Abstract

This thesis presents a new approach to conformal all-quadrilateral mesh adaptation. In finite element modeling applications, it is often desirable to modify the node density of the mesh; increasing the density in some parts of the mesh to provide more accurate results, while decreasing the density in other parts to reduce computation time. The desired node density is typically determined by a sizing function based on either the geometry of the model or the results of a finite element solution. Although there are numerous mesh adaptation methods currently in use, including initial adaptive mesh generation, node redistribution, and adaptive mesh refinement, there are relatively few methods that modify the mesh density by adding and removing mesh elements, and none of these guarantee a conformal, all-quadrilateral mesh while allowing general coarsening. This work introduces a new method that incorporates both conformal refinement and coarsening strategies on an existing mesh of any density or configuration. Given a sizing function, this method modifies the mesh by combining existing template based quadrilateral refinement methods with recent developments in localized quadrilateral coarsening and quality improvement into an automated mesh adaptation routine.

Degree

College and Department

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

Rights

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