Higher Order Mesh Generation for Simulation of Complex Systems

ABSTRACT: In this proposal, a team comprising ParaSim Inc. and the University of Utah will examine the feasibility of generating curved high-order meshes from hybrid linear meshes while retaining a given boundary geometry. Specifically, a preliminary design of a software package for creating high-order (up to 4th order and higher) hybrid-element meshes for complex geometries will be developed. Special attention will be paid to issues such as robustness, automation and mesh quality. The software will check the validity and quantify the quality of the obtained meshes. To handle the geometries defined by the CAD entities, the mesh generation software will be interfaced with the open source library OpenCASCADE. The code will be implemented within the NEKTAR++ high-order solver (developed and supported at University of Utah). In addition, the unstructured high-order solver functionality in NEKTAR++ will be used to prove that the obtained meshes are valid to perform finite element analysis. The group composed by the personnel at ParaSim and at Utah University has a long record in mesh generation and unstructured high-order solvers. BENEFIT: The software system will be designed with an open software architecture that will allow it to expand to incorporate additional mesh generation algorithms. In an initial phase, we will focus on demonstrating the algorithms required to develop a robust capability. We expect that either during Phase I already our tool will be able to show its merits by providing high quality meshes for solving realistic problems with higher-order solvers. Since our initial focus will be to demonstrate the system for problems of interest to the Air Force and to DoD, we expect that our first users will come from either the government or the aerospace sector. In addition, as more capability becomes available we will seek test sites willing to adopt our code on an evaluation basis. This should help us debug and refine the code further. Eventually funding from the private sector will be sought to commercialize the code and support additional functionality.