Which physical phenomena can be simulated with FEM?

Mechanics / structural mechanics

• Stresses, strains, deformations
• Elasticity, plasticity, creep
• Fracture mechanics and crack propagation
• Contact problems, friction
• Central discipline e.g. in mechanical engineering, automotive, construction

Thermics / heat conduction

• Stationary and transient heat conduction
• Convection and thermal radiation (simplified or coupled with a CFD analysis)
• Thermal expansion of materials
• Important for electronic components, motors, gearboxes, housings
• Consideration of thermomechanical constraints

Vibrations / dynamics

• Natural frequencies and natural vibration modes (modal analysis)
• Forced vibrations, resonance behavior
• Random excitation (PSD)
• Earthquake calculations
• Shock and short-term dynamic analyses
• Typical for vehicles, machines, buildings under dynamic load

Electric current / electrical engineering

• Current distribution in conductors and semiconductors
• Power and heat losses
• Coupling with thermal effects (thermoelectrics)
• Applicable to busbars, circuit boards, power electronics

Magnetic fields / electromagnetics

• Magnetic field distributions, inductance, hysteresis effects
• AC and DC fields
• EMC analyses
• Coupling with motion (e.g. electric motors, transformers)
• For the development of electric drives, coils, sensors

Acoustics / sound propagation

• Pressure distribution in the medium (e.g. air or water)
• Room acoustics
• Sound transmission assessment (transmission loss)
• Sound radiation from units and machines
• Coupling for mechanical simulation (acoustics-mechanics)
• E.g. to reduce noise sources in products or rooms

Explosions / non-linear dynamics

• Highly dynamic processes, shock waves, fracture behavior
• Explosion safety, impact analyses, ballistic simulations
• Relevance Test benches, in defense, automotive (crash), safety design

Multiphysics couplings

• Thermomechanics (e.g. distortion and constraint due to temperature)
• Thermoelectrics (e.g. heating due to current flow)
• Fluid-structure interaction (FSI)
• Piezomechanics (mechanics + electric fields)
• For particularly realistic simulations