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Workshop 5.

2
Fluid and Structural Meshes for an Auto Manifold

ANSYS Meshing Application Introduction

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Goals

Training Manual

This workshop demonstrates the creation of a mesh suitable for a conjugate heat transfer (CHT) flow simulation, or a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation. However, the geometry presents potential difficulties.
The geometry contains two bodies. One represents a solid manifold and the other the fluid region. The mesh in the fluid body will be of CFD quality, with inflation, whilst the solid mesh will be of structural quality. The Patch Independent mesh method is used to avoid problems arising from the nature of the CAD (see later). This same geometry will later be meshed using with the Patch Conforming Method with Virtual Topology in Workshop A.1.

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Open Workbench

Training Manual

1. Launch ANSYS 12.0 Workbench (WB) from the START menu 2. Click on Component Systems in the Toolbox on the LHS of the WB main panel 3. Double click the Mesh option

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Geometry Import

Training Manual

4. Right click on the Geometry button in the RHS of the WB panel and select Import geometry.

5. Import the Auto-manifold.agdb file 6. Double click on the Mesh button (in cell A3) to launch the Meshing Application
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Geometry Review
7.

Training Manual

The geometry was created by importing an IGES file for the manifold into DesignModeler and extracting the fluid region. On the right-hand-side of the screen, Select Mechanical for the Physics Select Automatic for the Meshing Method, then OK that window. The units of the geometry should be set to mm.

*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.

8. Named Selections were created in DesignModeler. Expand the Named Selections object and click on each to see where they have been applied. If you cannot see the Named Selections in the Meshing Application, see next slide.

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

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Named Selections

Training Manual

If the Named Selections dont appear in the Meshing Application, it is probably because the option to bring them in is switched off. Activate the option by right clicking on the Geometry button on the Project Page, and then select Properties. Ensure Named Selections is checked, and the Selection Key is blank. Right-Click on Geometry and select Update Right-Click on Mesh and select Refresh

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

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Problem Geometry

Training Manual

The geometry includes many faces of various sizes and shapes and this would lead to problems for Patch Conforming methods. Virtual Topology could be an option to address this, but instead a Patch Independent approach will be used.
Short edge

Narrow sliver faces

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

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Surface Meshes

Training Manual

refinement

small angles

Patch Conforming Method Short edges unwanted refinement and too many elements. Cusps and narrow faces poor quality elements with small angles.

Patch Independent Method Mesh not constrained by geometry. Coarser mesh possible. Elements are more regular in size and shape.
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. April 28, 2009 Inventory #002645

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Inserting the Mesh Method


9. Left click on Mesh in the tree and check its details
Make sure the Physics preference is set to Mechanical
This ensures that the solid body will have a mesh suitable for structural mechanics

Training Manual

Cursor Modes

10. Assign the Meshing method:


Set the Cursor Mode to Body RMB (Window) select Select All RMB select Insert -> Method
Depending on your Workbench settings, sometimes a default Mesh Method is already created for you. You can either delete it and create the new one, or modify its details as follows.

11. Set Details of Method


Set the Method to Tetrahedrons Set Algorithm to Patch Independent Set Max Element Size to 10 mm Set Min Size Limit to 2.5 mm
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Tetrahedral Mesh with Inflation

Setting Element Size for Fluid Region


12. Body Sizing
Maintain the Cursor Mode of Body Selection Select the Fluid body RMB (Window) select Insert -> Sizing

Training Manual

13. Set Details of Body Sizing


Set Element Size to 5 mm

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

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Adding a Boundary Layer Mesh to the Fluid


19. Insert Inflation
Maintain the Cursor Mode of Body Selection Select the Solid Body RMB (Window) select Suppress Body RMB (Window) select Select All RMB (Window) select Insert Inflation

Training Manual

20. Set Details of Inflation


Set the Cursor Mode to Face selection To select Inflation on all wall surfaces:
Pick one face Drop down the Extend menu and Extend to Limits Apply selection
126 Faces

Change Inflation Option


Total Thickness

Set Maximum Thickness to 5 mm


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

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Volume Mesh Generation


21. Mesh the Bodies
Set the Cursor Mode to Body selection RMB (in Window) select Unsuppress all Bodies RMB (in Tree) select Generate Mesh In Statistics set Mesh Metrics to Skewness
Around 150 000 elements were created with a worst skewness of about 0.9

Training Manual

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

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Review Volume Mesh


22. Review the Mesh

Training Manual

Examine the surface mesh of the fluid region to see that it does not conform to the underlying surface topology
You can Hide the solid mesh region to make this easier by right clicking on it in the geometry part of the Tree

Try using a Section Plane (

) to look at the interior of the mesh

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Conclusion
23. The mesh is now complete
RMB (Tree) select Update
This ensures everything in the project so far is up to date

Training Manual

Select File > Close Mesh to close the Mesh application In the WB panel select File > Save Project As and give the project a name Exit from ANSYS Workbench by selecting File > Exit

Note: Because the Mechanical mesh preference was used, the mesh elements will contain midside nodes. This is a benefit for mechanical analysis which can use higher order tetrahedral elements. If the mesh is then used for CFD, these midside nodes will be automatically ignored.

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