Meshing Methods (ANSYS Meshing)

Meshing is an integral part of the computer-aided engineering simulation process.

The mesh influences the accuracy, convergence and speed of the solution.
Furthermore, the time it takes to create and mesh a model is often a significant
portion of the time it takes to get results from a CAE solution. From easy,
automatic meshing to a highly crafted mesh, ANSYS provides the ultimate
solution. Once the best design is found, meshing technologies from ANSYS
provide the flexibility to produce meshes that range in complexity from pure hex
to highly detailed hybrid; a user can put the right mesh in the right place and
ensure that a simulation will accurately validate the physical model.
Meshing Process in ANSYS Meshing :

Physics preference in ANSYS Meshing are : Mechanical, Electromagnetics,

CFD and Explicit.

Meshing methods available for 3D bodies : Automatic, Tetrahedrons, MultiZone,

Hex Dominant, Sweep, CutCell.

R.Tamizharasan

tamizharasan@ankuraa.in

Meshing methods available for 2D bodies : Automatic Method (Quad Dominant),

Triangles, Uniform Quad/Tri, Uniform Quad.

1. Automatic Meshing Method, if you select the automatic method control, the
body will be swept if possible. Otherwise, Tetrahedrons (Patch Conforming) is
used.

R.Tamizharasan

tamizharasan@ankuraa.in

The global Element Midside Nodes option allows you to control whether meshes
are to be created with midside nodes (quadratic elements/second order) or without
midside nodes (linear elements/first order). Reducing the number of midside
nodes reduces the number of degrees of freedom. Choices for the global Element
Midside Nodes option include Program Controlled, Dropped, and Kept.

Program Controlled is the default. For surface bodies and beam

models, Program Controlled is identical to the Dropped option described below.
For solid bodies and 2-D models, Program Controlled is identical to
the Kept option described below.
The Dropped option removes midside nodes on all elements. Examples shown
below are for a solid body.

The Kept option retains midside nodes on elements created in the part or body.
All elements will have midside nodes.
3

R.Tamizharasan

tamizharasan@ankuraa.in

2. Tetrahedron/Hybrid Meshing Method, where an all tetrahedral mesh is

created. An algorithm setting is displayed allowing you to choose how the
tetrahedral mesh is created based on your choice of one of the following options:

a)

b)
1.
2.

3.

Patch Conforming Algorithm for Tetrahedrons Methods Control:

1. Bottom up approach : Meshing process starts from edge, face and then
body
2. All faces and their boundaries are respected and meshed
3. Good for clean CAD geometries
Patch Independent Algorithm for Tetrahedrons Method Control :
Top down approach : The volume mesh is generated first, and this is
projected on to faces and edges to create the surface mesh
The faces and their boundaries (edges and vertices) are not necessarily
respected if they fall under a specified tolerance, unless there is a named
selection, load, boundary condition or other object scoped to them
Good for gross de-featuring of dirty CAD geometries

R.Tamizharasan

tamizharasan@ankuraa.in

Patch Conforming Method. Faces, edges and proximities are respected and
resolved.

Patch Independent Method. Defined name selections before grid generation

process.
3. Hex Dominant Meshing Method, where a free hex dominant mesh is created.
This option is recommended for bodies that cannot be swept.

The mesh contains a combination of tet and pyramid cells with majority of cell
being of hex type. Hex dominant meshing reduced element count.

R.Tamizharasan

tamizharasan@ankuraa.in

4. Sweep Meshing Method, a sweep mesh is forced on sweepable bodies

(including axis-sweepable bodies, which are not displayed when you use the
show sweepable bodies feature). The mesher will fail if a swept mesh cannot be
generated on a body with a sweep method control.

ANSYS Meshing can find sweepable bodies in the geometry automatically.

5. Multi Zone Meshing Method, based on blocking approach used in ANSYS

ICEM CFD Hexa. It automatically generates a pure hexahedral mesh where
possible and then fills the more difficult to capture regions with unstructured
mesh. The Multi Zone mesh method and the Sweep mesh method operate
similarly; however, Multi Zone has capabilities that make it more suitable for a
class of problems for which the Sweep method would not work without extensive
geometry decomposition.
6

R.Tamizharasan

tamizharasan@ankuraa.in

R.Tamizharasan

tamizharasan@ankuraa.in