B-spline Finite Elements for Plane Elasticity Problems

Download or read book B-spline Finite Elements for Plane Elasticity Problems written by Bhavya Aggarwal and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The finite element method since its development in the 1950's has been used extensively in solving complex problems involving partial differential equations. The conventional finite element methods use piecewise Lagrange interpolation functions for approximating displacements. The aim of this research is to explore finite element analysis using B-spline interpolation. B-splines are piecewise defined polynomial curves which provide higher continuity of derivatives than piecewise Lagrange interpolation functions. This work focuses on the implementation and comparison of the B-spline finite elements in contrast with the conventional finite elements. This thesis observes that the use of B-spline interpolation functions can reduce the computational cost significantly. It is an efficient technique and can be conveniently implemented into the existing finite element programs.