Roopesh Mathur

GAMBIT Tips and Tricks

May 24, 2006

2006 CFD Summit Share . Inspire . Learn . Connect

Agenda

GAMBIT Overview

CAD Import

Geometry Operations

Meshing Operations

Meshing Strategies

Summary and Conclusions

2
GAMBIT Overview

GAMBIT Defaults

Journal Files

Forms and Picking Geometry

3
 GAMBIT Defaults

GAMBIT Defaults are
environmental variables
which affect:
• User Environment
• Meshing Characteristics
• Geometry

Use Edit Defaults to

customize default settings
• For example, set
GLOBAL.GENERAL.SOLVER =
2 for Polyflow use
• Save defaults in
~/Gambit.ini file

More information on the defaults is in the Gambit Defaults
Guide in GAMBIT Documentation.
4
Journal Files

Journal File:
• Executable list of Gambit commands
• Created automatically by Gambit from GUI and TUI.
• Can be edited or created externally with text editor.
• Executed in Run Journal or Edit/Run (Interactive mode)
• Small text files – easy to store or e-mail.
Uses:
• Can be parameterized, comments can be added
• Easy recovery from a crash or power loss
• edit existing commands to create new ones

5
 Journal Files

Extracting lost journal file from existing database file
gambit –res(torejournal) journalfile –id
database

Tips to minimize impact when running old journal

files
• Use default GUI.GENERAL.JOURNAL_ENTITY = 1 or 2 to
generate ID independent labels, if possible
0 – journal original labels (default)
1 – journal lastid, i.e. creation order
2 – journal entity location
• Set GEOMETRY.VOLUME.BOOLEAN_METHOD = 0 to use old
Boolean/imprinting method
• Set
GEOMETRY.GENERAL.REAL_LABEL_CHANGE_MINIMIZATION
= 0 when running Gambit 2.0 journal files
• Set GEOMETRY.FACE.VIRTUAL_FACE_SPLIT_METHOD = 0 to
get old behavior
6
 Picking Geometric Entities: Pick Lists

Pick Lists
• Open the Pick List by clicking on the arrow and move
entities between Available and Picked lists.

Available Entities Picked Entities

Using picking filter

• Picking based on real/virtual
meshed/unmeshed entities

7
 Picking Geometric Entities: Mouse

Picking by dragging a box over entities
Picking ‘partially included’
entities when dragging box Picking ‘completely included’ entities
diagonally down when dragging box diagonally up

Using mouse and cursor: Shift + …

• Left mouse: initial pick, additional picks
• Middle mouse: modify pick
• Right mouse: ‘Apply’ or next list box
8
Color by Zone Type/ID

Option to color zones by zone type or by zone ID
• Similar to Fluent and TGrid
• GRAPHICS.GENERAL.ZONECOLOR_TYPE = [0, 1]

0 – color by ID 1 – color by type

Change the default black background color

• GRAPHICS.GENERAL.WINDOWS_BACKGROUND_COLOR

9
CAD Import

CAD Import Options in GAMBIT

CAD Interoperability Issues

10
CAD Import

GAMBIT offers many options for
importing geometry from CAD systems.
• Direct Translation options for standard CAD
kernels (ACIS, Parasolids, CATIA)
• Standard translation options (STEP and
IGES)
• ProE options: Direct and STEP import
• Faceted/Mesh Import options: FLUENT, STL
etc.

GAMBIT has specialized tools for

dealing with CAD Geometry issues.
• Translation problems, defect removal and
simplification issues

11
 CAD Interoperability Issues

CAD interoperability, or the ability to share a CAD model
across different applications has been a challenge for
industrial engineers.

The key issues affecting CAD interoperability are:

• Model quality in the originating CAD system: missing parts,
invalid definition, lack of connectivity, integrity.
• System-specific Semantics: Customized features and
localized flavors translate poorly across systems.
• Differences in tolerance: CAD systems often use a loose
(1e-03) tolerance, which is not sufficient for GAMBIT (1e-06).
• Limitations of translation: Data types do not have one-to-
one correspondence across different systems with different
definitions, which leads to approximation by the translators and
receiving system.

This can lead to “dirty” or disconnected geometry when

imported into GAMBIT.

