Mechanical Engineering 362, Stress Analysis

Home  >  Courses  >  ME362

Catalog description

Theory of elasticity: elastic stability, principal of minimum potential energy, Raylegh-Ritz methods. Introduction to finite element methods of stress analysis: computer implementation and use of commercial codes. Structural analysis of rods, beams, columns, and plates.

Prerequisite: ME 262 or CIV ENG 216.

Who takes it

Students interested in gaining a deeper appreciation of the mechanics of deformable solids than provided in the introductory Mechanics of Materials (Civ Eng 216) course are welcome to take this course. Typically, students in Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical engineering (biomechanics specialization) take this course in their junior or senior years.

What it's about

ME 362 provides a fundamental understanding of the mechanics of deformable solids. Starting with the basic concepts of stress and strain, the course walks you through several ways of analyzing structural systems: "exact" methods using the framework of the theory of elasticity; approximate methods using energy principles; and computational methods using finite element techniques.

Lectures:

The course meets three days a week for 50-minute lectures. There is also a computer lab (times and dates announced during the first week of class).

Minisyllabus:

  • Characterization of Internal Forces
    • stress tensor; equations of equilibrium
  • Characterization of the Geometry of Deformation
    • displacements; strain tensor; compatibility
  • Material Response:
    • isotropic linear elastic behavior
  • Theory of Elasticity
    • field equations of elasticity in three dimensions
    • plane stress and plane strain
  • Bernoulli-Euler Beam Bending Theory
  • Principle of Minimum Potential Energy
  • Rayleigh-Ritz Techniques
    • approximate methods of structural analysis
  • The Finite Element Method
    • principles
    • ANSYS finite element software package
  • Analysis of Structures:
    • analysis of complex structures made of rods, beams, plates
  • Elastic stability:
    • buckling of columns

Labs:

A computer lab where you learn to use the finite element package ANSYS

Assignments/Evaluation:

Typically, there are weekly homework assignments; one midterm; one final exam; and a term project. However assessment strategies do vary by instructor.

Textbook:

None. Lecture notes posted on the web.

Contact:

Instructor: Prof. Sridhar Krishnaswamy
e-mail: s-krishnaswamy@northwestern.edu