Lecture 5:
Global Mesh Controls
16.0 Release
Introduction to ANSYS Meshing
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Global Mesh Controls
In this lecture we will learn about:
Introduction to Global Mesh Controls
Defaults
General Sizing Controls & Advanced Size Functions
Global Inflation
Assembly Meshing Controls
Statistics
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Preprocessing Workflow
Import/
Geometry
Geometry Meshing Solver
Modifications
Creation
Sketches and Planes 3D Operations Meshing Methods
Booleans, Hybrid Mesh: Tet,
3D Operations Decompose, etc. Prisms, Pyramids
Extrude, Revolve, Hexa Dominant,
Sweep, etc Sweep meshing
Geometry Cleanup
and Repair Assembly
Geometry Import Meshing
Options Automatic
Cleanup Global Mesh
Bi-Directional
Settings
CAD/ Neutral
Simplification,
Mid-surface, Local Mesh Settings
Fluid Extraction
Sizing, Controls,
etc.
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Meshing Process in ANSYS Meshing
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Global Mesh Controls (1)
Global mesh controls are used to make global
adjustment in the meshing strategy, which
includes sizing functions, inflation, smoothing,
defeaturing, parameter inputs, assembly
meshing inputs, etc.
Minimal inputs
Automatically calculates global element sizes
based on the smallest geometric entity
Smart defaults are chosen based on physics
preference
Makes global adjustments for required level of
mesh refinement
Advanced Size Functions for resolving regions
with curvatures and proximity of surfaces
Smart defaults !
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Global Mesh Controls (2)
Physics Based Settings
Physics and Solver Preferences
Global Mesh Sizing Controls
Relevance and Relevance Center
Advanced Size Functions
Smoothing and Transition
Span Angle Center
Curvature Normal Angle
Proximity Accuracy and Cells Across Gap
Inflation
Inflation Option, Inflation Algorithm
Collision Avoidance
Maximum Angle, Fillet Ratio, Smoothing
Assembly Meshing
Activation of CutCell/Tetrahedrons Meshing
Patch Confirming Options
Activation of Advancing Front Method
Patch Independent Options
For validating topology
Advanced
Numer of CPUs for Parallel Part Meshing
Shape Checking
Element midside nodes
Defeaturing
Pinch based
Automatic Mesh Based
Statistics
Mesh statistics, Quality criteria
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Global Mesh Controls (3)
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Defaults
Four options under Physics Preference
CFD, Mechanical, Explicit and Electromagnetic
Three options under Solver Preference when CFD is selected:
Fluent, CFX and POLYFLOW
Mesh setting defaults are automatically adjusted to suit the
Physics Preference and Solver Preference
Assembly Meshing is active only when Physics Preference is
CFD and Solver Preference is Fluent
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Sizing : Advanced Sizing Functions
Controls the growth and distribution of mesh in important regions of
high curvature or close proximity of surfaces
Five Options:
Off. Unavailable for Assembly Meshing
Proximity and Curvature
Curvature
Proximity
Fixed
When CutCell Meshing is active with Proximity or Proximity and
Curvature Advanced Size Function (ASF), Proximity Size Function
Sources control is displayed to specify the regions of proximity
between Edges, Faces or Faces and Edges in the computation of
Proximity ASF
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Sizing : Advanced Sizing Function Examples
ASF: Off ASF: Curvature ASF: Proximity
The edges are meshed with global Determines the Edge and Face sizes Controls the mesh resolution on
Element Size based on Curvature Normal Angle proximity regions in the model
Then the edges are refined for Finer Curvature Normal Angle creates Fits in specified number of elements in
curvature and 2D proximity finer surface mesh the narrow gaps
At the end, corresponding face and Transition of cell size is defined by Higher Number of Cells Across Gap
volume mesh is generated Growth Rate creates more refined surface mesh
Transition of cell size is defined by Transition of cell size is defined by
Transition Growth Rate
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Sizing : Element Size
Element Size
Element size used for the entire model
This size will be used for meshing all edges, faces and bodies
Default value based on Relevance and Initial Size Seed
User can input required value as per geometry dimensions
Element size option available
when Advanced Size Function
is not used
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Sizing : Min and Max Size
Min Size
Minimum element size that the size function will generate
Some element sizes may be smaller than this size depending on the edge length
Max Face Size
Maximum face size that the size function will generate
Not supported by CutCell meshing
Max Size
Maximum element size that can be grown in the interior of volume mesh
Mouse Pointer serves to estimate
mesh sizes
Min Size
Max Face Size
Min Size Max Face Size Max Size Max Size
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Sizing : Growth Rate
Define the ratio between sizes of adjacent cells
On surfaces and inside the volumes
Growth Rate = 1.1 Growth Rate = 1.2 (Default)
Growth Rate = 1.3
Mesh size:
GR = 1.1 : 1,263,297 cells
GR = 1.2 : 587,026 cells
GR = 1.3 : 392,061 cells
