Lecture 04

Meshing Methods
14. 5 Release

Introduction to ANSYS
CFD Professional
2013 ANSYS, Inc. December 12, 2013 1 Release 14.5
 Methods

Why Multiple Methods? High aspect ratio cells Cells refined around
(Inflation) near wall to small geometric
Choice can depend on; capture boundary layer details and complex
Physics gradients flow
Geometry
Resources
Mesh could require just one or a
combination of methods.
Example Typical mesh design
based on geometric, physics and
resource considerations.

Hex cells used to

mesh simple
regions Tet cells used here to mesh complex region

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 Inserting Methods

In the Outline, right click Mesh, Insert > Method

Select body in Details View
Or, in the Graphics Window, Select body(s) , right
click, Insert > Method
Body automatically selected in Details View

Method is selectable using the drop-down box

Automatic, Tetrahedrons, Hex Dominant, Sweep
or Multizone

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 Tetrahedrons Method

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 Tetrahedrons Method

Method Behavior
Generates tetrahedral elements - two algorithms are
available:
Patch Conforming
Patch Independent

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 Tetrahedrons Method: Patch Conforming

Method & Algorithm Behavior

Bottom up approach: Meshing process starts
from edges, faces and then volume
All faces and their boundaries are respected
(conformed to) and meshed
Good for high quality (clean) CAD geometries
CAD cleanup required for dirty geometry
Sizing is defined by global and/or local controls
Compatible with inflation

Access
Insert Method and set to Tetrahedrons
Additional drop down box for algorithm choice
appears - Set to Patch Conforming

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 Tetrahedrons Method: Patch Independent

Method & Algorithm Behavior

Top down approach: Volume mesh generated
first and projected on to faces and edges
Faces, edges and vertices not necessarily
conformed to
Controlled by tolerance and scoping of
Named Selection, load or other object
Good for gross de-featuring of poor quality
(dirty) CAD geometries
Method Details contain sizing controls
Compatible with inflation
Access
Insert Method and set to Tetrahedrons
Additional drop down box for algorithm
choice appears - Set Patch Independent
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 Tetrahedrons Method: Algorithm
Comparison (Surface Mesh)
Patch Conforming: All Patch Independent: Can
Geometry containing geometric detail is ignore and defeature
small details captured geometry

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 Tetrahedrons Method: Algorithm
Comparison (Volume Mesh)
Geometry containing Patch Conforming: Patch Independent: Default
small details Delaunay mesh Octree Mesh approximate
smooth growth rate growth rate

Smooth Transition option

creates Delaunay mesh
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 Tetrahedrons Method: Application
Examples
Patch Conforming Patch Independent
Clean CAD, accurate surface mesh Dirty CAD, defeatured surface mesh

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 Tetrahedrons Method: Control

Sizing for Patch Conforming

Mesh sizing for the Patch Conforming algorithm is
defined by Global & Local Controls
Automatic refinement based on curvature and/or
proximity accessible in Global Controls
Details of Global & Local Controls covered in
separate lectures
Choice of surface mesher algorithm in global
controls

Proximity

Curvature

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 Tetrahedrons Method: Control
Sizing for Patch Independent
Defined in Patch Independent Details
Automatic curvature & proximity refinement option
Defeaturing Control for Patch Independent
Set Mesh Based Defeaturing On & Defeaturing
Tolerance
Assign Named Selections to preserve geometry

Named Selection assigned and

Defeaturing Tolerance Off
Defeaturing Tolerance set.
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 Hex Meshing

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 Introduction

Tet Mesh

Hex Meshing Elements: 48K

Reduced element count

Can reduce run time
Elements aligned in direction of flow
Reduced numerical error
Methods Available
Sweep
Sweep Mesh
MultiZone
Elements: 19K
Hex Dominant (not recommended for
CFD)
Initial Requirements
Clean geometry
May require geometric decomposition

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 Sweep Meshing
ANSYS Meshing can identify sweepable
bodies automatically
Rotational Sweep bodies are not identified

To make bodies sweepable

Decompose into a number of topologically simpler, sweepable
bodies

Unsweepable body Decomposed in CAD

Sweepable!

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 Sweep Meshing

Method Behavior Sweep Path

Meshes source surface, sweeps through to the
target
Body must have topologically identical faces
Side Face(s)
on two ends, (which act as source and target
faces) Target Face Source Face
Generates hex/wedge elements
Side faces must be mappable
Only one source and one target face is allowed
Alternative Thin sweep algorithm can have
multiple source and target faces
Access
Insert Method and set to Sweep

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 Sweep Meshing
Source/Target (Src/Trg Selection)
Automatic selection requires that the
application find the Source and Target.
Specifying both Source & Target will
accelerate meshing
Rotational sweeping requires both Source &
Target to be selected

Inflation
Must specify at least Source
manually
2D inflation scoped to
source face and boundary
defined by edge(s) Manual Selection

Sweep Mesh with inflation

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 Sweep Meshing

Src/Trg Selection: Automatic Thin

& Manual Thin
Selects an alternate sweep
algorithm
Advantages
Capable of sweeping multiple
Source & Targets Source
Faces Target
Can perform some automatic
defeaturing
Disadvantages
For Multibody Parts only one
division across the sweep is
allowed
Inflation & Sweep Bias not
Source Faces
allowed Imprinted on Target

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 MultiZone Meshing
Method Behavior
Automatically decomposes geometry into blocks
Generates structured mesh, where block MultiZone
topology permits Mesh
Remaining region (Free Mesh) filled with
unstructured Hexa Core or Tetra or Hexa
Dominant mesh.
Can select source & target faces automatically
or manually
Can have multiple source faces
Compatible with 3D inflation
Access
Insert Method and set to Multizone

Target faces should also be selected as Source for Multizone

Method as mesh is swept from both directions
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 MultiZone Meshing
Mapped Mesh Type - determines the shape of the
elements used to fill structured regions
Hexa
Hexa/Prism - For swept regions, the surface mesh can
allow triangles for quality and transitioning
Prism

Surface Mesh Method specifies method to create the

surface mesh.
Program Controlled - automatically uses a combination
of Uniform and Pave mesh methods depending on the
mesh sizes set and face properties
Uniform - creates a highly uniform mesh Surface mesh method = Uniform

Pave - creates a good quality mesh on faces with high

curvature and when neighbouring edges have a high
aspect ratio
Surface mesh method = Pave

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 Automatic Method

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 Automatic Method

Method Behavior
Combination of Tetrahedron Patch
Conforming and Sweep Method
Automatically identifies sweepable
bodies and creates sweep mesh
All non-sweepable bodies meshed
using tetrahedron Patch Conformal
method
Compatible with inflation

Access
Default Method where not specified
Can specify by inserting Method and
setting to Automatic

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 Meshing Multiple Bodies

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 Selective Meshing

Mesh or clear meshes on individual bodies

Select body(s) right click for context menu
Subsequent bodies will use the attached face
mesh
The meshing results (cell types) will depend on
the meshing order
Adjust/add mesh controls able to remesh only
affected body
Selective body updating if geometry modified

Meshing first the pipe then the block Meshing first the block then the pipe

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 Selective Meshing
Recording Mesh Operations
When using selective meshing the order
of meshing can be recorded for
automated future use
Right click Mesh in the Outline for
Context Menu

Worksheet is generated recording mesh

operations as ordered steps
Named Selections are automatically
created for each meshed body for
reference in the Worksheet
Example: Meshing cylinder then block

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 Workshop 1 ANSYS Meshing Basics

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