12
 CAD Interoperability Strategies

Some specific strategies users can pursue to reduce
interoperability issues:
• Upstream end (originating CAD system)
• Use of a tighter or absolute tolerance (closer to 1e-06)
• Use of solid or native CAD models rather than wireframe.
• If using neutral formats like STEP, importing the data back for a
loop test to ascertain that the solid model can be recreated.

• Methods which are specifically developed for translation:

• STEP Export/Import
• Feature based translation
• Direct Translation/Interfaces with upstream CAD kernel (ProE/
others under development)

• Downstream end (GAMBIT): Tolerant Modeling, Smooth/Heal,

Cleanup Tools
• Please refer to the “CAD for CFD” document on the USC and
the CAD Connections lecture.
13
Geometry Operations

Checking geometry

Repairing Geometry
• Smoothing
• Healing

Geometry Construction tools

Booleans

Cleanup Tools: Virtual Operations

14
Checking Geometry

Geometry imported or created needs to be
checked for integrity, connectivity and
completeness.
• Integrity: corrupt or degenerate volumes, faces or
edges
• Connectivity: Disconnected faces or edges, slivers.
• Completeness: Missing volumes, faces or edges

Geometry can be checked using visual or

ACIS-based checks.
• Visual Checking: Color by Entity or Color by
Connectivity
• ACIS based Checks: Checks selected geometry
for topological and geometric consistency.

15
 Color by Entity

Check import of volumes/faces using entity based
coloring
• Vertices (white), edges (yellow), faces (light blue), volumes
(green), groups (dark green)
• Virtual/faceted geometry identified by label (v_*/f_*), picking
filter, and color coding
• Vertices (darkkhaki), edges (peru), faces (dodgerblue),
volumes (springgreen)

16
Color by Connectivity

Check connectivity using connectivity based
coloring
• White: Stand-alone vertex or edge
• Orange: Vertex connected to only one edge, or edge
connected to only one face (i.e. unconnected face!)
• Blue: Vertex connected to exactly two edges, or edge
connected to exactly two faces (i.e. connected face)
• Magenta: Vertex connected to three or more edges, or
edge connected to three or more faces (e.g. internal face)

17
 ACIS Based Checks

Checks for geometrical and topological
inconsistencies
• Geometric consistency: Assesses model
parametric/geometric continuity and distances between
connected geometry.
• Topology consistency: Assesses model for consistency
in organization (how geometry is constructed or virtual
guest-host relationships)
• Setting
GEOMETRY.GENERAL.REAL_GEOMETRY_CHECK_SUMMARY to
1 will produce a detailed report.

• Geometry not C1 or G1
• Indicates lack of parametric/geometric continuity
• Real operations (booleans, splits, sweeps) may fail
• Can use virtual operations as fallback
• Geometry errors do generally not prevent meshing. If the
model can be shaded, then it can likely be meshed.

18
Fixing Geometry Problems

Problems uncovered by the visual and ACIS
checks can be fixed:
• Fix real geometry problems using tolerant
modeling, smoothing or healing the unconnected
entities, or by regenerating entities.
• Fix topology problems by deleting and
reconstructing entities.
• Fix virtual/faceted geometry problems by
deleting (hiding) and reconstructing entities.

19
Tolerant Modeling

Every CAD system uses a minimum
numerical precision (tolerance) for
describing the geometry.
• Coordinates of vertices/points, length of
edges, size of faces, volumes.

The ACIS kernel in GAMBIT uses a high

precision tolerance of 10-6 (6 decimal
places), which may not be matched by the
CAD software in which the geometry was
created.
• Leads to disconnected edges and faces.

Tolerant Modeling is a technique which

uses a variable or floating tolerance to
connect geometry.

20
Tolerant Modeling

Available by activating the Make Tolerant
option during CAD model import.
• Also available after import inside the Heal
Face (or Volume) Form.

Application
• All Geometry files
• Relatively large gaps
• Real ACIS volumes generated during
import.

Boolean operations subsequently possible

• Adding/Subtracting additional geometry
• Volume Extraction
• Retaining only ½ or ¼ of model
• Volume decomposition for better meshing

21
 Smooth/Heal Real Geometry

Geometry imported from other CAD systems
can lack the required accuracy and precision to
render valid or connected ACIS geometry.
• This results from numerical limitations in original
CAD system, neutral file formats, or differences
in tolerances between CAD systems and ACIS.
• Use the check command to verify integrity of
geometry/topology.

• Check the connectivity of geometry using

connectivity-based color coding.

