Chapter 6: mesh/

mesh/adapt/

Enters the mesh adaption menu.

mesh/adapt/adapt-mesh

Performs manual adaption on the mesh according to the methods and settings that you specified.

mesh/adapt/cell-registers/

Enters the cell registers menu.

mesh/adapt/cell-registers/add

Creates a new cell register.

mesh/adapt/cell-registers/coarsen

Performs manual adaption to coarsen the mesh based on a specified cell register.

mesh/adapt/cell-registers/delete

Deletes a cell register.

mesh/adapt/cell-registers/display

Displays a cell register.

mesh/adapt/cell-registers/edit

Edits an existing cell register.

mesh/adapt/cell-registers/list

Lists all of the currently defined cell registers.

mesh/adapt/cell-registers/list-properties

Lists the properties of a cell register.

mesh/adapt/cell-registers/refine

Performs manual adaption to refine the mesh based on a specified cell register.

mesh/adapt/display-adaption-cells

Displays the cells that are marked for adaption in the graphics window.

mesh/adapt/free-hierarchy

Deletes the defined adaption hierarchy.

mesh/adapt/geometry/

Enters the geometry menu.

mesh/adapt/geometry/manage/

Enters the manage menu, where you can manage the pairings of wall zones with auxiliary geometry definitions as part of geometry-based adaption. This text command menu is only available when using the PUMA adaption method, when the mesh/adapt/geometry/reconstruct-geometry text command is enabled.

mesh/adapt/geometry/manage/add

Adds a new pairing of a wall zone with the auxiliary geometry definition to which you want it to conform as it undergoes adaption. After you enter the name of the wall zone, you can define the following:

  • exponent

    This allows you to control the degree to which the boundary displacement is applied to the prismatic boundary layers adjacent to the surface. Lower values for the exponent cause the displacement to propagate further from the surface, and a value of 0 (the default) disables such propagation altogether. It is recommended that you start with a value of 0.01 and adjust as needed.

  • geometry

    This specifies the auxiliary geometry definition to which you want the wall zone to conform as it undergoes adaption.

mesh/adapt/geometry/manage/delete

Deletes a pairing of a wall zone with an auxiliary geometry definition that was previously defined for geometry-based adaption.

mesh/adapt/geometry/manage/edit

Edits a pairing of a wall zone and an auxiliary geometry definition. After you enter the name of the wall zone, you can define the following:

  • exponent

    This allows you to control the degree to which the boundary displacement is applied to the prismatic boundary layers adjacent to the surface. Lower values for the exponent cause the displacement to propagate further from the surface, and a value of 0 (the default) disables such propagation altogether. It is recommended that you start with a value of 0.01 and adjust as needed.

  • geometry

    This specifies the auxiliary geometry definition to which you want the wall zone to conform as it undergoes adaption.

mesh/adapt/geometry/manage/list

Lists all of the pairings of wall zones with auxiliary geometry definitions that are defined for geometry-based adaption.

mesh/adapt/geometry/manage/list-properties

Lists the geometry-based adaption settings that are defined for a specific wall zone.

mesh/adapt/geometry/reconstruct-geometry

Enables / disables geometry-based adaption.

mesh/adapt/geometry/set-geometry-controls

Sets geometry controls for wall zones. This text command is only available when using the hanging node adaption method.

mesh/adapt/list-adaption-cells

Prints the number of cells marked for refinement, coarsening, and both to the console.

mesh/adapt/manage-criteria/

Enters the manage criteria menu, which provides text commands for managing automatic adaption criteria.

mesh/adapt/manage-criteria/add

Adds a new automatic adaption criterion.

mesh/adapt/manage-criteria/delete

Deletes an existing automatic adaption criterion.

mesh/adapt/manage-criteria/edit

Edits an existing automatic adaption criterion.

mesh/adapt/manage-criteria/list

Lists all the existing automatic adaption criteria.

mesh/adapt/manage-criteria/list-properties

Lists the properties of an existing automatic adaption criterion.

mesh/adapt/manual-coarsening-criteria

Allows you to define the coarsening criterion for manual adaption by entering an expression or the name of an existing named expression or cell register.

mesh/adapt/manual-refinement-criteria

Allows you to define the refinement criterion for manual adaption by entering an expression or the name of an existing named expression or cell register.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/

Enters the predefined-criteria menu, which allows you to select commonly used criteria for adapting the mesh.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/aerodynamics/

