CAD package for electromagnetic and thermal analysis using finite elements

Best practices

How to adjust mesh

locally?

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These best practices were edited on 15 August 2013

Ref.: KF 102 - B -112 - EN - 08/13

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Flux

Contents

Contents

1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................................1
2. Aided mesh: several reminders ...............................................................................................2
3. Local mesh adjustment............................................................................................................4
4. Meshing of a motor air gap ......................................................................................................7

How to adjust mesh locally?

PAGE A

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1.

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

Aided mesh permits the rapid execution of a good quality mesh.

When the aided mesh does not permit the user to obtain the desired mesh
quality (physical not taken into consideration, too dense mesh etc.), the user
should alter the mesh information locally.
This document gives some strategies of local adjustment of the mesh as a
local adjustment strategy is not always apparent.

Why
alter a mesh
locally?

Here are some reasons that justify adjustment of a local mesh :

taking into account the physics of the problem requires a more accurate
mesh in certain places
neighboring geometric entities are of different sizes, which triggers a
difference in the number of interfacing mesh. This can have a negative
effect within the same geometric entity (acc. to 3 Local mesh
adjustment )
the mesh is too dense in certain areas and it is necessary to reduce it,
wherever this is possible (acc. to Erreur ! Source du renvoi
introuvable.)

Contents

This section covers the following topics :

Topic
Aided mesh: several reminders
Local mesh adjustment
Meshing of a motor air gap

How to adjust mesh locally?

Page
2
4
7

PAGE 1

Aided mesh: several reminders

2.

Flux

Aided mesh: several reminders

Context

The Aided mesh permits the rapid execution of a good quality mesh. The
information for adjustment is applied based on the relation to geometric
entities of the project i.e. points, lines, faces, etc. The aided mesh dynamically
administers the adjustment data over the whole of the project.
More information is available on the topic of the Aided Mesh in the users
guide, Volume1, Chapter 9 Meshing : principles .

General
approach of the
meshing:
reminder

As to the general approach of meshing, it is possible to define two meshing

strategies :
a rapid and efficient strategy, by means of the mesh taking into
consideration only geometric constraints
a more specific strategy, less automated, which permits to first control the
mesh by taking into consideration the physical constraints.
This topic will continue on the following page

PAGE 2

How to adjust mesh locally?

Flux

General
approach of the
meshing:
reminder
(contd.)

Aided mesh: several reminders

It is possible and advisable to combine the two strategies to define mesh

construction. This is the operating mode presented in the table below.

Stage
1

3
4

5
6

Problems /
difficulties

Action
Mesh the computational domain by means of the Aided Mesh
option
The different tools are pre-set with default values, which
should permit the user to rapidly obtain a mesh of satisfactory
quality that respects the device geometry.
If the meshing is not satisfactory, edit the Aided mesh and modify
the information for adjustment
The adjustment information is global information brought about
by the assembly of geometric entities on the project points, lines,
faces,
Return to stage 1
If after several repetitions the mesh is not satisfactory:
add local mesh data by means of the meshing tools
The adjustment data is local data, created by the user and then
manually allotted over the project geometric entities points lines,
faces,
Mesh the computation domain
If necessary, return to stage 4

When the aided mesh does not permit the user to obtain the desired mesh
quality (physical not taken into consideration, too dense meshing etc.), the
user should adjust the mesh data locally.
This document gives certain local adjustment strategies of the meshing as
the need for mesh adjustment is not always apparent.

How to adjust mesh locally?

PAGE 3

Local mesh adjustment

3.

Flux

Local mesh adjustment

Introduction

This section gives certain rules for the local adjustment of the mesh.

Difference in
number of
meshes within a
geometric
entity

Certain geometries contain very small entities, for example the air gaps, as
well as very big entities that are close to one another. The Aided Mesh, relies
on the dimensions of the geometry and cannot achieve the distribution of
nodes in this case. Therefore one has to homogenize the number of nodes by
locally relaxing the over meshed part and/or by increasing mesh density it the
relaxed part.

