FEA
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Engineering
| Stands for | Finite element analysis |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
FEA stands for Finite element analysis, an engineering abbreviation.
Simulation technique that divides a structure into a mesh of many small elements and solves equations for each to predict stress, deformation, vibration, heat flow and other behavior. Engineers use FEA to check that bridges, aircraft parts, implants and consumer products will survive their loads.
Example: FEA showed peak stress at the fillet radius, so the designers increased it from 2 to 5 mm.
Usage notes
Mathematician Richard Courant laid groundwork in 1943, and Ray Clough coined the term "finite element method" in 1960. NASA's NASTRAN program (late 1960s) and John Swanson's ANSYS (1970) brought FEA to industry. Mesh quality strongly affects accuracy, so analysts run convergence studies.
Related abbreviations
More engineering abbreviations
- EIT – Engineer in Training
- EPC – Engineering, procurement and construction
- ERV – Energy recovery ventilator
- FAT – Factory acceptance test
- FCAW – Flux-cored arc welding
- FE – Fundamentals of Engineering (exam)
- FEM – Finite element method
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- GMAW – Gas metal arc welding
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