Enters the aerodynamics menu, which provides text commands that create cell registers and define adaption criteria that can be useful for aerodynamic simulations.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/aerodynamics/error-based/

Enters the error-based menu, which provides text commands that create cell registers and define adaption criteria based on the solution error.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/aerodynamics/error-based/combined-hessian-indicator

Creates cell registers and defines an adaption criterion based on an error indicator that includes the Hessian of several flow fields (pressure, temperature, velocity, density, and turbulence, when each is applicable). It is suitable for use across a range of Mach numbers, and can target key areas for adaption in cases with a variety of different scales and flow phenomena.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/aerodynamics/error-based/mach-hessian-indicator

Creates cell registers and defines an adaption criterion based on an error indicator that includes the Hessian of the Mach number. It targets adaption for a wider range of Mach number flows compared to the pressure-hessian-indicator, while being based on only a single scalar value for the input field, in contrast to the multiple flow fields used in the combined-hessian-indicator. The mach-hessian-indicator text command is only available if the density of the fluid material is defined using the ideal gas law or a real gas model.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/aerodynamics/error-based/pressure-hessian-indicator

Creates cell registers and defines an adaption criterion based on a pressure Hessian indicator, which is suitable for simulations that have significant pressure variations.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/aerodynamics/shock-indicator/

Enters the shock indicator menu, which provides text commands that create cell registers and define adaption criteria that can be useful for simulations with shocks.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/aerodynamics/shock-indicator/density-based

Creates cell registers and defines an adaption criterion that is suitable for simulations with shocks that use the density-based solver or the pressure-based solver with a fluid that uses a real-gas or ideal-gas model for the density.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/boundary-layer/

Enters the boundary layer menu, which provides text commands that create the necessary cell registers for refinement and define adaption criteria for the manual adaption of boundary layers.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/boundary-layer/cell-distance

Creates a cell register and adaption settings suitable for the manual adaption of a boundary layer. Prismatic adaption is used where possible (so that the cells are only split along certain directions) and is based on a cell's proximity to one or more boundaries.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/combustion/

Enters the combustion menu, which provides text commands that create named expressions and cell registers and define adaption criteria that can be useful for combustion simulations.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/combustion/flame-indicator

Creates named expressions and cell registers and defines adaption criteria that are suitable for combustion simulations, so that the mesh is refined along a progressing flame front using various criteria like temperature, vorticity, species, and DPM concentration (depending on which models are used). There is also an option for refining a spherical spark region prior to a transient run, which after a specified time is then coarsened back to the original mesh.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/multiphase/

Enters the multiphase menu, which provides text commands that create named expressions and cell registers and define adaption criteria that can be useful for Volume of Fluid (VOF) simulations.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/multiphase/vof

Creates a named expression and cell registers, and defines adaption settings that are suitable for standard Volume of Fluid (VOF) simulations.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/multiphase/vof-to-dpm-advanced

Sets up adaption that is suitable when using the VOF-to-DPM model transition mechanism; the resulting adaption criteria will be defined by complex expressions that draw upon cell registers, as well as parameters that you will need to define.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/multiphase/vof-to-dpm-generic

Sets up adaption that is suitable when using the VOF-to-DPM model transition mechanism; the resulting adaption criteria will be defined by a named expression and cell registers that are fairly straightforward, as well as parameters that you will need to define.

mesh/adapt/predefined-criteria/overset

Creates adaption settings suitable for the automatic adaption of overset meshes during the calculation, to remove orphans, reduce size mismatches between donor and receptor cells, and/or increase the mesh resolution in gaps as needed (in order to prevent the creation of orphan cells). For 3D cases, anisotropic refinement is used by default for suitable prismatic cells adapted as part of overset orphan adaption and/or overset gap adaption, in order to produce cells that have a lower aspect ratio and/or a mesh resolution that is suitable for boundary layers near walls, respectively.

mesh/adapt/profile/

Enters the profile menu.

mesh/adapt/profile/clear

Clears the adaption profiling counters.

mesh/adapt/profile/disable

Disables adaption profiling.

mesh/adapt/profile/enable

Enables adaption profiling.

mesh/adapt/profile/print

Prints adaption profiling results.

mesh/adapt/set/

Enters the set menu.

mesh/adapt/set/additional-refinement-layers

Allows you to specify additional refinement layers (this is an advanced control that is applied globally).

mesh/adapt/set/cell-zones

Sets cell zones to be used for marking adaption. An empty list specifies that all zones are considered for adaption.

mesh/adapt/set/display-settings

Sets the graphics display options for the refinement, coarsening, and common cells.

mesh/adapt/set/encapsulate-children?