Smoothing and Healing of Real geometry can

help.
• Smoothing is used to remove discontinuities in
geometry.
• Healing is used to detect and correct
inaccuracies in model geometry due to different
tolerances and translator limitations.
• Available in the Smooth/Heal forms or as an
option during CAD Import.

22
Smoothing and Healing Options

Smooth Options:
• Replace Bad Geometry: Removes discontinuities or
“kinks” in geometry.
• Reduce Complexity: Simplifies the spline
representation of geometry by reducing the number of
control points.

Healing options:
• Simplify Geometry: Converts spline geometry to
analytic geometry, whenever possible.
• Stitch Faces: Stitch together faces being healed to
form one or more volumes.
• Repair Geometry: Changes the definition of the edges
and faces of geometry so that the model “fits together”
well, especially at boundaries.

A tolerance is specified for some operations

• The maximum distance between old and new
geometry.
• The maximum size of the gap between faces for Stitch
faces.
• Auto: Automatically calculates the tolerance based on
the size of the geometry being smoothed/healed.
• Manual: User can set tolerance (10-3 by default).

23
Smoothing and Healing Examples

Face
smoothing

Healing Faces

Stitch faces Stitch faces, Repair

options geometry options

24
 Real Geometry Operations

Real geometry operations are those which

operate on Real Geometry and result in the
creation of real geometry, i.e., those
described by precise mathematical formulas.

These operations include:

• Real face from wireframe
• Volume stitch
• Booleans (subtract, unite, intersect) and split

25
 Real Face From Wireframe

Create face from wireframe
• Coplanar edges
• Any number of coplanar edges within ACIS tolerance can be
stitched into a real face
• Non-coplanar edges
• Any 3 or 4 sided non-planar loop can be stitched into real face
• Loops with 5 or more non-planar edges can be stitched into real
face if
• Edge loop is convex
• Edges don’t turn ‘excessively’

Convex Non-coplanar Face Creation

26
 Create Planar Tolerant Face Option
• A planar tolerant real face creation option was introduced in
Gambit 2.2 for non-coplanar edge loops, where the edges are
close to being co-planar.
• Tolerant option ignored if ACIS is able to create non-tolerant face.

Maximum
tolerance
reported in
transcript
window

Tolerance should be smaller than intended mesh size

Turn off final projection of mesh from facets to geometry if tolerance
is larger than mesh size (MESH.FACE.PROJECT_TO_SURFACE = 0)
27
Real Volume Stitch

Volume Stitch is a tolerant operation which
allows you to stitch faces into volumes, with
options to:
• Stitch single or multiple volumes
• Create real, virtual or real and virtual volumes in a
single step.
• Automatic/Manual Tolerance Control.

28
 Advanced Covering

Advanced Covering is a new
capability to construct new
geometry based on existing
geometry or mesh.
• Better quality faces using existing
faces, edges or vertices as a guide.
• Virtual to real conversion using
existing tri surface mesh on any
arbitrarily shaped single loop face.
Example of face creation with and Example of Original virtual face,
without advanced covering Triangulated and Converted into real

29
 New Geometry Operators

Real Vertex-to-Edge Projection

Sweep Vertices Create Vertex at Centroid Split Edge option (Real)

Real Edge-to-Face Projection

• Using “Closest distance”
• Multiple Edge pickers
• Split Face option (Real)

30
 New Virtual Geometry Capabilities

Virtual geometry can now be used in all edge
and face construction tools.
• Example: Net surface creation can be done using
existing virtual edges.

GAMBIT 2.2 GAMBIT 2.3

31
 Plug-In Tools

Plug-ins are extra tools which can be
added to GAMBIT.
• Download plugins to:
• \FLUENT.INC\Gambit2.3.x\plugins
(Windows)
• Home directory (UNIX/LINUX)

• Currently developed plugins

• Split multiple faces with a face
• Create a face via offset
• Control visibility by zone
• Create a brick based on the bounding box
for the current geometry
• Multiple splitting of edges based on equal
spacing or actual length
• Calculate distance between two vertices
• Convex or concave pipe size transitions
• Project multiple edges onto multiple faces

32
 Option to Stitch Single or Multiple
Volumes

Option to stitch single or multiple volumes
• Automatic addition of missing (connected) faces for single
volume
• Extra faces which do not form a closed set automatically
discarded for multiple volumes
• Single volume stitch can handle voids and dangling
faces.
Single volume
stitch
(adds faces
automatically)

Multiple
volumes stitch
(discards extra
faces)
33
 Real Boolean Operations

Why Boolean operations can fail:
• Poor geometric quality, complex topology
• Difficulties in finding imprints of connected entities
• Two imprinting algorithms available
GEOMETRY.VOLUME.BOOLEAN_METHOD = 0, 1
• A value of 0 turns on global imprinting (more difficult)
• A value of 1 (the default value) allows local imprinting only.
• Generally stable but requires subsequent bidirectional split.

