A Fully Automated Mesh Generation Tool

This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a fully automated mesh generation tool which contains two parts: surface mesh generation from the imported Computer Aided Design (CAD) models and volume mesh generation from the generated surface mesh. It is well known that CAD geometry models constructed for manufacturing purposes are generally not directly useable by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Currently it usually takes several weeks to repair and defeature CAD models for surface mesh generation. The proposed effort aims to alleviate this issue by replacing the tedious CAD-fixing process with the fully automated level set approach. After obtaining high-quality surface mesh, the proposed mesh generation tool further generates high-quality volume mesh with mixed elements, taking advantages of the Cartesian cells away from the surfaces and semi-structured cells next to the surfaces. The resolution requirement is satisfied with local refinement capability.

NASA CFD engineers can use the proposed mesh generation tool to reduce labor times and efforts to prepare CAD geometry files for use by computational applications and generate high-quality meshes to achieve more accurate CFD simulations. Advanced Air Vehicles Program (AAVP) and Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program (TACP) will directly benefit from the proposed mesh generation tool through increased productivity and improved computational analyses used for exploring new aircraft systems and far-future concepts that hold promise for revolutionary air-travel improvements.

Design engineers in various industries face fluid flow problems in their work, ranging from airflow over aircraft and automobiles to flows in plastic injection molding, the movement of fluids and heat transfer in nuclear reactors, spray cooling and humidification, etc. The proposed mesh generation tool can allow design engineers to significantly reduce the turn-around time and the business to improve profit margins because companies can bring products to market faster and incur less expense in doing so.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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