Automatic grid generation for complex geometries

A novel automatic grid generation method for complex CFD applications has been developed, driven by the need of the industrial CFD practitioner to reduce the turnaround time from an initial CAD geometry to obtaining a flow simulation. The method uses a subdivision strategy, allowing hanging nodes in a Cartesian unstructured mesh environment and is combined with a non-over-lapping, semi-structured surface grid. Unusually, the surface grid is the end rather than the starting point of the present approach. This reversal of gridding strategy allows usability to be enhanced, in that the grid generation is reduced to one automatic step. The capabilities of the method are demonstrated by reference to selected inviscid and viscous How solutions using the Fluent code Rampant v4.0 as a flow solver.