Tetrahedral mesh generation based on space indicator functions

An algorithm for the generation of tetrahedral volume meshes is developed for highly irregular objects specified by volumetric representations such as domain indicator functions and tomography data. It is based on redgreen refinement of an initial mesh derived from a body-centered cubic lattice. A quantitative comparison of alternative types of initial meshes is presented. The minimum set of best-quality green refinement schemes is identified. Boundary conformity is established by deforming or splitting surface-crossing elements. Numerical derivatives of input data are strictly avoided. Furthermore, the algorithm features surface-adaptive mesh density based on local surface roughness, which is an integral property of finite surface portions. Examples of applications are presented for computer tomography of porous media. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.