fem1d_heat_steady

fem1d_heat_steady, a C code which applies the finite element method (FEM), with piecewise linear elements, to solve the steady state heat equation in one spatial dimension.

The finite element method is used with piecewise linear elements.

The steady state heat equation that is to be solved has the form:

        - d/dx ( k(x) * du/dx ) = f(x)
      

Boundary conditions are applied at the endpoints, and in this case, these are assumed to have the form:

        u(A) = UA;
        u(B) = UB.
      

To compute a finite element approximation, a set of N equally spaced nodes is defined from A to B, a set of piecewise linear basis functions is set up, with one basis function associated with each node, and then the differential equation is multiplied by each basis function, and integration by parts is used to simplify the integrand.

A simple two point Gauss quadrature formula is used to estimate the resulting integrals over each interval.

Usage:

fem1d_heat_steady ( n, a, b, ua, ub, k, f, x, u )

• n is the number of equally spaced nodes.
• a, b are the left and right endpoints.
• ua, ub are the prescribed values of U at the endpoints;
• k is the function which evaluates k(x);
• f is the function which evaluates f(x).
• x is the input vector of n nodes, with x(1) = a, x(n) = b.
• u is the output vector containing the estimated solution value at the nodes.

Licensing:

The computer code and data files described and made available on this web page are distributed under the MIT license

Languages:

fem1d_heat_steady is available in a C version and a C++ version and a FORTRAN90 version and a MATLAB version.

Related Data and Programs:

FD1D_HEAT_STEADY, a C code which applies the finite difference method to the steady state heat equation in one spatial dimension.

FD2D_HEAT_STEADY, a C code which uses the finite difference method (FDM) to solve the steady (time independent) heat equation in 2D.

FEM1D, a data directory which contains examples of 1D FEM files, three text files that describe a 1D finite element model;

FEM1D, a C code which applies the finite element method to a linear two point boundary value problem in a 1D region.

FEM1D_BVP_LINEAR, a C code which applies the finite element method to a linear two point boundary value problem (BVP) in a 1D region, using piecewise linear elements.

fem1d_heat_steady_test

STOCHASTIC_HEAT2D, a C code which implements a finite difference method (FDM) for the steady (time independent) 2D heat equation, with a stochastic heat diffusivity coefficient, using gnuplot to illustrate the results.

Reference:

1. Dianne O'Leary,
   Finite Differences and Finite Elements: Getting to Know You,
   Computing in Science and Engineering,
   Volume 7, Number 3, May/June 2005.
2. Dianne O'Leary,
   Scientific Computing with Case Studies,
   SIAM, 2008,
   ISBN13: 978-0-898716-66-5,
   LC: QA401.O44.
3. Hans Rudolf Schwarz,
   Finite Element Methods,
   Academic Press, 1988,
   ISBN: 0126330107,
   LC: TA347.F5.S3313..
4. Gilbert Strang, George Fix,
   An Analysis of the Finite Element Method,
   Cambridge, 1973,
   ISBN: 096140888X,
   LC: TA335.S77.
5. Olgierd Zienkiewicz,
   The Finite Element Method,
   Sixth Edition,
   Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005,
   ISBN: 0750663200,
   LC: TA640.2.Z54

Source Code:

• fem1d_heat_steady.c, the source code.
• fem1d_heat_steady.sh, compiles the source code.
• fem1d_heat_steady.h, the include file.