• NURBS surfaces do not represent cylinders and

spheres exactly. Boolean between ‘coincident’
analytic and NURBS surfaces are unpredictable

34
 Imprinting in Boolean Operations
GEOMETRY.VOLUME.BOOLEAN_METHOD = 1
Local imprinting

Unite cylinder with left cube

GEOMETRY.VOLUME.BOOLEAN_METHOD = 0

Global imprinting

35
Failing Real Split Operations

What to do if real split operation of entity A
with B fails
• Copy/Heal option
• Copy B (and heal if needed), delete the original B
• Perform the split operation, reconnect before meshing

• Intersection/Subtraction option
• Intersect A with B while retaining A
• Subtract the result (intersection) from A while retaining
the tool
• Connect before meshing

• Clean geometry through mesh export/import

36
Virtual Geometry Operations

‘Overlay’ technology
• Tool of choice to clean-up and simplify imported geometry
• Needed when tolerant modeling and healing/smoothing are
not sufficient
• Modifies size and shape of boundary surfaces while being
constrained by underlying ‘host’ geometry definition
• Represents same geometry but different topology
• Can be derived from real, virtual, or faceted geometry
• Limited use for Boolean operations
• Semi-automatic virtual clean-up tool available

Three real faces merged

into one virtual face
37
Virtual Geometry Operations

Merge: Replaces two connected entities
(edge/face/volume) with a single virtual entity
• Only volumes can be merged in real

Split: Partitions an individual entity

(edge/face/volume) into two or more connected
virtual entities

Connect: Combines two individual unconnected

entities (vertex/edge/face) into a single virtual entity
• Connect entities by connecting lower order topology
• Virtual connect can bridge relatively large gaps in
model, larger than ACIS tolerance of 1.0e-6

Collapse: Splits a face and merges the resulting

with two neighboring faces

Simplify Faces: Removes dangling edges

38
Face Connect with T-junction splits

New functionality to ensure connectivity
between non-aligned faces.
• Utilizes projections, splits, and connects
• For real and virtual geometry, resulting
geometry is always virtual
• Easy connecting of poorly matching faces.
• Allows imprinting of complex half geometry on
symmetry planes.

39
Connect Preserving Mesh

Preserve higher topology mesh during edge and face connect
• Mesh on unconnected entities must be topologically equivalent, but
can have different grading
• Might require mesh smoothing after connect operation

Allows easier meshing of geometry of repeated patterns
• Copy geometry using ‘mesh unlinked’ option before connecting.

40
 Virtual Face Splits

Face splits by
• Face (Virtual)
• Set GEOMETRY.FACE.VIRTUAL_FACE_FACE_SPLIT to
1 in defaults
• Bi-directional option
• Try exporting surface meshes and splitting imported
faceted faces if virtual face split fails
• Edges (Virtual)
• Endpoints of splitting edge need to be connected to
edges of face
• Tolerance for edge proximity to face
• Vertices (Virtual)
• Tolerance option for vertex proximity to face
• Can produce dangling edges
• ‘Shaped edge’ option
• Locations (Virtual)
• Locations snap to edges near boundaries
• Manually drag and position temporary ‘Locations’
• ‘Shaped edge’ option

41
 Decomposing Virtual Volumes

Volume splits by
• Faces (Virtual)
• All split tool faces must be
connected together
• Must share boundary edges with
volume boundary
• If volume split fails (rarely), make
volume invisible (keep lower
topology visible) and stitch together
desired volumes
• Locations (Virtual)
• Easy tool to split virtual volumes
• Manually drag and position
temporary ‘Locations’
• Splitting volumes with voids not
supported

42
Adjusting Virtual Geometry

Adjust virtual geometry using the ‘slide virtual
vertex’ tool
Vertices can be adjusted after meshing
(might require subsequent smoothing of
mesh)

43
Semi-Automated Cleanup Tools

Clean up on models
containing a large number of
faces can be tedious.

