R12 Meshing Feature Presentation

Workbench Meshing
ANSYS 12.0
Erling Eklund
Ben Klinkhammer
© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Workbench Meshing
Introduction

Workbench Meshing Overview
• Workbench process automation:

– Physics-aware meshing
– Meshing in batch
– Parametric/Persistent meshing
• Adding controls for meshing flexibility:
– mesh type/method
– mesh sizing
– mesh alignment
– mesh quality
– mesh feature capturing

Workbench process automation
• Meshing comes as a cell of a Workbench Analysis

System (Mesh/Model)
• Or as it’s own Component System.
• Regardless of what System the Mesh/Model cell is

invoked from the meshing tools are the same
• However, the meshing defaults are based on the
physics preference of the system
• The mesh is provided to any downstream system
– Downstream systems can be linked to the Mesh
cell of any system
Physics-aware meshing
• There are four physics preferences in the Meshing

application, each using appropriate defaults for that physics

Meshing in batch
• Because the meshing is highly automated, the meshing

application can be run in batch and a user can essentially
skip the meshing step. For example:
For demonstration purposes

When meshing is
we will use a Mesh system,
complete,
The the Mesh
Geometry cell is
cell isany
but keep inUse mind Update system
to
checked
checked off off,
when the user
Let’s
the view
filecould
isthe
could work in essentially
generate the mesh the
then proceed
attacheddefaultto the
mesh in
same
Create a way.
geometry,
simulation setup, in or
the MeshingEdit or
batch,
the Meshingload an existing
Status
applicationmonitor
application to
geometry
gives
visualize the default progress
mesh

Parametric/Persistent meshing
• In the following slides, we will see how mesh methods

and mesh controls can be inserted to control the
properties of the mesh.
• These controls persist with any geometry changes.
• The process of updating the mesh is the same as in the
batch meshing
– Added controls continue to apply
– Well controlled mesh is automated for subsequent
design iterations in batch
• This makes parametric/persistent meshing inherent to the
process

Adding Controls for Flexibility
• As demonstrated, Meshing in Workbench is designed to

be invisible to the user
• However, since a well controlled mesh is often required
for higher solution accuracy and efficiency, there is a
great deal of flexibility to control:
– mesh type/method
– mesh sizing
– mesh alignment
– mesh quality
– mesh feature capturing

Adding Mesh Controls
• Let’s look at an assembly model:

• You can see in this
Contact is case that Workbench
automatically
Mesh object:
definedcontrols
additional between
automatically
can be inserted
parts assigns:
• Physics based
sizing
• Interfaces
between parts
Global controls: • User can go into
Physics preferences,
sizings, inflation, etc.
these defaults and
adjust as they see fit.

• Mesh Methods:
• Parts are meshed as
appropriate, hex where
possible, else tets
• User can insert mesh
methods to override the
Sweepable parts defaults.
Somecanparts
be are
Default meshing:
meshed with
found/displayed
Some parts are
patch conforming
meshedmethod
tetrahedral with
general sweep

• Mesh Controls (Virtual Topology):

• Geometry and mesh
defeaturing tools are
available to reduce the
element/cell count in non-
critical regions
• Manual virtual topologies
help user control which
Let’s see how we features to capture
Grouped
To faces
improve the
can
Mesh coarsen
Mesh is walksmesh
refined over
mesh
in we can to
become
non-critical add
respect details
each
1 Virtual face
Face Virtual Topologies
some
regionsmesh
can be created
controls
automatically, or
manually as
shown here.

• Mesh Controls (Auto VT):

• Automatic virtual topologies
can be created and then
user can edit these manually
for optimum control
Let’s take a look at

Automatic Virtual
Topologies.
Let’s examine
Let’s hide all parts
buttothe
ways piston
quickly
defeature this part
Notice mesh
ignores smooth
Mesh after boundaries but
Automatic
Mesh without
automatic captures hard
Virtual Topologies
VirtualTopologies
Topogies
Virtual boundaries
• Mesh Controls (Sizing):

• Sizing controls are available
at the body, face, edge, and
vertex level
• Other sizing controls
Insert body include:
sizing, • Sphere of influence
cross hatch
represents • Body of influence
size • Curvature/Proximity
sizing
Now let’s apply

a body sizing to
improve
Resulting mesh
uniformity of
mesh
• Mesh Controls (Pinch):