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Sizing : Transition
Controls the rate at which elements grow
Two level control for transition
Slow (Default for CFD, Explicit), produces smooth transitions
Fast (Default for Mechanical and Electromagnetic), produces more abrupt
transitions
Not available for Cutcell meshing
Hidden for sheet models, ignored for assemblies containing sheets,
when ASF is On
Fast Slow
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Sizing : Span Angle Center
Controls curvature based refinement for Edges
Three options and corresponding span angle ranges are
Coarse: 91 to 60
Medium: 75 to 24
Fine: 36 to 12
Not available for Cutcell meshing
Coarse Medium Fine
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Inflation
Inflation
Used to generate thin cells adjacent to boundaries
Required for capture of wall adjacent boundary layers
Resolve viscous boundary layer in CFD
Resolve thin air gaps in Electromagnetic analysis
Resolve high stress concentration regions in Structures
Cells are created by inflating from the surface mesh into the volume (3d) or inflating
from the boundary edge onto the face (2d)
Options to control growth
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Inflation : Automatic Inflation
Three options
None
Select this for manual inflation settings using local mesh controls
Program Controlled
All the faces are selected for inflation except:
Faces scoped to a Named Selection
Faces with manual inflation defined
Faces in contact regions
Faces in symmetry
Faces that belong to a part or body that has a mesh method defined that
does not support 3D inflation, such as sweep or hex-dominant
Faces in sheet bodies
All Faces in chosen Named Selection: can grow inflation layers from faces
grouped in one named selection
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Inflation : Inflation Options
Five options: All available for Patch Conformal (PC ) tets and Assembly meshing
Smooth Transition
Maintains smooth volumetric growth between each
adjacent layer. Total thickness depends on the variation
Smooth of base surface mesh sizes (Default)
Transition First Layer Thickness
Maintains constant first cell height throughout
Total Thickness
Maintains constant total height of inflation layer
throughout
First Aspect Ratio
Controls the heights of the inflation layers by
defining the aspect ratio of the inflations that are
extruded from the inflation base
Last Aspect Ratio
Creates inflation layers using the values of the first layer
height, maximum layers, and aspect ratio controls
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Inflation : Inflation Algorithms
Two Algorithms
Post
Pre
Patch independent
meshes (including Post
Assembly) use Post
First Tet grows then Inflation process starts
Tet mesh is undisturbed, if the inflation options are altered
Default option for Patch Independent Tetrahedrons
Preview Inflation is
available only with
Pre Algorithm
Surface mesh is inflated first, then rest of the
volume mesh grows
Pre
Default method for Patch Conforming
Tetrahedrons
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Inflation: Automatic Inflation example
Patch Conforming Tets
MultiZone Cutcell
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Inflation : Advanced Options
Collision Avoidance: Control to detect proximity regions and adjust the cells in the
inflation layer.
None
Does not check for proximity regions
Layer Compression (Default for Fluent)
Compresses inflation layers in the proximity regions
Maintains the given number of layers in the proximity regions
May stair-step if needed (will give a warning)
Stair Stepping (Default for CFX)
Inflation layers are stair stepped in the proximity regions
Removing layers locally in steps to avoid collisions as well as bad quality at sharp corners
When Cutcell meshing is used, both Layer Compression and Stair Steeping algorithms are used
depending on the geometry complexity.
Generates combination of
Pyramids and Tets to fill the
stair step
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Inflation : Collision Avoidance Example
Example Layer Compression Stair Stepping
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Defeaturing
Removes small geometry features meeting the tolerances using
Pinch or/and Automatic Mesh Based Defeaturing controls in order
to improve the mesh quality.
Automatic Mesh Based Defeaturing (AMBD) when it is On, features
smaller than or equal to the value of Defeaturing Tolerance are
removed automatically.
Note: Defeaturing Tolerance can be set maximum upto Global Miz Size/2. Use a high value for
Global Min Size and use Local Sizing controls for defining Local Min Sizes smaller than this value.
Defeaturing will respect local min sizes and will clean only those faces/bodies with no local control.
This approach is recommended over Virtual Topology.
AMBD Off AMBD On
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Statistics
Option to view the mesh quality metric
Exhaustive list of quality metrics
Orthogonal Quality mesh quality metrics
Option to view the Mesh Metric chart
Intuitive controls available under Mesh Metric Chart
Various options to explore under the Controls
See lecture 7 for details
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Workshop 5.1 Global Mesh Controls
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