Cleanup Tools can semi-

automate this process using
virtual and real operations.
• Locate problem areas
• Suggest repair method
• Perform repair operation

The Cleanup tools are

available from the Tools menu
in GAMBIT.

44
Semi-Automated Cleanup Tools

Quickly identify, zoom in, highlight areas that cause connectivity and
mesh quality problems.
• Appropriate tools to fix problems are given.
• Graphics color coding set to connectivity based coloring.
• Graphics window pivot set to mouse.

Available Cleanup tools:

• Clean up Short Edges
• Clean up Holes
• Clean up Cracks
• Clean up Sharp Angles
• Clean up Large Angles
• Clean up Small Faces
• Clean up Hard Edges
• Clean up Fillets
• Clean up Duplicate Geometry
• Select Cleanup Domain

45
Clean Up Short Edges

Tools to identify and highlight the problem
spot
• Cleanup domain
• Select whole model or group
• Maximum length: upper limit
• Default: 10* shortest edge in the Cleanup
domain
• Items List: candidates for cleanup operation
based on Cleanup domain and Maximum
length
• Current length: length of currently picked
edge
• Update: updates the Items list
• Required when Maximum length is modified

• Zoom
• In/Out: quick auto zoom in on or from the
picked items
• Auto: automatically zooms in on selected
item

46
Clean Up Short Edges

Tools to identify and highlight the
problem spot
• Local: current item + all faces
connected to it
• Visible: make everything else invisible
• Shade: shade the local objects

Options to Apply Cleanup Tool
• Apply: applies appropriate fix to
selected item
• A/N: (Apply/Next) applies appropriate
fix to selected item and automatically
picks the next item in the list. The view
is changed.
• Auto: entire list is processes
automatically (only works for the
Method: Edge merge)
• Ignore: removes selected item from list
and selects next item
• Restore: the list is restored

47
Meshing Operations

Size Functions

Boundary Layers
• GAMBIT 2.3 Enhancements

Meshing Tips and Tricks

48
Size Functions

Control mesh distribution on faces and in volumes
• Eliminate the need to premesh edges manually
• Automatically capture important geometry and flow features
• Ensure high-quality meshes

Primarily designed for unstructured meshing
Without Size Function Controlled growth rate with Size Function

49
Size Function Types

Fixed
• Controls mesh element size in a region as a function of distance
from a given location

Curvature
• Controls mesh element size as a function of geometric curvature of
a face or edge and growth of mesh away from source
• Good for highly curved surfaces or edges

Proximity
• Controls the number of of mesh elements in a gap (edge gaps and
face gaps) and growth of mesh away from gap

Meshed
• Uses existing mesh as initial size on source entity
• New Size Function type in Gambit 2.2

50
Fixed Size Function

Requires Source specification Component
sources
• Source is origin of Size Function, center of
region
• Vertices, edges, faces, and volume can be
sources for Fixed Size Function
• Source entity type determines shape of size
function
• Spherical shape around vertex
• Cylindrical shape around straight edge
• Sources can be topologically part of the
attachment (component source) or
independent of attachment (non-component
source)
• Sources can be internal or external

Non-component source

51
 Attachment face
Fixed Size Function

Requires Attachment specification
• Attachment is the mesh to be affected
• Fixed Size Function can be attached to edges,
faces, and volumes Attachment volume
• Attachment is ideally the whole model to ensure
high quality mesh

Parameter specification
• Start size
• Mesh element size at source
• Growth rate
• Geometric stretching of mesh away from source
• Cannot be less than 1.0
• Size limit
• Maximum allowable mesh size for attachment
• No further growth if size limit is reached

52
 Curvature Size Function

Source specification No Size Function
• Curvature of source entities (edges, faces)
used to determine start size

Parameter specification
• Angle
• Maximum allowable angle between any two With Curvature Size
Function
adjacent face normals on source
• 5-30 degrees is reasonable value
• Growth rate
• Size limit
Edges as source entities

53
 Proximity Size Function

Source specification Gap defined by one source face
• Source entities which contain gap
• Gap is volumetric region between
specified faces, or area between
opposing edges of specified face

Parameter specification
• Cells/gap
• Minimum number of mesh cells Gap defined by two source faces
in gap
• Growth rate
• Size limit

54
Meshed Size Function

Ensures that mesh grows controlled away from a
premeshed source entities (edges or faces)
• Very useful after importing mesh
• Local start size taken from premeshed source entities

Parameter specification
• Only growth rate and size limit are required

55
Background Grid Generation

A set of Cartesian boxes forming a grid that bounds the
attachment geometry are generated and refined i.e. split into
smaller boxes.