• If Virtual Topologies (VTs)
aren’t enough for geometry
simplification, pinch features
can further simplify the
model
• The pinch controls use mesh
based defeaturing and can
be applied manually or
automatically like VTs.
Now
Manuallet’spinch
see iffeature removes features at mesh level
we can remove
allowing for Insert
easiermanual pinch controls
simplification than geometry level
some other Notice
to remove bad mesh
unwanted in areas
features
for some configurations.
small unwanted
Like Automatic Virtual Topologies,
features there is Automatic Pinch
• Mesh Control (Mapped Face):
The face
mesh
Face is
structure can
meshed with
be changed by
mapped
Select quads
face(s)
adding
split to tris
to have a
mapped face
mapped
controls Since the face has a cutout,
mesh sub-mapping is done to get a mapped mesh

• Mesh Methods and Controls:

• This example shows how a
variety of mesh controls and
methods can combine to
Section plane of
hex mesh
provide great flexibility
• There is an extensive list of
The bolt is an additional mesh
Defaultaspect
important tet mesh
AddAdd
Let’s
Hex
MultiZone
Virtual
look
meshatFaces
just
would
methods/controls, but this
of this
Pure
method
to model.
hex
aid mesh
for
in pure
hex is
the
improve
Apply
Refined
Refiningable
bolt
the solution
bodybesizing
hex
tomesh mesh gives a general overview of
hex mesh
meshing
andwith
for accuracy
smaller
better
using
generated mesh
accuracy
hex the use of these controls.
elementssize will
improve results

Adding Controls for Flexibility
• The controls that were added are stored as objects in the

mesh folder
• These controls persist to design changes

– If a new design makes it impossible to update controls
from a previous design, the software puts a ? to
indicate a control that has become invalid and should
be inspected by the user.

12.0 Feature Update

R12 Meshing Goals
• Next generation solution for GAMBIT and CFX-

Mesh customers:
– Follows Workbench guiding principles:
Parametric, Persistent, Highly-Automated,
Flexible, Physics-aware, Adaptive Architecture
• Integration of TGrid and ICEM CFD meshing
methods to increase power and flexibility of
Workbench meshing solution
• Further evolution of meshing tools and
technologies for Mechanical, EMAG, Explicit and
CFD meshing

Mesh controls
• Physics-based mesh controls

• Support for CAD instances
• Arbitrary mesh matching
• Mapped mesh controls
– Corner controls to help define mapping strategy
• Pinch feature
• Advanced Size Functions
• Interface/contact handling between parts
– Contact sizing
– Arbitrary mesh matching
– Patch independent option: Match mesh where
possible
Fluids Physics-based
mesh controls
• R12 first release targeting Fluent needs using

Fluent meshing components
• Better CFD meshing defaults:
– Automated CFD meshing process
• CFD/Fluent shape check controls
– Support for FLUENT boundary conditions, mesh size
functions, etc.
– Improved inflation controls
• Program controlled inflation
• Smooth transition controls

CFD Meshing
• Automated CFD meshing process:

– CFX/Fluent solver preference added to tailor mesh
based off solver
– Added appropriate defaults
– Added “Skewness” quality metric for FLUENT

CFD Meshing
• 3D Bodies (Zones) Solid/Fluid:

– CAD parts can be marked in DM as Air/Fluid
– Display of Solid/Fluid indicates type

– FLUENT will use this for 3D Zone creation
• 2D Zones
– Named Selections (for Boundary Conditions) pass through
Workflow (CADGeometryMeshingFLUENT)
Improved CFD inflation
• Program Controlled Inflation:

– Will inflate off all faces that are not in a named selection
– Or user can inflate off a named selection, or insert inflation control

Structural Physics-based
mesh controls
• Efficient meshing for physics:

– Rigid body contact meshing
• Edges/Faces in contact area are
only things meshed
• Centroid defined for mass
– Gasket meshing
• Quadratic edges/faces on top and bottom
• Linear edges/faces on side

Rigid Body Meshing (3D)
• Only faces of rigid body in contact get meshed

Rigid Body Meshing (2D)
• Only edges of rigid sheet in contact get meshed

Gasket Elements
• More automated way of meshing Gaskets
Quadratic faces on source/target
© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

Linear faces on sides
28 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
Support for CAD Instances
• Instances defined in Pro/E, Solidworks, etc. are

used in meshing (geometry/mesh is copied)
– Geometry transfer/meshing speedup
• Selection by instance

Meshing of Instances
• Meshing speed improvement

– 58% time reduction in meshing
• Instance selection:

Meshing of Instances
• Overall speed improvements

1. Geometry transfer: 77% time reduction
2. Meshing speedup: 55% time reduction
3. Total import and meshing of this model reduced from
533 to 192 seconds (64% time reduction)

