View source for OpenFOAM/C3/Introduction-to-SnappyHexMesh/English

Tutorial: Introduction to snappyHexMesh in OpenFOAM.


Script and Narration: Chaitrali Ghodke.


Keywords: Import STL file, background hex mesh, snappyHexMeshDict. 



{| style="border-spacing:0;"
| style="border-top:0.05pt solid #000000;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| <center>Visual Cue</center>
| style="border:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| <center>Narration</center>

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Slide 1
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| Hello and welcome to the spoken tutorial on Introduction to '''snappyHexMesh''' in '''OpenFOAM'''.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Slide 2 : Learning Objectives



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| In this tutorial, we will learn about 

* The parameters in '''snappyHexMesh''' to generate '''Mesh''' in '''OpenFOAM'''.



|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Slide 3: Pre-requisite
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| As a pre-requisite, the user requires


* Surface data files in '''STL''' format, located in '''constant/trisurface''' sub-directory of the '''case''' directory
* A domain with '''hex mesh'''
* '''snappyHexMeshDict''' dictionary located in the '''system''' sub-directory of''' case'''


|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Slide 4: 

System Requirement 
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| To record this tutorial, I am using 

* '''Ubuntu Linux''' operating system 12.04
* '''OpenFOAM''' version 2.2.2
* '''ParaView''' version 3.12.0


|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Slide 5: Methodology for snappyHexMesh


| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| Let us learn to create a Mesh with the '''snappyHexMesh''' utility.


The steps are as follows-

Step 1 : Create a '''base mesh''' by using '''blockMesh''' utility

Step 2 : Refine '''base mesh'''

Step 3 : Remove unused '''cells'''

Step 4 : '''Snap mesh''' to surface

Step 5 : Add layers

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Ctrl+Alt+t simultaneously

Type '''cd OpenFOAM-2.2.2/tutorials/mesh/snappyHexMesh/flange'''
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| We will open the '''terminal '''and enter the path for '''flange '''as shown.


Type '''cd OpenFOAM-2.2.2/tutorials/mesh/snappyHexMesh/flange''' and press '''Enter'''.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Type '''ls'''



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| Now type '''ls''' and press '''Enter.'''


There are two folders '''constant '''and '''system'''.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Type '''cd system''' 
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| Type '''cd space system''' and press '''Enter.'''

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Type '''ls'''
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| Now type '''ls''' and press '''Enter.'''


You can see '''snappyHexMeshDict '''file.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Type '''gedit snappyHexMeshDict'''
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| To view the contents of the file type -

'''gedit snappyHexMeshDict '''

and press '''Enter.'''


(Note that H, M and D here are in capital letters.)

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| 
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| This will open up the '''snappyHexMeshDict''' file.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Slide 5 :
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''snappyHexMeshDict''' file contains all the instructions and the entire process revolves around this file.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Activation rows



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| With the first rows of '''snappyHexMeshDict, '''you can activate or skip sections of the process.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Geometry
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| In the '''geometry''' section, all active regions that take part in '''snappy''' process can be defined.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| '''castellatedMeshControls''' section.
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| The parameters that govern the process of cell splitting are described in '''castellatedMeshControls''' section.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| '''CastellatedMeshControls'''
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| The parameters that are listed below are well explained in '''snappyHexMeshDict''' file.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| '''nCellsBetweenLevels'''
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''nCellsBetweenLevels''' defines number of cells for each refinement level. 


The higher it is, the more gradual the '''mesh''' will be.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Explicit feature edge refinement
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| In the '''Explicit feature edge refinement''' section, you can set specific refinement level for geometry’s feature edges.


The''' .eMesh''' file can be obtained with the '''surfaceFeatureExtract '''utility.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Surface based refinement



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| In the '''surface-based refinement '''section, you can set the refinement levels of all surfaces defined in '''geometry''' file.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Mesh selection
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| Mesh selection is a very important parameter.


If the chosen point is inside the surface described in '''geometry''' file, then '''snappyHexMesh''' will create the internal mesh.


