Method for producing a mesh of quadrilateral/hexahedral elements for a body to be analyzed using finite element analysis

• US 5,729,670 A
• Filed: 01/16/1996
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Strumolo, Gary Steven, Palle, Nagendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US08/586,533
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 395/119, 395/120, 395/123, 395/124, 364/578, 364/570, 364/512, 364/735, 364/736
• US Class Current: 345/423
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation

Abstract

Meshes for finite element analysis are formed by characterizing two or three dimensional bodies as passages for fluid flow. For a two dimensional body, the body perimeter is discretized and two portions of the perimeter are selected as inlet and outlet ends; the remainder serves as solid walls through which fluid cannot flow. A potential flow problem is solved for streamlines extending from inlet nodes to the outlet. Intersections of grid lines and streamlines determine interior inlet nodes on the surface. Quadrilaterals covering the surface are formed by connecting the nodes. For a three dimensional body, bounding surfaces are selected: one of the surfaces being an inlet surface and another of the surfaces being an outlet surface. The inlet is processed as described. A three dimensional potential flow problem from the inlet to the outlet is then solved. A series of grid planes are formed generally transverse to the three dimensional streamlines and progressing from the inlet to the outlet. The point of intersection of each streamline with the grid planes define flow nodes. For three dimensional meshes, neighboring nodes are connected to form quadrilaterals on each grid plane and these quadrilaterals are connected to quadrilaterals on neighboring grid planes to form hexahedra until the entire three dimensional body is filled.

Claims

1. A method for producing a mesh of hexahedral elements for a body to be analyzed using finite element analysis comprising the steps of:

generating a solid model of a body to be analyzed;

defining bounding surfaces of said body;

selecting an inlet surface and an outlet surface from said bounding surfaces for said body;

discretizing edges of said inlet surface of said body;

assigning an inlet end and an outlet end for said inlet surface;

solving for the potential flow from said inlet end to said outlet end for said inlet surface;

computing inlet streamlines for potential flows from said inlet end to said outlet end for said inlet surface;

defining a series of inlet grid lines which are generally transverse to said inlet streamlines and progressively spaced from said inlet end of said inlet surface to said outlet end of said inlet surface;

defining inlet nodes where said grid lines intersect said inlet streamlines and said edges of said inlet surface outside of said inlet end of said inlet surface;

building quadrilaterals by connecting said inlet nodes to one another;

solving for the potential flow from said inlet surface to said outlet surface for said body;

computing solid streamlines for potential flows from said inlet nodes of said inlet surface to said outlet surface;

defining a series of grid planes which are generally transverse to said solid streamlines and progressively spaced from said inlet surface to said outlet surface;

defining flow nodes where said solid streamlines intersect said grid planes and said outlet surface; and

connecting said inlet nodes and said flow nodes to define hexahedra elements for said body.

2. A method for producing a mesh of elements for a body to be analyzed using finite element analysis comprising the steps of:

generating a model of a body to be analyzed, said body having at least one surface;

discretizing edges of said at least one surface;

assigning an inlet end and outlet end for said at least one surface;

solving for the potential flow from said inlet end to said outlet end for said at least one surface;

computing two dimensional streamlines for potential flows from said inlet end to said outlet end for said at least one surface;

defining a series of grid lines which are generally transverse to said two dimensional streamlines and progressively spaced from said inlet end of said at least one surface to said outlet end of said at least one surface;

defining nodes where said grid lines intersect said two dimensional streamlines and said edges of said at least one surface outside of said inlet end of said at least one surface; and

building quadrilaterals by connecting said nodes to one another.

3. A method for producing a mesh of elements for a body to be analyzed using finite element analysis as claimed in claim 2 wherein said body is a three dimensional body and further comprising the steps of:

defining bounding surfaces of said body, said bounding surfaces including said at least one surface;

selecting said at least one surface as an inlet surface for said body;

selecting an outlet surface from remaining bounding surfaces for said body;

solving for the potential flow from said inlet surface to said outlet surface for said body;

computing three dimensional streamlines for potential flows from said nodes of said inlet surface to said outlet surface;

defining a series of grid planes which are generally transverse to said three dimensional streamlines and progressively spaced from said inlet surface to said outlet surface;

defining flow nodes where said three dimensional streamlines intersect said grid planes and said outlet surface; and

connecting said nodes of said inlet surface and said flow nodes to define hexahedra elements for said body.