Arbitrary mesh matching
• Match control to copy mesh to similar topologies

based off 2 coordinate systems

Improved Mapped Control
• Support for side/corner

controls to define
strategy for sub-
mapping

Pinch Feature
• Mesh pinch out feature added for defeaturing at mesh level

• Automated based off shell thickness or user defined tolerance
• Works in conjunction with Virtual Topologies to simplify
meshing constraints

Automatic Pinch Generation
• With automatic pinch generation user can

pinch features under a defined size and
remove small features from the mesh
Use shell
thickness,
or define a
tolerance

Manual Pinch Feature
• With Auto-pinch, software figures out basic areas to pinch

• User can then add additional manual pinch controls

Shell Example
w/out pinch feature w/pinch feature

Shell Example

Solid Example

Advanced Size Function
• Incorporate Fluent size function

• Curvature based sizing controls
• Proximity based sizing controls
• Body/Face/Edge sizing
• Improve consistency of controls across mesh
methods

• Advanced size functions added for

explicit control for:
– Curvature Normal Angle
– Number of cells in a thin gap
– Minimum Size
– Maximum Face Size
– Maximum Tet Size
– Growth Rate

• Standard Size Function
• Advanced Size Function



• With curvature
• With curvature and proximity (5 cells in gap)

Scoped sizes
• Scoped size controls:

– Edge
– Face
– Body

Body of influence
• Bodies can be used to define a region of

influence

Interface/Contact modeling of parts
• There are several techniques to model the

common faces between parts
– As parts
– As multibody part with
common nodes
duplicated nodes
• Shared/matched face(s)
• Shared/matched edge(s)

• There are several techniques to model the

common faces between parts
2 faces
– As parts
common nodes 1 face

duplicated nodes 2 faces
• Shared/matched face(s)
• Shared/matched edge(s)

• As Parts:
– 2 Faces at contact region
– Parts meshed separately

• As Multibody part:
– No contacts, since parts
share common face
– Multibody part meshed
as a whole
DM Attribute

• As Multibody part (w/Imprints):

– Contacts, since each body
has a face
– Multibody part meshed as a
whole
DM Attribute

• Depending on how the user wants the interface

modeled/meshed between two bodies, user can
choose appropriate option
• Using the imprint option in a multibody part
ensures a common interface between 2 parts
• If using Imprint option, there are a few controls to
keep in mind:
– Contact sizing
– Match control: Arbitrary
– Patch independent option:
Match mesh where possible
• Contact Sizing
– Drag and Drop Contact Region into Mesh folder
– Influences the mesh sizing between parts
© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

Mesh
54
isn’t always coincident ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
• Match Control: Arbitrary

– Enforces same node spacing based off
common topology between parts
Undesired penetration of Desired coincident nodes

individual parts with multi-body part using
IMPRINT method and
Match control

• Patch Independent option: Match mesh where

possible
– If “yes” software will try to enforce common
nodes between common faces of a
multibody(imprint) part
– If “no” software will not try
to enforce common nodes
between common faces of
a multibody(imprint) part

Meshing Improvements

Surface meshing
• Improved surface mesh quality

– Eliminate poor-quality mesh clusters
– Improved curvature based refinement controls
• 2D inflation controls
– 2D Planar models
– Shell models
• Respect new sizing controls
• Improved auto-blocker robustness/consistency

Meshing Update
More uniform surface mesh:

R11 R12

Meshing Update

R11 R12

Meshing Update
R12
R11

2D inflation controls
• 2D planar model

2D inflation controls
• 2D shell model

Tetrahedral meshing
• Mix and Match Tetrahedral and Sweep methods

• TGrid Tetra AFT meshing method
• Improved patch independent robustness
• Improved consistency of controls

Mapped
Combination of methods bodies

Tetrahedral meshing
R11 R12

Inflation
• Refactor inflation for ease of use – best of what Fluent,

CFX and ICEM CFD have to offer
• Improved Multibody part handling
• Smooth Transition
• Collision avoidance:
– Stair-stepping
– Layer compression
• Preview Inflation
• Pre vs. Post inflation
• Sweeping:
– Pure hex or wedge

Mapped
Inflation: Multibody parts bodies

Smooth Transition:
• Smooth Transition option added to provide layer by

layer smoothing to achieve good transition to tet
mesh
• Transition ratio controls inflation to tet transition
CFX Default Fluent Default

