Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training

www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Volume Meshing

6-1 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Approach
A high-quality hex mesh is generally preferred over a tet mesh.
z Reduced discretization error and false numerical diffusion for a given mesh size.
z Significantly lower cell count

Example:
Compare the cell count for a 101010 cube using hex and tet with a cell size of 1.
Hex mesh generates 1,000 cells.
Tet mesh generates 7,726 cells!

For a hex mesh, geometries typically need to be decomposed into simpler ones
so that one of the hex meshing schemes can be used.
In some cases, the geometry can be very complex.
z Hex meshing can be expensive or impractical.
z In these cases, a tet or hybrid mesh is preferred in order to reduce meshing effort.

6-2 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Volume Meshing
Upon picking a volume
z GAMBIT will automatically choose a type based on
the solver selected and the combination of the face
Types of the volume.
z In ambiguous cases, GAMBIT chooses the
Tet/Hybrid: TGrid combination
Available element/scheme type combinations
z Hex
Map, Submap, Tet Primitive, Cooper, Stairstep
z Hex/Wedge
Cooper
z Tet/Hybrid
TGrid, HexCore

6-3 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Volume Meshes - Hex Examples

Hex Map Hex Tet Primitive

Hex -- Submap Hex Cooper

6-4 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Hex/Wedge and Tet/Hybrid Examples

Hex/Wedge: Cooper

Tet/Hybrid: HexCore

Tet/Hybrid: TGrid

6-5 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Hex Meshing Map

A mappable volume:
z Is a logical cube
z Has all faces either mappable or submappable
z Has topologically matching mesh on all faces.

Mesh

submap face

Mesh

6-6 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Hex Meshing Submap

A submappable volume:
z Has all faces either mappable or submappable.
z Has topologically matching opposite faces.

Mesh

Mesh

6-7 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Hex Meshing Tet Primitive

Tet-Primitive scheme
z All hex elements in a four-sided (tetrahedral) volume
z Volumes directly meshable using Tet Primitive scheme

Mesh

z How the tet primitive scheme works

Connect center points on edges, faces and the volume
Mesh the four subvolumes using the map scheme.

6-8 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Hex Meshing Cooper

The Cooper scheme projects or extrudes a face mesh (or a set of face
meshes) from one end of a volume to the other and then divides up the
extruded mesh to form the volume mesh.
z The projection direction is referred to as the Cooper direction.
z Faces topologically perpendicular to this direction are called source faces.
Source faces need not be premeshed.
At least one source face must not be meshed and must span the entire
cross section.
z Faces that intersect the source faces are referred to as side faces.
Side faces must be either mappable or submappable
Source Faces Side Faces
(two hidden)

Cooper
direction

6-9 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Cooper Examples source faces

source faces

source faces

Volume source faces

Containing
Multiple Holes Multiple Source Faces
and Multiple Interior
Loops
Source Faces Not
6-10 2006 Fluent Inc.
Parallel
 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Cooper Tool Methodology

When the Cooper scheme is selected, a
source face list box appears in the panel.
If GAMBIT chooses the sources faces
z Check the source face list and verify that
GAMBIT has chosen the correct faces.
z If necessary, change the source faces
selection.
GAMBIT may not be able to resolve the
source faces
z Manually select the source faces
z If necessary, manually change the vertex types
(discussed in lecture 3) on some of the side
faces

6-11 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Troubleshooting the Cooper Tool

A

Problem:
Source faces A, B, and C are premeshed. The Cooper tool
fails. Why? How can this volume be meshed?

6-12 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Troubleshooting the Cooper Tool

A

Solution:
The mesh on source faces A and B cannot be projected onto
face C (the source faces are overconstrained. Delete the
mesh on face C in order to generate the volume mesh.
6-13 2006 Fluent Inc.
 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Troubleshooting the Cooper Tool

Problem:
A brick is split as shown. The Cooper tool fails. Why? What
can be done to generate a volume mesh?

6-14 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Troubleshooting the Cooper Tool

C Volume 1 C1

A A1

Volume 2
Solution:
Cooper tool fails because no logical axis exists. If faces A and B are source faces,
then face C must be either mappable or submapple. Face C contains a void and
can only be paved. Split the volume with a face as shown. Use Face A1 as one
source face for volume 1 and use face C2 as one source face for Volume 2.
6-15 2006 Fluent Inc.
 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Troubleshooting the Cooper Tool

Interior
loops

Problem:
The Cooper tool fails because the interior loops on source
faces A and B either overlap or are close.

6-16 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Troubleshooting the Cooper Tool

A A1 A2

Interior
loops

Solution:
Split source face A as shown. Neither face A1 nor A2
contain closed interior loops.

6-17 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

How to Make a Volume Cooperable

Three options to use the Cooper Tool:
z Manually change vertex types on the side faces to make them mappable or
submappable.
z Manually select the source faces. GAMBIT will attempt to make side faces
mappable or submappable.
z Enforce the map or submap scheme on the side faces.

