Finite Element ShareWare

[hemis]

I want to model a steel-post being levered in a timber socket. I would like to see the stress concentrations around the socket as the lever is pulled.

Are there any finite element programs about that are free. I could buy an add-on for my program but it will cost me £280 and I want to do this exercise out of personal interest. A trial download for 1-month would do if anyone could recommend a 3D program.

I have used LUCAS with some success.

 

[johnhors]

I think you mean "LUSAS" !

As for "stress concentrations around the socket", I think your expectations are rather high to expect to get anything meaningful from shareware software, since your problem would probably require non-linear contact analysis, orthotropic (non-linear?) material properties for the wood, and probably also a non-linear geometric solution.

I would normally recommend CalculiX but I think even getting an accurate solution from a premium commercial software like Abaqus is not going to be straightforward.

http://www.Roshaz.com

 

[GBor]

I think for freeware, Calculix may be your only hope, but as JohnHors says...it won't be very easy.

http://www.bconverged.com

I believe is the Windows version.

http://www.calculix.com

for the original, but the orthotropic nature of the wood may require some playing around with the input files in Calculix...but I haven't used it for quite some time.

You may be able to download some demo version or have them sent to you.

http://www.nenastran.com

for Noran Engineering used to offer a 30-day demo. I think AutoDesk's Algor may allow you to download one from the website at

http://www.algor.com.

I'm sure there are others.

As an alternative, local universities may have some that you can use.

 

[rstupplebeen]

You can get a free month of just about any FEA software. You will probably have to contact a sales rep though.

Rob Stupplebeen

 

[GregLocock]

Leaving the software aside, doesn't the problem he wants to examine effectively reduce to a 2d beam with two distributed elastic foundations, one at the end of the beam and the other at the edge of the socket?

As such you could make a very good stab at it by hand, tho it would be quicker in FEA.

Cheers

Greg Locock

I rarely exceed 1.79 x 10^12 furlongs per fortnight

 

[jhardy1]

You might want to check out Elmer:

http://www.csc.fi/english/pages/elmer

Not sure of it will handle the non-linear contact, though, if that is what you are really after.

 

[hemis]

Dear All. Thanks for the advice. I am going to try the Calculix and Elmer programs - both look very good.

As for modelling the socket, although timber is anisotropic, I wish to analysis the socket with the load applied perpendicular to the grain, so could I not assume that the material is isotropic for my model?

 

[ishvaaag]

Not to forget there is an entire LINUX system, called CAELinux entirely free. It seems very good, have not tried yet, but plan to do. It is quite a good distro, installs well, what is not as common as it should be for LINUX distributions. I think it can run both from a dedicated computer or partition and as well from a DVD; for trials I no doubt will use the DVD since the bootloaders for LINUX many times ruin companyon Windows system installations. Or let a LINUX guru do the thing.

 

[kellnerp]

calculix works on Windows and linux. It has a steep learning curve, but can do some neat things. It actually only has one element type, a 3D solid, and uses that for shells also. There are mailing lists for Calculix that are quite active.

CAELinux is not quite a finished product. In a year I would say it will be pretty good.

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