Abstract

The enhancement of node projection techniques in sweeping is the subject of this thesis. Sweeping is a method used to produce all-hexahedral finite element meshes on certain classes of geometry. The placement of nodes in the interior of the geometry during the sweeping process remains a difficult problem. This thesis presents advancements in this area which improve the speed of the algorithm and the resulting element quality. A comparison of existing projection methods was performed. The existing Faceted projection sweeping method was extended to be applicable to more general classes of sweepable geometry. This comparison and extension of node projection algorithms led to the development of a new node projection technique: the SmartAffine method. This method builds on previous techniques and is characterized by its speed. Finally, a technique for coupling node projection techniques is presented. This technique characterizes the complexity of the sweepable geometry and applies the most appropriate node projection scheme. This is accomplished without user interaction and improves the speed of the sweeping algorithm and the quality of swept meshes.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rights

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