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CFX-Mesh
ANSYS Meshing
Application Introduction
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
B-1
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Introduction
Training Manual
B-2
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Element Types
Training Manual
B-3
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Geometry Requirements
Training Manual
Geometry used for meshing in CFX-Mesh must consist of one or more Solid
Bodies
In CFX-Mesh, the body will have the units specified in DM
Surface Bodies and Line Bodies are not supported in CFX-Mesh
On import of certain file formats, Workbench will convert sets of surfaces which fully
enclose to a volume into Solid Bodies (see DM documentation for details)
B-8
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Geometry Requirements
Training Manual
Example 1:
When Solid Bodies in a multi-body part touch, they must have
common faces
If two bodies contact as shown, the face at the end of pipe is
not one of the faces of the cylinder, CFX-Mesh will fail in
generating mesh if the two bodies are in a single part
How to meet CFX-Mesh topology requirements?
wrong
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
B-9
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Geometry Requirements
Training Manual
right
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
B-10
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Geometry Requirements
Training Manual
Example 2:
When part of pipe intrudes into the cylinder, part of the side
surface is external to the cylinder, while the other part is
internal to it.
What should the two bodies look like if they are in a single
part?
B-11
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Geometry Requirements
Training Manual
wrong
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
B-12
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Geometry Requirements
Training Manual
Cylindrical
Cut-Out
right
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
B-13
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
The CFX-Mesh Help provides many useful examples of what can and cannot
be handled in CFX-Mesh, and some ways around difficult geometries,
including:
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Geometry Update
Training Manual
B-15
or
Right-click on Geometry in
Tree View
Status Symbols
Error
OK
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Geometry Checking
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Geometry Checking
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Virtual Topology
Training Manual
B-21
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Virtual Topology
Training Manual
A single virtual
surface
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
B-22
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Geometry Display
Training Manual
Shine (%)
Controls how much light is reflected by
the faces of the mesh
0% gives lowest reflection and looks
matt
100% gives highest reflection and
looks very bright
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Composite 2D Regions
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Composite 2D Regions
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
Two formats
.CMDB file
Contains mesh and mesh settings
Larger file which takes longer to
generate for large meshes
.GTM file
Suitable for import directly into CFXPRE
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Length Scales
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Face Spacing
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Face Spacing
Training Manual
Face spacings have a volumetric effect. The region over which they
act are determined by the following settings:
Radius of Influence: extent of the Face Spacing influence, after which it will
expand according to the Expansion Factor
Expansion Factor: rate of expansion of mesh scale from surface to interior
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Edge Spacing
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Edge Spacing
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Mesh Controls
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Point Spacing
Training Manual
Radius of Influence
Radial extent of the fixed local
length scale influence
Expansion Factor
Geometric rate of increase of
local element length scale beyond
radius
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
B-40
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Point Control
Training Manual
Spacing
Select a Point Spacing which
defines the attributes for the
Point Control (Length Scale,
Radius of Influence and
Expansion Factor)
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Line Control
Training Manual
Spacing Definitions
Uniform requires only one Spacing
Non Uniform requires a Spacing for
each end
Spacing
Select a Point Spacing which defines
the attributes for the Line Control
(Length Scale, Radius of Influence and
Expansion Factor)
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Triangle Control
Training Manual
Spacing Definitions
Uniform requires only one Spacing
Non Uniform requires a Spacing for each
corner of the triangle
Spacing
Select a Point Spacing which defines the
attributes for the Triangle Control (Length
Scale, Radius of Influence and
Expansion Factor)
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Periodicity
Training Manual
Using Periodicity allows you to generate identical meshes for faces that will
be specified as part of a periodic boundary condition in ANSYS CFX
The CFX Solver makes more accurate calculations when meshes
on periodic pairs are identical (one-to-one)
Periodicity can be either Translation by a fixed vector or Rotation
Rules/Limitations:
Each face in the Location 1 face list must map to an equivalent face in the Location
2 face list
Multiple faces can be selected for each of Location 1 and Location 2, provided each
face in the Location 1 face list maps onto a face in the Location 2 face list using the
specified transformation
Inflation cannot be applied to a face which is part of a Periodic Pair
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Periodic Pairs
Training Manual
Periodic Type
Rotational requires 2 points to define
an axis, and possibly an Angle of
Rotation
Points can be either a vertex from
the model or coordinates
Translational requires no further input
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Inflation
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Inflation
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Inflation
Training Manual
Expansion Factor
Each layer, moving away from the face, is one
Expansion Factor thicker than the previous.
