ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses several techniques in the modeling and solution options of using the finite element method (FEM). Applying these techniques can greatly improve the efficiencies and accuracies of the finite element analysis (FEA). Symmetry feature of a structure is the first thing one should look into and explore in the Equilibrium (FE) modeling and analysis. As the mesh in an FEA model is "refined" repeatedly, the FEA solution will converge to the exact solution of the mathematical model of the problem. Convergence of the FEA solutions is the important goal in FEA and should be monitored by using the error estimates and employing the adaptive FEA capabilities in the software. There are two types of solvers used in the FEA for solving the linear systems of algebraic equations, mainly, the direct methods and iterative methods. The physical meaning of a substructure is simply a finite element model of a portion of the structure.