This successive refinement of the background grid is carried
out until a maximum number of levels of refinement (or “tree
depth”) are reached or the size variation in all the boxes is
less than a specified tolerance limit (“nonlinear error
percent”).
s1 s2 Refined background grid
Sc – (Savg)>
sc tolerance
s3 s4

Source Boundary of Attachment

56
 Background Grid Defaults

Use of the background grid default parameters is key
to obtaining the desired meshes
• TOOLS.SFUNCTION.BGRID_MAX_TREE_DEPTH controls
the maximum refinement of the background grid
• Increase the default value (16) until no cells hit the tree
depth as reported in the transcript window
• A value of –1 puts no limits on the background tree depth,
but makes Size Functions slow for larger models
• TOOLS.SFUNCTION.NONLINEAR_ERR_PERCENT
controls the allowable deviation of the local mesh from
the prescribed mesh size
• Default is 25%, can vary between 3 and 25%
• Number of cells above the prescribed tolerance are
reported in the transcript window
• TOOLS.SFUNCTION.REPORT_BGRID_INFO = 1 turns
reporting in the transcript window on (on by default)

57
Background Grid

Use the Size Function reporting in the Transcript window
• If the mesh is noticeably changing as BGRID_MAX_TREE_DEPTH is increased,
it is a sign that too many background grid cells are hitting the limit.

Background grid level reached

maximum value specified
Size Function not sufficiently
resolved

Ideal background grid

Underresolved BGRID Resolved BGRID

58
 Boundary Layers

Produce high quality cells
near boundary
• Attachment to edges for 2D BL
• Attachment to faces for 3D BL

Uniform or aspect ratio based
BL
• Uniform
• First row height as parameter
• Difficulties on highly curved
geometry

• Aspect ratio based

• Aspect ratio of first cell is
parameter
• Does well in concave corners
• Cannot directly control first cell
height

59
 2D Boundary Layers

Boundary layer shape near vertices
E
depends on
vertex type E

• End (E) type

E
BL mesh butts up against adjoining edge C R E

Overlapped mesh where two BL meet E

• Side (S) type

Angle at vertex is bisected E
S E
Continuous BL
‘Internal continuity’ enforced by manually changing
vertex type to S
• ‘Wedge corner shape’ option for corner (C) and reversal (R)
vertices
WedgeWedge
cornercorner
shape shape off to 2D Wedge
applies BL onlycorner shape on
Can be combined with Cooper tool for quasi-3D BL

60
3D Boundary Layers

Internal continuity
• Allows boundary layers to be
formed without crossover region

Internal continuity ‘on’

Imprinting on adjacent face
• Single default
MESH.VERTEX.MAX_END_ANGLE
(=120o by default) for consistent
imprinting of 2D and 3D BL
Gambit 2.1 Gambit 2.2

Internal continuity ‘off’

61
 3D Boundary Layers
• Different 3D BL settings allowed on
adjacent surfaces.

• Imprinting of 3D BL fails if adjacent

volume has already BL attached
– Modify existing BL instead

• Dangling 3D BL are not supported

62
 Boundary Layers and Cooper Meshing

Both 2-D and 3-D boundary layers can be used with
the Cooper Meshing Scheme:
• If a source face has a 2-D boundary layer attachment on
its edges, (or 3-D imprinted boundary layer), the Cooper
tool will generally create corresponding elements in the
volume.
• 2-D “linked” boundary layers can be used when source
faces are linked (1-to-1 relationship).

Unlinked Linked

63
 Boundary Layers and Cooper Meshing
• 3-D boundary layers are advantageous where there is a
significant twist in the geometry in the Cooper direction to
avoid large change in cell size and thickness due the mesh
projection along the Cooper direction.

2-D boundary layer

on source face is
distorted during
Cooper projection

Undistorted “true”
cells present due to
3-D boundary layer
on side face.

64
 Boundary Layers and Cooper Meshing

• Aspect Ratio based boundary layer can be used to

ensure square cells at the outer layer.