Example: manually change the vertex types

3 Source Faces
S E
S E

C C

E E
E E

E E
6-18 2006 Fluent Inc.
 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Tet/Hybrid Meshing
Tetrahedral/Hybrid Mesh Scheme - TGrid
z Most volumes can be meshed without decomposition, regardless of
complexity.
z Use boundary layers to create hybrid grids (prism layers on boundaries to
capture important viscous effects).
z Use on volumes that are adjacent to volumes that have been meshed with
hex elements will automatically result in a transition layer of pyramids.
1 Hex Cooper 2 Tet: TGrid

Pyramid
layer
3 Hex/Wedge
Cooper

6-19 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Tet/Hybrid Meshing Troubleshooting

Quality of the tetrahedral mesh is highly dependent on the quality of the
triangular mesh on the boundaries.
z Initialization process may fail or highly skewed tetrahedral cells may result if
there exists:
highly skewed triangles on the boundaries.
large cell size variation between adjacent boundary triangles.
small gaps that are not properly resolved with appropriately sized triangular
mesh.
Difficulties may arise in generating hybrid mesh.
z Cannot grow pyramids from high aspect-ratio faces.
z Prism and pyramid generation may not work properly between surfaces
forming very small angles.
Prism layer

Low-quality pyramid
small angle
6-20 2006 Fluent Inc.
 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

HexCore Meshing
Combines Tet/Hybrid mesh with Cartesian mesh
in the core.
Fewer cells with full automation and geometric
flexibility.
Important HexCore defaults:
z Hexcore_Offset_Layers
The number of offset layers (cell layers between
wall and hexahedral core); default value is 3.
z Hexcore_Quad_Surface_Split
Controls quad/tri splitting and eliminates pyramid
cells when turned on; see Appendix
z Hexcore_Method
Controls the method used to create HexCore
Standard or TGrid HexCore.
TGrid HexCore requires specification of buffer
layers.

6-21 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

HexCore Meshing

Flow Volume Around a Boat Hull Flow Volume Inside an

Automobile Manifold

6-22 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Assigning Boundary and Continuum Types

Boundary Type Form
z Enter entities to be grouped into single
zone in entity list box.
First choose entity type as face or edge.
z Select boundary type for zone (entity
group).
Available types depend on Solver
z Name zone if desired.
z Apply defines zone and boundary type.
Can also modify and delete
zone/boundary.
z By default,
External faces/edges are walls
Internal faces/edges are interior

Continuum Type form

z Continuum types are defined in a similar
way as boundary types.
z Multiple fluid/solid zones can be defined.
z Unspecified continuum zones are always
assigned the fluid type.

6-23 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Example: Flow over a Heated Obstacle

Boundary Boundary Continuum

Name = inlet Name = outlet Name = obstacle
Type = VELOCITY_INLET Type = PRESSURE_OUTLET Type = SOLID
6-24 2006 Fluent Inc.
 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Defaults: Example: Flow over a Heated Obstacle

By default, the 4 remaining external By default, the one remaining

faces have the Name and Type: volume has the Name and Type

Boundary: Name = wall Continuum: Name = fluid

Type = WALL Type = FLUID

6-25 2006 Fluent Inc.

Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Appendix

6-26 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Meshed Size Function from Boundary Layer Cap

Meshed Size Function starting from boundary layer cap
improves size transition between the boundary layer and
volume mesh.
z Useful for external aerodynamics applications.
z Specify the Growth Rate and Max. Size for the mesh
growing from the last prism layer into the volume.
z Example: 3D wing profile with 12 boundary layers; the
meshed size function is used for smooth transition to the tet
volume mesh.

6-27 2006 Fluent Inc.

 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Hex-Core Meshing Surface Split Options

Geometry: Cylinder
Edit Default: Mesh.Cartesian.Hexcore_Quad_Surface_Split

1 (default)
z Split boundary quad into 2
triangles
z hanging edges created
(NOT allowed in FIDAP)
z Smooth boundary hexes
with larger hexcore
0
z Boundary quads are NOT
split
z Pyramid (transition)
elements created
z Boundary hexes not
smoothed
6-28 2006 Fluent Inc.
 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

FIDAP 8 Example: Flow over a Heated Obstacle

Boundary: Name = outlet Boundary: Name = outlet Continuum: Name = step

Type = PLOT Type = PLOT Type = SOLID
6-29 2006 Fluent Inc.
 Fluent User Services Center Introductory GAMBIT Training
www.fluentusers.com GAMBIT 2.3 June 2006

Linear/Quadratic Elements
(FIDAP/POLYFLOW USERS ONLY)
General tools
z Higher-order elements
For FEM codes (FIDAP and POLYFLOW), the element
order can be changed at all three meshing levels
Only linear and quadratic elements are directly available
A change to quadratic element type at one level will
automatically change the element type in other levels
The following table presents the most commonly used
and recommended quadratic element types for FEM
solvers
POLYFLOW FIDAP
Edge 3-node 3-node
Face 8-node quad 9-node quad
Volume 21-node brick 27-node brick

6-30 2006 Fluent Inc.