Course – 6th Edition
Finite Element Analysis Applied to Life Sciences
June 9th-21st, 2021
This course will be delivered live online
Online live sessions Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 14:00 to 16:00 and 16:30 to 18:30 (GMT+2, Madrid time zone).
Course Overview
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a great tool for biologists, palaeontologists, doctors, veterinarians, and other life sciences specialities in which researchers face questions about biomechanics of living and extinct organisms. Elements like bone, arthropod exoskeleton, mollusc shells, or the stems and leaves of plants can be analysed using this technique.
FEA is a non-invasive modelling technique, based on the principle of dividing a system into a finite number of discrete elements where the equations are applied. Although static and dynamic analysis can be solved using FEA, in this course only static analysis will be covered.
In this course, there will be an introduction to the Finite Element to model biological structures and understand how they work. We will cover all the steps involved in FEA (for static analysis) except the creation or reconstruction of the model, which will be covered in the course entitled : Introduction to 3D Imaging Technologies: Photogrammetry, Laser, CT-scan and (µ)CT-scan for Life Sciences.
After the theoretical introduction, we will build and analyse plane 2D and 3D finite element models and deepen on the methods and software’s required to perform FEA. Key questions as mesh size, boundary conditions, applied forces, material properties and numerical singularities will be thoroughly addressed. The last day of the course will be dedicated discussing future models of the attendants in their research.
Requirements
Graduate or postgraduate degree in any Life Sciences discipline. Familiarity with 3D virtual model generation, as the starting point of the course will be with the model already built.
All participants must have a personal computer (Windows) with the following minimum requirements: Windows, 4 GB RAM, 1 GB memory dedicated to the graphic card, 20 GB of hard disk space available. Webcam and headphones are needed to the correct development of the class, as well as a good internet connection.