Solid finite elements suitable for simulating large deformations and/or rotations of a structure

A system for simulating large deformation and rotation of a structure in a finite element analysis used for assisting users to improve structural design comprising:

• a main memory having a finite element analysis application module installed thereon;
• at least one processor coupled to the main memory, said at least one processor executing the finite element application module in the main memory to cause the finite element application module to perform a finite element analysis using a finite element analysis model of the structure, wherein the finite element analysis model contains at least one special purpose solid element configured for simulating large deformation and rotation of the structure, wherein the special purpose solid element comprises a plurality of corner nodes and a plurality of external edges, each of the external edges is located between a pair of the corner nodes adjacent to each other, and each of the pair of the adjacent corner nodes includes a deformation having three translational and three rotational components, said respective deformation of the pair of the adjacent corner nodes is so configured that mid-edge translational deformation of said each of the external edges is implicitly derived therefrom, and
• a display monitor coupled to the main memory and the at least one processor configured for displaying the finite element analysis's result.

A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to simulating large deformation and rotation of a structure in a finite element analysis used for assisting users to improve structural design by a method comprising:

• receiving a finite element analysis model of the structure that contains at least one special purpose solid element used for simulating large deformation and rotation of a structure, wherein the finite element analysis model contains at least one special purpose solid element configured for simulating large deformation and rotation of the structure, wherein the special purpose solid element comprises a plurality of corner nodes and a plurality of external edges, each of the external edges is located between a pair of the corner nodes adjacent to each other, and each of the pair of the adjacent corner nodes includes a deformation having three translational and three rotational components, said respective deformation of the pair of the adjacent corner nodes is so configured that mid-edge translational deformation of said each of the external edges is implicitly derived therefrom;
• and
• performing the finite element analysis that is configured to facilitate computation of the large deformation and rotation of the structure using the at least one special purpose solid element.