Curvature size
function is
used to dictate
the face mesh
around curved
boundaries.

Source faces are soft linked for 2-D

65
Boundary layers.
 Enhancements to Hexcore Capabilities in GAMBIT
2.3

HexCore Meshing
• New meshing parameters
• Buffer Layers
• Size Limit

• Size Function is not required anymore.

• Leads to faster meshing.

• A Non-conformal mesh is now

produced automatically.
• Use old HexCore with FIDAP by setting
HEXCORE_METHOD = 0 and
QUAD_SURFACE_SPLIT = 0.

• Optimal mesh with Boundary Layers.

• Intersection with boundary layer cap
instead of boundary.

66
 Enhancements to Examine Mesh Form in
GAMBIT 2.3

A new “Size Change“ quality option has
been added.
• Find large size jumps in the mesh between
neighbouring cells.

An Update button has been added to

delay graphics updates until the user
clicks the button.
• Avoids graphics problems when examining large
meshes using selecting multiple options on the
form.

67
GAMBIT 2.3: Meshed Size Function from
Boundary Layer Cap

Meshed Size Function
starting from Boundary
Layer cap is now available in
the Mesh Volume form for
tetrahedral meshing (Tgrid
scheme).
• Parameters specified
• Growth rate
• Max size
• Improves size transition
between Boundary layer
and Volume mesh.
• Useful for external
aerodynamics applications.
• Ignores all other size
functions.

68
 Example: 3D Wing Profile with 12 boundary layers

A Meshed Size Function attached to the wing

surface gives 100 highly skewed tets, due to a size
jump between boundary layer and tet mesh.

The meshed size function attached to boundary layer
cap yields only one highly skewed element with a
smooth transition in cell size.

69
GAMBIT 2.3: View 3D Boundary Layers
Capability

The new View 3D Boundary Layers allows users to
examine 3D boundary layer mesh prior to volume
meshing.
• Resolve quality issues
• Resolve tet-failure

70
 GAMBIT 2.3: Last Aspect Ratio Boundary
Layer Type

The new Last Aspect Ratio
Boundary Layer type allows the
growth of high quality cells
(“square” cells) in the last layer of a
3D boundary layer.
• Specify fixed first height, number of
rows and last aspect ratio.
• Critical for external aerodynamics
applications.

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 Misc. Map Meshing Tools

Auto-match distribution of premeshed
edges on opposite edges
• MESH.MAP.MATCH_PREMESHED_EDGE_GR
ADING = 1
• Auto-match doesn’t propagate
to edges of adjacent faces when
map-meshing volumes

Sweep and revolve of faces generates

3D meshes from 2D meshes
• Use ‘With mesh’ option in sweep and
revolve GUI
• Uses grading and spacing of premeshed
sweep path
• Same option when sweeping or revolving
edges
into faces

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 Meshing Tips

Surface meshing done on faceted face representation by
default
• MESH.FACE.EXACT_MESH_EVALS = 0

Final exact projection from facets to surface by default
• MESH.FACE.PROJECT_TO_SURFACE = 1
• Turn final projection off and leave mesh on facets if projection
generates skewed or degenerated mesh on bad/corrupt surfaces
PROJECT_TO_SURFACE = 1 PROJECT_TO_SURFACE = 0

Poor mesh by mapper on highly curved surfaces

• Projection to the surface distorts the mesh
• Smooth the face mesh using ‘Winslow’ scheme
(only available for quad elements)

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Meshing Strategies

Meshing Methodology

Selecting a Meshing Strategy

Meshing Strategies

Meshing for Quality

Meshing for Physics

74
Meshing Strategies

A number of different meshing strategies can be
used for dealing with “real-world” geometries:
• Hex dominant mesh using geometry decomposition
• Tet dominant mesh
• HexCore mesh

Each approach has a trade-off between

computational cost, mesh size, quality and resolving
physics and the time and effort required for meshing.
• Mesh generation can take more than 50% of total analysis
time.

Selecting the right meshing strategy is a critical task.

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Selecting A Meshing Strategy

The best strategy for dealing with complex
geometry depends on
• Time available
• Faster tet-dominant mesh vs. crafted hex/hybrid mesh
with lower cell count.
• Desired cell count
• Low cell count for resolving overall flow features vs. high
cell count for greater detail
• HexCore mesh vs. tet-dominant mesh.
• Desired mesh quality
• What is the maximum skewness and aspect ratio you
can tolerate?
• Physics
• Flow features, resolving turbulence

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Hex-Dominant Meshing

The geometry is decomposed into multiple meshable
volumes using Boolean operations and splits.

