Automated Hex Dominant Mesh Generation

The effective application of advanced simulation technologies is a critical component of the U.S. Navy’ efforts to meet current and future fleet needs. The application of some of these simulation technologies requires meshes that are mainly hexahedral, especially in critical areas. The current methods that can create the hexahedral element meshes best suited to accurate analysis by available simulation codes require specifically trained experts to spend days or weeks of their time using difficult to use tools. The goal of this project is to advance the levels of automation of methods to create hexahedral elements over geometric domains and to provide uses easy to use tools to control the applications of the methods to create the meshes well matched to the specific physics to be modeled and analysis codes to be used. The methods to be developed in this project will (i) employ analysis accuracy and meshing requirements aware geometry evaluation procedures to determine the portions of domain for which specific hex meshing procedures can be applied,  (ii) apply the selected hex meshing methods in all key areas, and (iii) employ recent advances in hex mesh transitioning to mesh between critical regions.