High-level User Input Specifications for Finite Element Code Generation

A set of input specifications is designed to enable engineers and scientists, who may not be computer experts, to describe the finite element analysis (FEA) procedures for a new application. The input directs PIER, a code derivation/generation system being developed in Common Lisp, to produce either sequential or parallel FEA codes. The PIER input employs common terminology and notations as used in standard FEA texts and can be intermixed with f77 statements. A user can transcribe a textbook-like FEA procedure description into PIER input form with relative ease. The input specification supports the definition of the element mesh, nodal properties, data storage scheme, symbolic derivations, and numerical algorithms for the solution procedures. The user can also group high-level statements into modules to facilitate parallelization. PIER has an FEA knowledge base which includes two different FEA formulations (element-by-element and assembled stiffness matrix). The design, usage, and implementation of the input specification are described. Examples are given to further illustrate how to prepare PIER input specifications.