Workshop 4.

1
Effect of Global and Local Controls on Mesh Size and Quality

ANSYS Meshing Application Introduction

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April 28, 2009 Inventory #002645

Common Mesh Controls

Goals
This workshop will illustrate the use and effect of global and local mesh sizing controls including use of the Curvature and Proximity features in the Advanced Size function The geometry has both thinwalled regions and regions of high local curvature

Training Manual

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April 28, 2009 Inventory #002645

Common Mesh Controls

Specifying Geometry
1. Copy the tee.agdb file from the files folder to your working directory 2. Start Workbench and double-click the Mesh entry in the Component Systems panel at the right 3. Right-click on Geometry in the Mesh entry in the Project Schematic and select Import Geometry/Browse 4. Browse to the tee.agdb file you copied and click Open 5. Note that the Geometry entry in the Project Schematic now has a green check mark indicating that geometry has been specified
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

Training Manual

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Common Mesh Controls

Meshing Options
7. Right-click on Mesh and click Edit to open the Ansys Meshing 8. *On the Meshing Options Panel at the right, set the Physics Preference to Mechanical and the Mesh Method to Patch Conforming Tetrahedrons and click OK. 9. Look in the Mesh Outline and verify that the Patch Conforming Method has been assigned to the single body in the geometry *Note: If you are using ANSYS V14.0 or more recent versions of ANSYS then you will not see the Meshing Options panel at the start of ANSYS Meshing. You will still be able to set the Physics Preference and insert any Mesh Methods manually.

Training Manual

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Common Mesh Controls

Default Mechanical Mesh

10. Left click on Mesh expand the Sizing and Statistics Entries. Select Skewness as the Mesh Metric. Right click on Mesh and Generate the Mesh. Note the coarseness of the mesh and the statistics.

Training Manual

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Common Mesh Controls

CFD Mesh
11. Change the Physics Preference to CFD and the Solver Preference to Fluent. Verify that the Advanced Size Option is set to Curvature 12. Right-click on Mesh and generate the mesh. Notice the much finer mesh and the improvement in the mesh metric.

Training Manual

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Common Mesh Controls

Section Plane
13. Orient the Model view so that it is edge on as shown. Click on the new section plane icon 14. Draw a section plane that splits the model down the middle. Orient the view so that it is parallel to the axis of the tee. Click on the Show Whole Elements icon. Note that there is only one element through the thickness of the thin regions

Training Manual

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Common Mesh Controls

Adding Proximity Sensing

15. Click in the Use Advanced Size Function and change the setting to On: Proximity and Curvature. This will add proximity sensing to the meshing algorithm. 16. Leave the view as is with the Section Plane active. Generate the mesh again (this will take some time). Note that there are now multiple elements across the thickness and the large increase in mesh count.

Training Manual

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Common Mesh Controls

Increasing the Minimum Size

17. Click in the Minimum Size box in the Mesh Settings and enter 0.005 for the Min Size. 18. Regenerate the mesh Note that there are still multiple elements across the thickness but the mesh count is considerable smaller.

Training Manual

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Common Mesh Controls

Using a Face Sizing

19. Set the Advanced Size Function back to Curvature and toggle off the section plane 20. Right-click on the mesh entry in the Outline and insert a Sizing. Pick the outer cylindrical face as shown and click Apply.

Training Manual

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Common Mesh Controls

Face Sizing
21. Set the element size to 0.005 [m]. Regenerate the mesh. Notice that the mesh on the selected face is finer than the mesh on adjacent faces.

Training Manual

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April 28, 2009 Inventory #002645

Common Mesh Controls

Face Sizing

Training Manual

22. Toggle the Section Plane back on and orient the view so that it is parallel to the axis of the tee. Note that there are only multiple elements through the thin sections where the face sizing is active

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

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April 28, 2009 Inventory #002645

Common Mesh Controls

Coodinate System for Sphere of Influence

23. Right click on Coordinate Systems and insert a Coordinate System. Set the Define By option to Global Coordinates and enter [0 [m], 0.1 [m], and 0.08 [m]) as the Origin X, Y, and Z. With the Section Plane toggled off, the coordinate system should appear as shown below.

Training Manual

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Common Mesh Controls

Body Sizing (Sphere of Influence)

24. Suppress the Face Sizing via a right-click. 25. Right click on Mesh and insert a Sizing. Pick the Body and set the Type to Sphere of Influence. Click in the Sphere Center entry box and select the Coordinate system you created.

Training Manual

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Common Mesh Controls

Body Sizing
26. Set the Sphere Radius to 0.01 [m] and the Element Size to 0.005 [m]. The model display will update to preview the extent of the Sphere of Influence.

Training Manual

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Common Mesh Controls

Body Sizing
27. Regenerate the mesh with the Section Plane toggled off. Note the limited extent of the Sphere of Influence.

Training Manual

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Common Mesh Controls

Body Sizing

Training Manual

28. Toggle the Section Plane back on and rotate the view so that it is parallel to the axis. Note there are only multiple elements through the thin regions near the Sphere of Influence.

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