Inflation Option
Total Thickness
First Layer Thickness
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
B-48
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
Total Thickness
The total thickness of the inflation is
controlled by the:
Thickness Multiplier
Local element edge length
Determined by Face Spacing and
Controls
Maximum Thickness
Set individually for each Inflated
Boundary
Creates a less smooth transition from the
inflated prism mesh elements to the
tetrahedral mesh elements
The number of inflated layers is more
constant, and you have some control over
height of layers on face-by face basis
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
Process used for creating the layers of prisms when using the Total
Thickness option is given below:
CFX-Mesh calculates the total thickness of the inflation layers as follows:
Multiply the Thickness Multiplier by the local element edge length
Where this is less than the specified Maximum Thickness, then this gives the
total thickness of the layers
Where this is greater than the specified maximum Thickness, then the
Maximum Thickness is taken to be the total thickness of the layers
Use the specified Number of Inflated Layers and Expansion Factor to calculate the
height of each layer, given the total thickness that has just been calculated
Inflation thickness will not be constant over the inflated edge if the element
edge length changes in the region of the inflation layer
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
y = Ly+ 80 Re(-13/14)
First Prism Height = Reference Length * (Desired) y + * 80 * Reynolds Number(-13/14)
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
Process used for creating the layers of prisms when using the First Layer
Thickness option is given below
Put a single layer of prisms against the faces of the inflated boundary,
of a height equal to the First Prism Height
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Inflated Boundary
Training Manual
Maximum Thickness
The Maximum Thickness for the whole inflation
layer, when Inflation Option is set to Total
Thickness
Not used if Inflation Option is set to First Layer
Thickness
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Stretch
Training Manual
Before Stretching
Stretch in X = 1.0
Stretch in X = 0.5
Stretch in Y = 1.0
Stretch in Y = 3.0
Stretch in Z = 2.0
Stretch in Z = 1.0
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
y
z
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Proximity
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Edge Proximity
Training Manual
Edge Proximity ON
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Edge Proximity ON
April 28, 2009
Inventory #002645
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Surface Proximity
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
Advancing Front
produces higher quality elements
at boundaries
traditionally slower than Delaunay
cannot mesh closed surfaces
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
Extruded 2D Mesh
See next two slides
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Extruded Meshes
Training Manual
B-66
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Extruded Meshes
Training Manual
Extrusion Options
2D Extrusion Option
Full = extrude through the full extent of the
geometry
Partial = thickness of elements determined
automatically such that element quality is
high. Will not necessarily fill geometry for a
given number of layers
Number of Layers
Distribution
distribution of element heights along the
extrusion can be uniform or biased
Expansion Factor
Set the growth rate for the thickness of
elements in non-uniform extrusion
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
B-67
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
B-68
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Mesh Preview
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
Display Mesh
Transparency (%)
100% means completely transparent
0% means completely opaque
Shine (%)
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Mesh Statistics
Training Manual
Mesh Statistics
Shows Number of Quads and
Triangles (Surface Elements) in the
Preview Group
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Volume Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Virtual Topology
Training Manual
By Default CFX-Mesh resolves every edge using a minimum of 3 vertices and meshes every face
Results in a large mesh when there are many short edges and narrow faces in the CAD data
Virtual Topology allows users to combine faces and edges into Virtual Faces and
Virtual Edges
CFX-Mesh only sees the combined Virtual Face or Virtual Edge
A single virtual
surface
78 Surfaces
represent car body
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
B-75
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
Virtual Edges
Virtual Face
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
Right Click on Virtual Topology in the Model Tree and Insert a Virtual Face
Select the required faces from the graphics window and Apply
Can select Composite 2D regions as well
Selected faces must be adjacent
Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Virtual Edges
Training Manual
Virtual Face
Where possible, CFX-Mesh will automatically merge external edges to form Virtual Edges.
This behavior can be turned off from the Options panel
Single Edge
Mesh with auto
generation of Virtual
Edge turned off.
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Appendix B: CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
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Workshop B.1
Aircraft Engine-Airframe
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Goals
Training Manual
This workshop will take you through the process of importing an aircraft
engine and airframe model prepared in DesignModeler, setting the mesh
spacings, and generating a surface mesh for a CFD analysis. You will return
to this workshop later (Workshop A.4) and add virtual topology.
Goals:
Import the DM model file.
Define 2D regions for boundary conditions.