Enables / disables the encapsulation of child cells of a refined parent within its respective partition in parallel when using the PUMA method. By default this encapsulation is disabled, in order to improve the load balance of cells across partitions (particularly for higher levels for refinement). Note that when encapsulation is enabled, prismatic adaption is not permitted.

mesh/adapt/set/maximum-cell-count

Sets an approximate limit to the total cell count of the mesh during adaption. Fluent uses this value to determine when to stop marking cells for refinement. A value of zero places no limits on the number of cells.

mesh/adapt/set/maximum-refinement-level

Controls the number of levels of refinement used to split cells during the adaption.

mesh/adapt/set/method

Sets the adaption method.

mesh/adapt/set/minimum-cell-quality

Sets the minimum value allowed for the orthogonal quality of cells during adaption. If your solution diverges, you may find that using a higher minimum quality value resolves the issue. This text command is only available with the PUMA 3D adaption method.

mesh/adapt/set/minimum-edge-length

sets an approximate limit to the edge length for cells that are considered for refinement. Even if a cell is marked for refinement, it will not be refined if (for 3D) its volume is less than the cube of this field or (for 2D) its area is less than the square of this field. The default value of zero places no limits on the size of cells that are refined.

mesh/adapt/set/overset-adapt-dead-cells?

Enables/disables the adaption of dead cells in overset meshes.

mesh/adapt/set/prismatic-adaption?

Enables / disables anisotropic adaption for prismatic cells as part of manual adaption. Note that this text command requires that the adaption method is set to PUMA.

mesh/adapt/set/prismatic-boundary-zones

Allows you to select the boundary zones that specify directions for anisotropic refinement on prismatic cells with the PUMA method.

mesh/adapt/set/prismatic-split-ratio

Sets the split ratio for the cells as part of anisotropic refinement on prismatic cells with the PUMA method.

mesh/adapt/set/verbosity

Allows you set how much information about the adaption is printed to the console.

mesh/adjacency

Views and renames face zones adjacent to selected cell zones.

mesh/check

Performs various mesh consistency checks and displays a report in the console that lists the domain extents, the volume statistics, the face area statistics, and any warnings, as well as details about the various checks and mesh failures (depending on the setting specified for mesh/check-verbosity).

mesh/check-before-solve

The default value for mesh/check-before-solve is “no”. If mesh/check-before-solve is set to “yes”, a mesh check operation will be invoked prior to starting solver. If grid check fails, solver will be interrupted, and relevant information will be printed in the Fluent console.

mesh/check-verbosity

Sets the level of details that will be added to the mesh check report generated by mesh/check. A value of 0 (the default) notes when checks are being performed, but does not list them individually. A value of 1 lists the individual checks as they are performed. A value of 2 enables the availability of additional mesh field variables, lists the individual checks as they are performed, and provides additional details (for example, the location of the problem, the affected cells).

The check-verbosity text command can also be used to set the level of detail displayed in the mesh quality report generated by mesh/quality. A value of 0 (the default) or 1 lists the minimum orthogonal quality and the maximum aspect ratio. A value of 2 adds information about the zones that contain the cells with the lowest quality, and additional metrics such as the maximum cell squish index and the minimum expansion ratio.

mesh/enhanced-orthogonal-quality?

Enables / disables an enhanced definition when calculating the orthogonal quality. When enabled, the orthogonal quality is defined using a variety quality measures, including: the orthogonality of a face relative to a vector between the face and cell centroids; a metric that detects poor cell shape at a local edge (such as twisting and/or concavity); and the variation of normals between the faces that can be constructed from the cell face. This enhanced definition is optimal for evaluating thin prism cells.

mesh/geometry/

Enters the geometry menu, where you can manage auxiliary geometry definitions.

mesh/geometry/add

Adds a new auxiliary geometry definition. After you enter a name for the definition, you can define the following:

  • name

    This allows you to revise the name of the definition.

  • type

    This allows you to define the type to be one of the following, and complete the definition.

    • primitive

      This is a shape that can be a cone, plane, sphere, frustum of a cone, or cylinder. After you specify the shape, additional settings are available to define the location, size, and/or orientation. Note that for a plane, you can use the compute setting to define the plane by entering the name or ID of a planar face zone.