Inflation: Stair-stepping vs.
Compression
Layer Compression: Stairstepping:

Compression

Compression

Preview Inflation:
• Inflation preview added to help identify possible

problems with inflation

Hex Meshing
• In Workbench there are several methods for

hex meshing:
– Default Sweep
– Thin Sweep
– Hex Dominant
– MultiZone

Hex Meshing in R12
• R12 brings the following improvements:

– Default Sweep
• Improved inflation
• More control over mesh type: quad, quad/tri, tri
– Thin Sweep
• Support for body level (multibody parts)
• Multiple elements through thickness for parts
– MultiZone
• New option that extends all hex or hex dominant
meshing to more complex parts

Sweep: Inflation
• Inflation with sweeping generates a hex mesh

Sweep: Face mesh type
• Option for free face mesh type in sweep

Thin solid sweep meshing
• Improved robustness
• Works at body level with other methods
Thin
Sweep
General
Sweep

• Multiple elements through thickness

for single body parts

• Multibody part meshing

Swept meshing - MultiZone
• MultiZone sweep meshing

– Automatic geometry decomposition
– Multiple/single source/target
– Mapped/Free meshing
– Inflation

MultiZone
• Automatic geometry decomposition

– With the sweep method, this part would have to be sliced into 5
bodies to get a pure hex mesh

MultiZone
• Automatic geometry decomposition

– With MultiZone, this can be meshed with pure hex mesh without
any geometry decomposition.

MultiZone
• Multiple source imprinting

– Imprints from multiple sources and cross sections can be swept

MultiZone
• Multi-source/multi-directional imprinting

MultiZone
• Multibody part handling

– Multiple parts are meshed with conformal mesh at shared interface.

MultiZone: Multiple Zones
• Free decomposition
– Face topology is used to construct solid regions or blocks.
Each block can be swept independently provided the mesh is
conformal.

MultiZone: Free decomposition
• Using Free Mesh Type, MultiZone can be used to

get a hex mesh where possible, and free mesh
everywhere else, without slicing.

MultiZone: Free decomposition
• MultiZone unstructured/free regions can be filled

with:
Free Mesh Type = Tetra
Free Mesh Type = Hexa Dominant
Free Mesh Type = Hexa Core

MultiZone with inflation
• MultiZone with inflation

MultiZone with inflation
• MultiZone with inflation and free blocks

Mesh Metrics
• Mesh metrics added

– Mesh level, part level and body level
• Worst element display

Performance & Data-integration
Improvements
• Performance Improvements:
– Multibody part mesh memory utilization & speed
improved
– General memory reduction and speed improvements
• Improved Data-Integration:
– Named Selections stored to ACMO for use in CFX-Pre
– Fluent output improved
– CGNS output added
– Write ICEM CFD Files option for easier transfer to
ICEM CFD.

Thank you for your time!

R12 Meshing Feature Presentation

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Workbench Meshing

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 2 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Workbench process automation:

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 3 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Meshing comes as a cell of a Workbench Analysis

• Regardless of what System the Mesh/Model cell is

• There are four physics preferences in the Meshing

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Because the meshing is highly automated, the meshing

For demonstration purposes

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 6 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• In the following slides, we will see how mesh methods

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 7 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• As demonstrated, Meshing in Workbench is designed to

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 8 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Let’s look at an assembly model:

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 9 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 10 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Mesh Controls (Virtual Topology):

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 11 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Mesh Controls (Auto VT):

Let’s take a look at

• Mesh Controls (Sizing):

Now let’s apply

• Mesh Controls (Pinch):

• Mesh Control (Mapped Face):

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 15 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Mesh Methods and Controls:

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 16 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• The controls that were added are stored as objects in the

• These controls persist to design changes

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 17 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 18 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Next generation solution for GAMBIT and CFX-

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 19 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Physics-based mesh controls

• R12 first release targeting Fluent needs using

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 21 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Automated CFD meshing process:

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 22 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• 3D Bodies (Zones) Solid/Fluid:

– Display of Solid/Fluid indicates type

• Program Controlled Inflation:

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 24 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Efficient meshing for physics:

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 25 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Only faces of rigid body in contact get meshed

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 26 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Only edges of rigid sheet in contact get meshed

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 27 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• More automated way of meshing Gaskets

Quadratic faces on source/target

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

• Instances defined in Pro/E, Solidworks, etc. are

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 29 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Meshing speed improvement

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 30 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Overall speed improvements

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 31 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Match control to copy mesh to similar topologies

© 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 32 ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

• Support for side/corner