Define mesh spacings
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Imported Geometry
Training Manual
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Training Manual
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Training Manual
Inlet
Bottom
Top
Right
Outlet
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Training Manual
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Training Manual
The CAD model has many narrow surfaces which are not significant to the flow
analysis
The CAD model has many short edges because of the way the surfaces are
constructed
By default CFX-Mesh, resolves these narrow surfaces and short edges, resulting in
unnecessary mesh refinement and poor quality elements
We will revisit this geometry in Workshop B.4 and create virtual faces and virtual
edges to remove the unnecessary narrow faces and edges, thereby by reducing the
mesh size and improving quality
18. For now, save the CFX-Mesh database (File > Save Project)
B-95
Workshop B.2
Static Mixer: Basic Settings,
Mesh Controls and Inflation
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Goals
Training Manual
This workshop will take you through the process of meshing a Static Mixer
geometry with CFX-Mesh. Line mesh controls and inflation
layers will be added to better refine the mesh
The basic steps involved in this workshop are:
1. Start a new instance of the ANSYS Meshing Application and open the
geometry file to be meshed
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Training Manual
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CFX-Mesh
Training Manual
9. Note that the model is now displayed in the CFX meshing environment.
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Training Manual
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Training Manual
12. Right-click on Regions in the Tree View and select Insert Composite Region
Create a Composite Region named in1 at the side pipe inlet as shown
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Training Manual
13. Create a Composite Region named in2 at the other side pipe inlet as shown
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Training Manual
14. Create a Composite Region named out at the bottom pipe outlet as shown
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Training Manual
15. Click on the + sign next to the Spacing entry in the Tree
View to expand it
16. Set the Default Body Spacing to 0.20 m
Note the mesh size preview icon in the viewport
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Training Manual
17. Set the Default Face Spacing Option to Angular Resolution with a setting of 18
18. Set the Minimum Edge Length to 0.015 m and the Maximum to 0.20 m
Again note the mesh size preview icon
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Training Manual
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Training Manual
21. Right-click the Mesh entry in the Tree View and select
Generate Volume Mesh
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Mesh Refinement
Training Manual
The first part of this tutorial resulted in a rather coarse mesh with no
resolution of the boundary layer near walls
Although a better quality mesh for CFD purposes could be generated by
defining finer global mesh spacings, the global mesh spacings will be left as
they are
Instead, a mesh control will be defined to refine the mesh in the area of the
two pipe inlets. Also, an inflation layer will be added to the all walls in the
geometry to better resolve the boundary layer
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Workshop B.3
Extruded Mesh
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Goals
Training Manual
This workshop will take you through the process of meshing a simple
box geometry with an extruded 2D mesh. The Full extrusion option
will be demonstrated.
The basic steps involved in this workshop are:
1. Start a new instance of the ANSYS Meshing Application and open the
geometry file to be meshed
3. In CFX-Mesh, change the mesh options to Extruded 2D Mesh and set the
extrusion options
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CFX-Mesh
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Mesh Options
Training Manual
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Training Manual
20. Set the Default Face Spacing Option to Constant with a setting of 0.10 in
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Adding Inflation
Training Manual
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Training Manual
25. Right-click on the Default Preview Group and select Generate Surface Meshes
Since there are now quad faces on the ends from the inflated layer, a combination of
hex and prism elements will be generated when the mesh is extruded
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Training Manual
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Workshop B.4
Virtual Topology for Geometry
and Mesh
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Goals
Training Manual
This workshop will take you through the process of using virtual topology to
create a better quality mesh for the aircraft engine geometry imported in
Workshop B.1
Goals:
Use Automatic Virtual Topology to improve mesh quality
1. Open the CFX-Mesh database that you saved at the end of Workshop B.1
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Training Manual
The CAD model has many narrow surfaces which are not significant to
the flow analysis
CAD model has many short edges because of the way the surfaces
are constructed
By default CFX-Mesh, resolves these narrow surfaces and short
edges, resulting in unnecessary mesh refinement and poor quality
elements
We will create virtual faces and virtual edges to remove the
unnecessary narrow faces and edges, thereby by reducing the mesh
size and improving quality
The automatic method of creating virtual topology will be
demonstrated in the workshop
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4. Find any virtual faces which include the wing leading edge faces and delete them
These are Virtual Face 8 and Virtual Face 11
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5. Find the virtual face which include the wing trailing edge and delete it
This is Virtual Face 7
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Training Manual
6. Regenerate the surface mesh to see the effect of adding virtual topology
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Training Manual
You could further modify the mesh by creating virtual faces and edges in
selected areas manually to further improve the mesh quality
7. Generate the volume mesh and save the CFX-Mesh database
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