Introduction

Abstract

The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method, originally introduced by Turner et al. is a powerful computational technique for approximate solutions to a variety of “real-world” engineering problems having complex domains subjected to general boundary conditions. FEA has become an essential step in the design or modeling of a physical phenomenon in various engineering disciplines. A physical phenomenon usually occurs in a continuum of matter (solid, liquid, or gas) involving several field variables. The field variables vary from point to point, thus possessing an infinite number of solutions in the domain. Within the scope of this book, a continuum with a known boundary is called a domain.