    • user-defined

      This allows you to specify the shape using a user-defined function (UDF) that you have previously compiled. The UDF is selected using the function-name setting.

    • surface-mesh

      This allows you to specify the shape using a surface zone from a separate case, mesh, or STL file. The file can be managed using the manage setting, and then the zone selected using the background setting.

    • reconstruction

      This allows you to specify that the shape is a smooth background model reconstructed from the current node coordinates of one or more boundary zones (specified through the zone-ids setting).

mesh/geometry/delete

Deletes a specified auxiliary geometry definition.

mesh/geometry/display

Displays a specified auxiliary geometry definition in the graphics window.

mesh/geometry/display-options

Sets the options for how the auxiliary geometry definition is displayed in the graphics window when using the mesh/geometry/display text command. The following options are available:

  • draw-edges?

    Enables / disables the drawing of edges on the displayed auxiliary geometry definition.

  • draw-faces?

    Enables / disables the drawing of faces on the displayed auxiliary geometry definition.

  • draw-mesh?

    Allows the mesh and the auxiliary geometry definition to be displayed together.

  • edge-color

    Sets the color of the edges of the displayed auxiliary geometry definition.

  • edge-thickness

    Sets the thickness of the edges on the displayed auxiliary geometry definition.

  • face-color

    Sets the color of the faces of the displayed auxiliary geometry definition.

  • x-resolution

    Sets the number of faces into which the curved surface of a primitive shape is discretized along the length direction or (for a sphere) the z-direction.

  • y-resolution

    Sets the number of faces into which the curved surface of a primitive shape is discretized around the circumference or (for a sphere) the longitude.

mesh/geometry/edit

Edits an existing auxiliary geometry definition. After you enter the name of the definition that you want to edit, you can edit the following:

  • name

    This allows you to revise the name of the definition.

  • type

    This allows you to define the type to be one of the following, and complete the definition.

    • primitive

      This is a shape that can be a cone, plane, sphere, frustum of a cone, or cylinder. After you specify the shape, additional settings are available to define the location, size, and/or orientation. Note that for a plane, you can use the compute setting to define the plane by entering the name or ID of a planar face zone.

    • user-defined

      This allows you to specify the shape using a user-defined function (UDF) that you have previously compiled. The UDF is selected using the function-name setting.

    • surface-mesh

      This allows you to specify the shape using a surface zone from a separate case, mesh, or STL file. The file can be managed using the manage setting, and then the zone selected using the background setting.

    • reconstruction

      This allows you to specify that the shape is a smooth background model reconstructed from the current node coordinates of one or more boundary zones (specified through the zone-ids setting).

mesh/geometry/list

Lists all of the auxiliary geometry definitions in the console.

mesh/geometry/list-properties

Lists the settings for a specified auxiliary geometry definition in the console.

mesh/memory-usage

Reports solver memory use.

mesh/mesh-info

Prints zone information size.

mesh/modify-zones/

Enters the zone modification menu. For a description of the items in this menu, see define/boundary-conditions/modify-zones.

mesh/polyhedra/

Enters the polyhedra menu.

mesh/polyhedra/convert-domain

Converts the entire domain to polyhedra cells.

mesh/polyhedra/convert-hanging-nodes

Converts cells with hanging nodes/edges to polyhedra.

mesh/polyhedra/convert-skewed-cells

Converts skewed cells to polyhedra.

mesh/polyhedra/options/

Enters the polyhedra options menu.

mesh/polyhedra/options/migrate-and-reorder?

Enables / disables the migration of newly created partitions to the compute-nodes and the reordering of the domain as part of polyhedra conversion. This is disabled by default, because it requires significant additional memory; when disabled, it is recommended that you save the case file after conversion, read it in a new Fluent session (so that the new / stored partitions become active), and then manually reorder using the mesh/reorder/reorder-domain text command. If you want to run the calculation in the current Fluent session you can enable the migrate-and-reorder? text command prior to conversion, but you must ensure that no more than half of the available memory of your system is currently used.

mesh/polyhedra/options/preserve-boundary-layer?

