FEM

The Finite Element Analysis is a wide spread method to solve physical boundary value problems. Today's software packages support many engineering problems, e.g. mechanical, thermal, mechanical-thermal, mechanical-hydraulic, mechanical-acustic and diffusion analysis.

Most programms offer user interfaces with the possibility to use self-written subroutines. In this way new finite elements, material models and damage models can be implemented among other things.

At the Institute of Aircraft Design and Lightweight Structures the Finite Element Analysis is used in every research area. Within these, the physical length-scales reach from the structural analysis of a whole airplane until the micromechanical response of a single fibre in a composite laminate.

The Institute of Aircraft Design and Lightweight Structures offers academic licences for the commercial software packages ABAQUS, ANSYS, MSC PATRAN and NASTRAN und LS DYNA, which are used dependend on the project and the special task to be solved.