On the formulation of the planar ANCF triangular finite elements (Q1745237)

This article is concerned with the performance of two new ANCF triangular elements, namely the four-node mixed-coordinate (FNMC) and three-node (TN) elements. Both elements are based on a cubic polynomial interpolation obtained from a cubic Bezier triangular patch using a linear mapping. The ANCF triangular elements are isoparametric, describe correctly rigid body motion, allow for representing large finite rotations, and do not impose restriction on the amount of rotation or deformation within the element. Unlike the conventional triangular elements, the proposed ANCF elements use area gradient vectors as nodal coordinates that are systematically converted into Cartesian gradient vectors, allowing for the use of a standard FE assembly procedure. The proposed ANCF elements ensure the continuity of the rotation, strain, and stress at the nodes and have a constant mass matrix and zero Coriolis and centrifugal forces. Numerical experiments are also included to support the theoretical findings.