"Mechanics of Materials, Machine Design, and Vibrations Finite Element Learning Modules for Undergraduate Courses"

This paper presents four finite element learning modules that have been developed for mechanics of materials, machine design, and vibrations that can be integrated into these undergraduate courses.A simple cantilever beam example is considered, solved by hand and also, solved using the commercial finite element code ANSYS .ANSYS has been employed since it is widely used to analyze engineering problems in the industry.The cantilever beam is modeled using the plane stress four node quadrilateral element.The hand solution is included to emphasize the importance of verification when solving a problem using the finite element method.The four modules developed include: a static deflection module, static stress analysis module, modal module, and the fatigue module.The static deflection module and static stress analysis module are for a mechanics of materials course.The modal module is for machine design and vibrations courses and a fatigue module is for a machine design course.The four modules can be integrated sequentially throughout the mechanics of materials, machine design, and vibrations courses.The primary goals of these learning modules are to provide undergraduate engineering students with new visually oriented insight into the concepts covered in their courses, basic knowledge in finite element theory, and the ability to apply commercial finite element software to typical engineering problems.Each learning module provides a common step-by-step guide for solving a problem and also includes solution verification.The learning modules are accessible 24/7/365 on the World Wide Web.The target audience of this paper is an instructor who would like to integrate the four modules into a mechanics of materials course, machine design course, and vibrations course.The modules can also be used in a finite element course.