"si"e no"es are "esire", the general recommen"ation is to inclu"e all
of them. A C<5A(> element &ith mi"si"e no"es "elete" is e%cessi!ely stiff an" therefore is
inferior to a C<5A(= element.
*igure @9= C<5A(> &ith Missing Mi"si"e No"e

*or single cur!e" structures $e.g., a cylin"er', the C<5A(>, in general, yiel"s better results than
the C<5A(= element. *or "oubly cur!e" structures $e.g., a spherical "ome', the C<5A(=
element, in general, performs better than the C<5A(> $see 3eference 1B.'.
#he shell normal $param,snorm,%' shoul" be turne" on &hen using the C<5A(=, C#3A3,
C<5A(3, or C#3A3 element. See Shell Normals, 3B3 for further "etails.
#he membrane properties for the C<5A(3 an" C#3A3 elements are less sensiti!e to the element
shape than the C<5A(= an" C#3A3. #he C<5A(3 an" C#3A3 elements can be use" in
conCunction &ith each other, but not &ith other elements.
An increase in accuracy can be e%pecte" &hen using the <5A(3 element !s the <5A(= element,
particularly in areas of the mo"el that are more coarsely meshe".
1%isting <5A(= element mo"els can easily be con!erte" to <5A(3 elements by setting System
Cell $<3M1#6 $3D0'' in the NAS#3AN Statement. <3M1#6EB &ill con!ert all <5A(=+#3A3
elements in the mo"el to <5A(3+#3A3.#o sho& the "ifference in accuracy bet&een the <5A(3
an" <5A(= elements, four mesh "ensities for a simple ,#9Section- test mo"el &ere run using MSC
Nastran. !on Mises stress results, ta.en at a central position in the ,#9Section-, &ere compare" an"
they sho&e" the <5A(3 &as more consistant an" accurate as the "ensity &as re"uce". See *igure
@9B.
*igure @9B

Shell Normals
4y "efault, the "irection of the normal rotation !ector for flat plate elements is assume" to be
perpen"icular to the plane of each element. f the mo"el is cur!e", the shell ben"ing an" t&ist
moments must change "irection at the element intersection. f trans!erse shear fle%ibility is present,
the "eformations may be too large. $4ecause elements using lo&9or"er formulations ignore the e"ge
effect, this rarely causes any problems9the "efault !alue of 100 on the parameter F?3)# partially
cures the problem.' 0ith the uni;ue normal $SN)3M' option, the rotational "egrees of free"om at
each corner of an element are measure" relati!e to the specifie" normal !ector "irection. #hus, all
elements connecte" to a gri" point &ill use a consistent "irection for "efining shell ben"ing an"
t&isting moments.
n C<5A(= an" C#3A3 elements, the stiffness matrices of the elements are mo"ifie" to eliminate
the un"esirable small stiffness in the rotational motions about the shell normal !ector. n effect, the
transformation replaces the normal moments &ith in9plane forces. No changes &ere ma"e to the
basic element stiffness matri%, an" therefore flat plate mo"els &ill not be affecte". #he obCecti!e of
the ne& transformation &as to remo!e a potential &ea.ness in cur!e" shell mo"els an" allo& the
automatic constraint process to remo!e the true singularity in the assemble" stiffness matri%.
#he C<5A(3 an" C#3A3 elements are also impro!e" for some types of shell problems. 4ecause
of their e%tra "egrees of free"om, these elements are more sensiti!e to the coupling bet&een in9
plane an" out9of9plane motion "ue to cur!ature. #his formulation of using a common uni;ue
normal, pro!i"es more consistency bet&een a"Cacent elements in a cur!e" shell.
Shell normals are a!ailable for C<5A(=, C<5A(3, C#3A3, an" C#3A3 elements. Normals
are acti!ate" if the actual angle bet&een the local element normal an" the uni;ue gri" point normal
is less than , the "efault !alue for G $see *igure @9?.' #he "efault for can be change" by setting
HA3AM,SN)3M, G to the "esire" real !alue up to >@ "egrees. #he uni;ue gri" point normal is the
a!erage of all local shell element normals at a specific gri" point. Ienerate" gri" point normals may
be o!er&ritten by user9"efine" normals.
*igure @9? 5ni;ue Iri" Hoint Normal

