FEM - an understanding

Hi there

since my wife has decided to study tonight, and I feel the need for a new (old) motorcycle, I went looking for Ducatis. This is a company who embraced FEM some 15 years ago. I was first exposed to FEM in 1978 when it promised to answer everything. I used it to design the hydraulic absorber of a dynanometer(400hp 7000rpm jet boat motor - wow!!!!). I was 26. At that time the only available modelling was for axisymmetric rotating devices, so stiffening vanes could only be approximated. I was so disappointed with FEM, I virtually ignored the technology, for irrational reasons, until about now when I can see it is approaching maturity.

I would like to catch up.

The following website: http://www.ducati.com/bikes/techcafe.jhtml? part=general&detail=article&source=external&value=theory&artID=14 appeared to give a credible account of the state of the art/science.

If anyone has some spare time (as we all do) could they visit the site, critique and/or suggest a path for further education on this topic. Money is never an issue because I never have any.

Cheers

Steve McKenzie Received on Sat Jun 01 07:50:00 2002