Otherwise the external part (inside the blockMesh) is meshed.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| 
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| The next step involves moving cell vertex points onto the surface geometry.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| SnapControls


Settings for the snapping



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| The '''snapping''' process is carried out by four parameters:

* '''nSmoothPatch'''
* '''tolerance'''
* '''nSolveIter'''
* '''nRelaxIter'''

These parameters control the number of iterations and tolerance between '''mesh''' and '''STL''' surface.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| nSmoothPatch
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| 
'''nSmoothPatch '''option specifies the number of times the exterior (the boundary wall) should be iterated.


The '''mesh''' will become smoother if the number of iterations are more.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| tolerance
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"|
'''Tolerance''' option specifies the distance the program should look, for a point to '''snap'''.


The distance will be the number that is in '''tolerance.'''

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| nSolveIter
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''nSolveIter '''option specifies the number of times the '''snapping''' part of '''snappyHexMesh '''should be run.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| nRelaxIter



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''nRelaxIter''' option specifies the number of times the mesh should run a relaxing script, that removes bad '''mesh''' points.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| addLayerControls 



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| The process of '''mesh''' layer addition involves shrinking the existing '''mesh''' from the boundary and inserting layers of cells.


The first group of parameters define the dimensions for layers and surface, on which they will be attached.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| relativeSizes



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''RelativeSizes '''option (true or false) changes the way to read the parameters given next.

- '''true''': next parameters define the layers' dimensions as parameters.

- '''false''': next parameters define directly the layers' dimensions.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| layers
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| In '''layers''' option, you can define the number of '''layers''' and the patch on which to attach the '''layers'''.


It must be an'''Bold text''' STL patch in '''geomery''' sub-menu, and not a user defined region.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| expansionRatio



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''ExpansionRatio''' parameters sets the growth factor of the '''layers''' (ratio between two subsequent layers).

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| finalLayerThickness



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''finalLayerThickness''' parameter sets the thickness of the last layer.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| minThickness
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''minThickness''' parameter sets the minimum allowable thickness of layer.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Advanced settings



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''Advanced settings''' is the second group of parameters.


It contains more specific controls that can help in layer creation.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| featureAngle


| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''FeatureAngle''' is the angle above which the surface will not be extruded.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| nRelaxIter

| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''nRelaxIter''' option specifies the number of times the mesh will run a relaxing script.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| maxFaceThicknessRatio

| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| '''maxFaceThicknessRatio''' option specifiess the maximum allowable value of aspect ratio.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| meshQualityControls



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| meshQualityControls parameter sets the minimum thresholds to generate '''mesh''' in '''snap''' and add-layers parts.


In 99% of the cases, it is better to leave the default values.


But sometimes, you can deactivate one or more controls to force mesh generation.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| 
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| These are the different parameters in '''snappyHexMeshDict'''.


These parameters are important to generate '''mesh''' using '''snappyHexMesh''' utility.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| 
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| <nowiki><PAUSE></nowiki>


Let us summarize.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Slide 6: Summary



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| In this tutorial we learnt :

Different parameteres in '''snappyHexMesh '''to generate mesh in '''OpenFoam'''.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Slide 7: About Spoken tutorials
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| Watch the video available at this URL:

http://spoken-tutorial.org/What_is_a_Spoken_Tutorial 

It summarizes the Spoken Tutorial project. 

If you do not have good bandwidth, you can download and watch it.

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Slide 8: 

About Spoken tutorials
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| The Spoken Tutorial Project Team

-Conducts workshops using spoken tutorials

-Gives certificates to those who pass an online test

-For more details, please write to 

contact@spoken-tutorial.org

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| Slide 9:

Acknowledgement



| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| Spoken Tutorials are part of Talk to a Teacher project, 

It is supported by the National Mission on Education through ICT, MHRD, Government of India. 

More information on the same is available at following URL link http://spoken-tutorial.org/NMEICT-Intro

|-
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:none;padding:0.097cm;"| About the contributor
| style="border-top:none;border-bottom:0.05pt solid #000000;border-left:0.05pt solid #000000;border-right:0.05pt solid #000000;padding:0.097cm;"| This is Chaitrali Ghodke from IIT BOMBAY signing off.

Thanks for joining.

|}