Specifies whether boundary layer cells will be preserved when the domain is converted to polyhedra. When the value is set to 0 (default) Ansys Fluent checks for high aspect ratio cells at the boundary layer and if any are found, Fluent asks if you want to preserve the boundary layer. When the value is set to 1, the boundary layer cells are never preserved; when it is set to 2, the boundary layer cells are always preserved (regardless of the aspect ratio of the boundary layer cells).

mesh/polyhedra/options/preserve-interior-zones

Enables the preservation of surfaces (that is, manifold zones of type interior) during the conversion of the domain to polyhedra. Note that only those zones with a name that includes the string you specify will be preserved.

mesh/quality

Displays information about the quality of the mesh in the console, including the minimum orthogonal quality and the maximum aspect ratio. The level of detail displayed depends on the setting specified for mesh/check-verbosity.

mesh/redistribute-boundary-layer

Redistributes the nodes in the hex and/or wedge cells in a boundary layer zone to achieve a desired growth rate.

mesh/reorder/

Reorders domain menu.

mesh/reorder/band-width

Prints cell bandwidth.

mesh/reorder/reorder-domain

Reorders cells and faces using the reverse Cuthill-McKee algorithm. Note that you must save a new case file (and a data file, if data exists) after reordering with this text command, as well as recreate any ray files and/or surface cluster information.

mesh/reorder/reorder-zones

Reorders zones by partition, type, and ID.

mesh/repair-improve/
mesh/repair-improve/allow-repair-at-boundaries

Allows the adjustment of the positions of nodes on boundaries as part of the mesh repairs performed by the mesh/repair-improve/repair text command.

mesh/repair-improve/improve-quality

Improves poor quality cells in the mesh, if possible.

mesh/repair-improve/include-local-polyhedra-conversion-in-repair

Enables/disables the local conversion of degenerate cells into polyhedra based on skewness criteria as part of the mesh repairs performed by the mesh/repair-improve/repair text command.

mesh/repair-improve/repair

Repairs mesh problems identified by the mesh check, if possible. The repairs include fixing cells that have the wrong node order, the wrong face handedness, faces that are small or nonexistent, or very poor quality. Only interior nodes are repositioned by default; boundary nodes may be repositioned if the mesh/repair-improve/allow-repair-at-boundaries text command is enabled. Note that highly skewed cells may be converted into polyhedra, depending on whether the mesh/repair-improve/include-local-polyhedra-conversion-in-repair text command is enabled.

mesh/repair-improve/repair-face-handedness

Modifies cell centroids to repair meshes that contain left-handed faces without face node order problems.

mesh/repair-improve/repair-face-node-order

Modifies face nodes to repair faces with improper face node order and, therefore, eliminates any resulting left-handed faces.

mesh/repair-improve/repair-periodic

Modifies the mesh to enforce a rotational angle or translational distance for periodic boundaries. For translationally periodic boundaries, the command computes an average translation distance and adjusts the node coordinates on the shadow face zone to match this distance. For rotationally periodic boundaries, the command prompts for an angle and adjusts the node coordinates on the shadow face zone using this angle and the defined rotational axis for the cell zone.

mesh/repair-improve/repair-wall-distance

Corrects wall distance at very high aspect ratio hexahedral/polyhedral cells.

mesh/repair-improve/report-poor-elements

Reports invalid and poor quality elements.

mesh/rotate

Rotates the mesh.

mesh/scale

Prompts for the scaling factors in each of the active Cartesian coordinate directions.

mesh/show-periodic-shadow-zones?

Enables/disables the showing of shadow zones for conformal periodic boundary zone pairs in any list of boundary zones presented by the user interface. This text command is enabled by default. If any shadow zones exist when this text command is disabled, they are deleted (though the behavior of the related periodic boundary zones will not be affected).

mesh/size-info

Prints mesh size.

mesh/smooth-mesh

Smooths the mesh using quality-based, Laplacian, or skewness methods.

mesh/surface-mesh/

Enters the Surface Mesh menu.

mesh/surface-mesh/delete

Deletes surface mesh.

mesh/surface-mesh/display

Displays surface meshes.

mesh/surface-mesh/read

Reads surface meshes.

mesh/swap-mesh-faces

Swaps mesh faces.

mesh/translate

Prompts for the translation offset in each of the active Cartesian coordinate directions.

mesh/wall-distance-method

Sets the method used to calculate the wall distance for every cell. By default, it is calculated using the geometric method, which is an exact geometric method. You have the option to specify that it is instead calculated using the transport-eqn method, which is a Laplacian approach that estimates the value based on the transport equation; this can be useful if your case requires too much memory with the geometric method. Note that the transport-eqn method is not recommended for coarse meshes, since it may produce inaccurate wall distance results and subsequently decrease the accuracy of the solutions.