The following meshing tools are used to create a hex mesh:
• Map
• Submap
• Tet-primitive
• Cooper

A tetrahedral (tet) may be created for a complex sub-volume.

• E.g.: The sub-volume containing the impellers in a mixing tank.

This works well for prismatic and nearly prismatic

geometries.
• Advantage: Reduced cell count with higher mesh quality
translating to faster turnaround time on simulation.
• Disadvantage: The decomposition may be time consuming for
complex geometries.

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 Mixing Tank

Mixing tank:
• The mixing tank is decomposed and a hex mesh is created
everywhere, with tets in the impeller volume.

Tets in impeller zone

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 Other Examples

Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) bypass duct

1 Hex Cooper

2 Tet mesh in complex

sub-volume

3 Prism Mesh
(Hex/Wedge Cooper)

4 Prism Mesh 5 Tet mesh on

(Hex/Wedge Cooper) intermediate volume

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 Tet-Dominant mesh

Mostly tetrahedral mesh with
some areas containing pyramid,
prism and hex elements.
• Boundary layer prisms/hexes
are grown from surfaces where
wall effects (boundary layer) are
important.

Size functions attached to the

flow volume can be used to
create grading in the
surface/volume mesh.
• Global size functions to resolve
curvature and proximity.
• Local size functions for
refinement in some areas. Manifold Geometry with tet-dominant
mesh using sizing functions and
boundary layers

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Axial Fan Blade

A curvature size function was used to resolve the blade
geometry.
• Boundary layer attached to the blade to resolve near-wall effects.

A proximity size function was used to resolve the tip clearance
gap.

Fixed size functions were used to grow the surface mesh away
from the blade at the hub and shroud.

Tip clearance Shroud

(small gap)

Fan Blade

Hub
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HexCore Mesh

HexCore meshing can dramatically
lower the mesh count and improve
overall quality on volumes with
complexity at the surfaces.

The number of offset layers, as

well as size functions, can be
adjusted to minimize the high
skewness tets resulting from any
narrow gaps between the
boundary and the HexCore.
Flow Volume Around a Boat Hull

HexCore may not be compatible
with some physical models and
have size jumps between the tets
and hex core.

Flow Volume Inside an Auto Manifold

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Meshing for Quality

Mesh quality affects the face flux calculations between cells and hence
directly impacts the accuracy of the solution and ease of convergence.
• Avoid degenerate elements (skewness ~ 1) or high aspect ratio (~5) in the
flow volume and high aspect ratio (~100) in the boundary layer.

Good mesh quality depends on:

• Clean surface geometry and volumes not having slivers and small features
close to complex surfaces.
• Resolving geometric features well (gaps, curvature, sharp angles etc.)
• Creating a good surface mesh with appropriate sizing function growth rate
and size limit, edge grading, spacing etc.

Close proximity of Face merge allows

edges makes better mesh quality
meshing difficult

83
Meshing for Physics

Complex physics on complex geometry requires greater care in
estimating the lowest mesh size required to resolve the physics and
grading mesh away from that size.
• Some flow features can be calculated and resolved with appropriate mesh:
jets, wall boundary layers, smallest eddies in LES
• Some flow features are functions of boundary conditions (recirculations,
shocks, vortex lines etc.) and cannot be fully anticipated in size, location
and shape.

The objective is to get a “good enough” or “reasonably good” mesh

and then refine it further using FLUENT results.
• Remeshing in GAMBIT or adaption.

Hex mesh used for LES modeling of

confined swirling coaxial jets
expanding into a pipe.

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Summary and Conclusions

GAMBIT provides a comprehensive set of tools for
preprocessing:
• CAD Import
• Geometry creation
• Cleanup tools: virtual operations and semi-automated cleanup
tools.
• Mesh control tools: size functions and boundary layers.

New capabilities have been added to GAMBIT 2.3 to improve

robustness and meshing capabilities:
• Advanced covering
• Geometry creation and plug-in tools
• Boundary layer enhancements: New boundary layer type, Meshed size
function from boundary layer, View 3D boundary layer
• Size change quality measure

Guidelines have been provided for selecting the right meshing

strategy for your geometry and modeling problem.

85