We saw how to develop our FITness (Fundamentals, Imagination, Tool skills) for CAE. So now the next big question is, how to maintain this FITness?
The fact is, once you are well familiar with the basic elements, maintaining your FITness becomes much easier. All you have to do is keep learning and stay in constant touch with all the skills necessary for your working domain. Because, as humans, we tend to forget previously learned things if they aren't utilized for a long time.
In this article, we'll dive into the crucial step of strengthening your fundamentals to ensure that you're always equipped with the necessary equations when you need them. By following this step, you'll be able to build a solid foundation of knowledge that will serve you well throughout your journey.
Fundamentals or Engineering Basics
Let me tell you a secret - A proficient understanding of the basics can help to solve 80% of the problem in CAE. It may sound like a management principle but it's a fact. Why is it so? because all CAE revolves around Physics.
Here's a list of key basic concepts required for CAE:
1) Applied mechanics - Statics, Dynamics, Newton's laws of motion, Friction, Rotational motion, Work-Energy principle, Centre of mass, momentum, Equilibrium of bodies, Collision, Impulse and Gravitation.
2) Solid mechanics - Stress and Strain, Elasticity and Plasticity, SFD and BMD, Theory of buckling, Hooke's law and mechanics of composite materials.
3) Fluid mechanics - Fluid properties, Fluid statics, Fluid dynamics, Bernoulli's equation, Navier-Stoke's equation, Archimede's principle and Pascal's law.
4) Thermodynamics - Laws of Thermodynamics, Heat and Work, Properties of substances, Thermodynamic cycles.
5) Material Science - Material structure and properties, Failure analysis, Material processing, Corrosion and Degradation.
6) Vibration - Simple Harmonic motion, Sound waves, Damped harmonic motion, Energy conservation in vibration, Forced oscillation and Resonance.
7) Numerical methods - Finite difference method, Finite element method, Optimization techniques.
8) Design of machine elements - Theories of failure, Mohr's circle, Design of pressure vessels, Design of columns, Fatigue and Durability, Design of beams and trusses, Design of Shafts, Bearings, Gears, Springs.
Good news is you don't need to master all of these. You only need to master those topics relevant to your domain. For example, if you are working in Crash and Safety domain, you must be more familiar with concepts in Applied mechanics, Material science and Solid mechanics.
If you are interested in CFD, you need to be more proficient in Fluid mechanics, Thermodynamics and Material science. Plus, understanding of Numerical methods is required to get familiar with types of solvers (Implicit, explicit) and how they work in FEA.
Therefore, your domain of interest (or working domain) will further narrow down your list of fundamental concepts required for CAE. A very good explanation is available on the practical use of the basics in this blog by Lukasz Skotny - Prerequisites for studying FEA - Enterfea
So now the next natural question is,
Where or How to learn these concepts?
Whether you are a beginner or an advanced reader, I know a book which is an excellent resource for learning physics that I personally use. This book is - Concepts of Physics by H. C Verma.
The book is written in a clear and concise style, making it easy to understand even for those without a strong background in physics. It uses a problem-solving approach to teach physics concepts, with a focus on developing problem-solving skills.
Another important feature of this book is the emphasis on conceptual understanding. The author explains the concepts in a way that makes them easy to understand and memorable. It also includes illustrations, diagrams and examples to help readers visualize the concepts effectively without the need for a trainer or coach.
I would recommend you have a hardcopy of this book handy by your side as it's much convenient to refer any concept at the precise moment (plus the smell of pages!) or if you prefer to download a soft copy, check if it's available on the internet. Maybe here.
Another option is to visit Ansys Innovation Courses where they have various videos by industry experts under physics category. They are highly helpful from FEA point-of-view followed by quiz at the end on each topic to test your knowledge.
Enhance your expertise in CAE with our courses on CAE Fundamentals and Vehicle Crashworthiness.
That concludes our discussion for now. I trust that you are eager to master these fundamental concepts and enhance your problem-solving skills.
interesting !
Thankyou for your work
Its giving clear guidence knowledge to me as a beginner