A shell normal "efines a uni;ue "irection for the rotational "egrees of free"om of all a"Cacent
elements. A shell normal !ector is create" by a!eraging the normal !ectors of the attache" elements.
f the actual angle is greater than the !alue "efine" on HA3AM,SN)3M, $"efault E 20.' the e"ge is
assume" to be a corner, an" the ol" metho" is use". Shell normals impro!e the accuracy of the
results in cur!e" shells &here in9plane shear an" t&isting moments act together.
f the actual shell normal !ector is .no&n, such as in a cylin"er or sphere, the automatically
calculate" !alues may be superse"e" by the actual !ectors using the 4ul. (ata entry
SN)3M,I(,C(,A1,A2,A3

&here I( is a uni;ue gri" point, C( is the coor"inate system for "efining the shell normal !ector
an" A1, A2, an" A3 are unscale" components of the !ector in the coor"inate system.
A secon" parameter, SN)3MH3#, controls the print or punch of !alues of the internal shell
normals. #he output format is the same as the SN)3M 4ul. (ata so that the in"i!i"ual !alues may
be use" an" mo"ifie" on a subse;uent Cob.
Remarks and Reommendations
#he follo&ing remar.s are applicable to the shell normal option8
1. #he type of structure that e%hibits the most change in results is a thic. cur!e" shell &ith
large inplane shear forces an" t&isting moments.
2. Most other problems, such as flat plates an" cur!e" shells &ith pressure loa"s, sho& changes
in results of less than 1J. More "egrees of free"om may be constraine" using this impro!e"
formulation. #his formulation results in 7ero in9plane rotational stiffness !alues.
3. t has been obser!e" from testing that the automatic normal !ector calculations pro"uce"
ans&ers nearly e;ual to an" as accurate as those using the e%plicit SN)3M !ector input. n
other &or"s, the results &ere insensiti!e to small "ifferences in the "irection of the !ectors.
#he important fact is that the shell normal !ector re;uires the connecte" elements to use a
consistent normal "irection.
=. #he C<5A(> an" C#3A? elements are not inclu"e" in the shell normal processing. f they
are mo"ele" correctly, they "o not re;uire shell normal processing. Connecting these
elements to the lo&er9or"er flat elements is not recommen"e".
B. Cur!e" shell elements ha!e no stiffness in the rotational "egree of free"om &hen the
formulation is use"9conse;uently, mechanisms may be intro"uce". Mechanisms occur &hen
elements, 341s, or MHCs are connecte" to the out9of9plane rotation of the shell gri" points.
Note that HA3AM,A5#)SHC,K1S "oes not constrain these mechanisms.
?. n linear solution se;uences, the !alues of ,param,.?rot,100.- an" ,param,snorm,20.- are
the "efault.
D. #rans!erse shear fle%ibility $M(3 on the HS6122 property entry' shoul" be left on &hen
normals are use".
Three-Dimensional Elements
Although the C61LA an" CH1N#A elements are "esigne" to beha!e reasonably &ell as thin shell
elements, it is recommen"e" that they not be use" in this capacity. #he high ratio of e%tensional
stiffness in the "irection normal to the effecti!e trans!erse shear stiffness can pro"uce significant
roun"9off errors.
As in the case of plate elements, if mi"si"e no"es are present for the soli" elements, they shoul" be
locate" as close to the center of the e"ge as possible. Again, if mi"si"e no"es are "esire", the
general recommen"ation is to inclu"e all of them.
R-T!"e Elements
A high "egree of precision must be maintaine" &hen specifying coefficients for MHCs in or"er to
a!oi" intro"uction of unintentional constraints to rigi" bo"y motions. 3igi" elements $e.g., the
3412, 34A3, etc.' shoul" be use" &hene!er possible because their constraint coefficients are
internally calculate" to a high precision. *urthermore, these 39type elements re;uire much less user
interaction. #he &el" family of elements offer e%cellent &ays of mo"eling structural connections.
All of the content in this blog post has been "irectly e%tracte" from Chapter @ of the MSC Nastran
2012 2inear Static Analysis 5serMs Iui"e.