Solution

A quick solution is to apply an inactive relaxation to the outline:

on the lines outlining a face
on the lines and faces outlining a volume(in 3D)

Illustration
(3D)

Here is an example of surface meshing of the air gap region of a motor :

With the aided surface mesh a difference of nodes will be noticed. This is important
pertaining to the faces on either side of the air gap (in turquoise). This makes the
volume meshing impossible. Therefore, an inactive relaxation line must be assigned
to all the lines of the air gap volume, and also an inactive relaxation face on all the
faces of the air gap volume. Thus the user can homogenize the surface meshing in
order to carry out the volume meshing.
This topic will continue on the following page

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How to adjust mesh locally?

Flux

Rules for the

application of a
local meshing

Local mesh adjustment

To locally alter the mesh on a geometric entity (point, line, face or volume),
certain conditions must be respected on the adjacent geometry, as in the case
of a bordering entity whose mesh information has been changed (see the
example below).
Each line of the table below represents an action that the user may carry out to
adjust the mesh, for example change the mesh point of a point . The
conditions to observe to insure efficient assignment of mesh data are
described in columns according to the type of geometric entities (
line/face/volume).
Example :
If the user would like to assign a mesh density of a specific dimension to a
mesh point then one should:
assign the created mesh point to the desired points
remove the mesh line on the lines incident to the points (compulsory)
remove the relaxation on the lines incident to the points (recommended)
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How to adjust mesh locally?

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Local mesh adjustment

Mesh
adjustment
table

Flux

The table below describes the conditions to observe pertaining to the

geometric entities incident to the entities whose mesh information is changed.
For example, in the cell of the first line and the first column, the conditions
are given for the lines incident to the point whose mesh point is changed.
Conditions on the lines
incident to the entity whose
mesh data has been
changed

Change the mesh

point of a point

Change the mesh

line of a line
Change the meshing
option of a face
Change the
relaxation of a line

Necessary condition 1: No
pre-existing mesh lines should
be present.
Necessary condition 2 : The
incident lines must have a
larger mesh than the mesh
point, otherwise there will not
be any relaxation on the lines
Advice : create and apply an
inactive relaxation to the lines

Conditions
on the
volumes
incident to
the entity
whose
mesh data
has been
changed

Necessary condition: There

should not have a pre-existing
mesh line assigned.

Necessary condition: There

should not be a meshing
modification option
assigned type (e.g. :
AIDED_Meshgenerator)
Advice: Remove the
shading of the faces
(AIDED_ShadowFace) as
it can over ride the meshing
of the faces

Advice: You should not

have an aided mesh option
active

Advice:
You should
not have an
aidedmesh
option
active

Change la relaxation
of a face

Change the
relaxation of a
volume*
Change the shading
of the faces

Conditions on the faces

incident to the entity
whose mesh data has
been changed

* To change the relaxation of a volume the Netgen method is not chosen

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How to adjust mesh locally?

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4.

Meshing of a motor air gap

Meshing of a motor air gap

Importance of
the air gap
adjustment

When a motor air gap is being meshed using and aided mesh, often times the
air gap is over-meshed across its small dimension. This will increase
calculation time. In order to decrease the mesh density, certain parameters
must be adjusted locally.

Reminder :

To model the air gap in Flux, it must be divided into two sliding cylinders :

This topic will continue on the following page

How to adjust mesh locally?

PAGE 7

Meshing of a motor air gap

Locally
adjusting the
air gap mesh

Flux

Too adjust the air gap mesh locally:

Stage
0
1

PAGE 8

Action
A mesh has been created with the Aided Mesh option
in 2D : remove the assisted modifications AIDED_MESHLINE on
the lines of the air gap
in 3D : remove the assisted modifications AIDED_MESHLINE on
the lines and AIDED_MESHGENERATOR on the faces of the
air gap
in 2D: create a relaxation line and a relaxation face of the inactive
type and assign them to the lines and the faces of the air gap,
respectively
in 3D : create a relaxation line, a relaxation face and a relaxation
volume of the inactive type and assign them to the lines, the faces
and the volumes of the air gap, respectively
in 2D : create a mesh point of a value equal to 1 to 2 times the
thickness of half of the air gap (e/2)
in 3D : create a mesh point of a value equal to 1.5 to 3 times the
thickness of half of the air gap (e/2)
Allot this mesh point on all the points of the air gap

How to adjust mesh locally?