computer science

Z88 FEM software

Z88 FEM software is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Z88 FEM software rather than just read about it. In short: Z88 is a software package for the finite element method (FEM) and topology optimization. A team led by Frank Rieg at the University of Bayreuth started development in 1985 and now the software is used by several universities, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.

Key takeaways

Z88 FEM software belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Z88 FEM software to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Z88 FEM software from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Z88 is a software package for the finite element method (FEM) and topology optimization. A team led by Frank Rieg at the University of Bayreuth started development in 1985 and now the software is used by several universities, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. Z88 is capable of calculating two and three dimensional element types with a linear approach. The software package contains several solvers and two post-processors and is available for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Unix/Linux computers in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Benchmark tests conducted in 2007 showed a performance on par with commercial software.

History and functionalities

Overview The software was developed by Frank Rieg, a professor for engineering design and CAD at the University of Bayreuth. Originally written in FORTRAN 77, the program was ported to the programming language C in the early 1990s. There are two programs for finite element analysis:

Z88OS (current version 15.0) is available as free software including the source code under the GNU General Public License. Due to the modular structure of the program and the open availability of the source code it is possible to develop customized extensions and add-ons and several special case 2D and 3D continuum elements (e.g. anisotropic shell element) were developed by users. Z88Aurora (current version 5.0) originally described the user interface of the Z88 finite element analysis program. After several additions and further development it now comprises a significantly larger range of functionalities than Z88OS. Z88Aurora is freeware, however the source code is not publicly available. Since 2014 two Android Apps are also available:

Z88Tina is a freeware FEA program for Android smartphones and tablets. Using Z88Tina it is not only possible to compute trusses and beams, but also continuum elements like plane stress elements, plates and tori. Z88Mobile is free, like all Z88 products. This app offers two different modes (basic and advanced) and has a touch interface. The product family is supported by a software for topology optimization since 2016:

Z88Arion is a free program for topology optimization and provides three separate algorithms for computation (OC: Optimality Criteria, SKO: Soft Kill Option, TOSS: Topology Optimization for Stiffness and Stress).

Functionalities of Z88Aurora Z88Aurora's current version contains several computation modules:

In the case of linear static analyses it is assumed that the result is proportional to the applied forces. Nonlinear analyses are used for nonlinear geometries and nonlinear materials. Using thermal and thermomechanical analyses it is possible to not only compute results about temperature or heat currents, but also thermomechanical displacements and stresses. By utilizing natural frequency simulation natural frequencies and the resulting oscillations can be determined. A contact module makes it possible to simulate interacting parts and assemblies. An integrated part management tool enables an effective handling of assemblies. There are options to simulate a glued connection or a friction-free connection and the contact discretization (type of contact: node-surface-, or surface-surface-contact), the mathematical imposition method (lagrange method, perturbed lagrange method or penalty method) and the direction of contact stiffness (normal or tangential direction) can be changed via the contact settings. This module only supports tetrahedrons and hexahedrons with linear or quadratic shape functions. Additionally the module is only available for linear mechanical strength analyses. Regardless of what module was selected the finite element analysis using Z88Aurora can be divided into three areas: pre-processor, solver (processor) and post-processor. The pre-processor builds the FE model. It is possible to either build the structure directly inside the software by using Z88Aurora's tools and using structural elements such as trusses and beams or a model can be imported from several file formats. Geometries can be imported from STEP files (*.STP), STL files in ASCII or binary format (*.STL) or Autocad files (*.DXF), while FE structure data can be imported from NASTRAN files (*.NAS), ABAQUS files (*.INP), ANSYS files (*.ANS) or COSMOS files (*.COS). Z88Aurora contains a total of 25 different element types, including 2D elements (truss, beam, plane stress elements, shaft elements, torus elements) and 3D elements (truss, beam, linear and quadratic tetrahedrons and hexahedrons). Two open source meshers (TetGen, by Dr. Hang Si (WIAS Berlin) and NETGEN, by Prof. Joachim Schöberl (TU Wien)) generate tetrahedron meshes. A tetrahedrons refiner for existing tetrahedrons meshes (linear and quadratic), a mapped mesher for superelement structures (hexahedrons, shells, etc.), a shell thickener that creates column shells from 2D shell elements and a trimming function serve to refine the model. The set management enables an easy selection of surfaces, nodes and elements to apply boundary conditions, define materials, etc. The material database contains 52 pre-defined materials and is editable and can be extended easily. Various boundary conditions such as forces, displacements, pressure and thermal conditions can be applied using the graphical user interface. The solver computes displacements, stresses, temperatures and nodal forces depending on the selected computation module. Four numerical solvers are available for the linear finite element analysis:

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Z88 FEM software

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Z88 FEM software claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Z88 FEM software before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Z88 FEM software ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Z88 FEM software

In research: Z88 FEM software appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Z88 FEM software in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Z88 FEM software is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer-aided engineering, Linux software, MacOS software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Z88 FEM software outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Z88 FEM software in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Z88 FEM software means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Z88 FEM software out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Z88 FEM software in simple terms?

Why does Z88 FEM software matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Z88 FEM software?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Z88 FEM software.