User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis

A Seminar for Simulation Engineers

George Laird, PhD, PE – Principal Mechanical Engineer
Max Breedlove, MSME, FE – Staff Mechanical Engineer
 User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis 2020

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 User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. WHY WE ARE HERE: FEA SOLID MODELING, MESHING AND ANALYSIS .......................................................................... 5
1.1 WHAT WE WILL COVER ................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
1.2 WHAT WE DON’T COVER ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5
2. LET’S JUST GET THE DEMO OVER WITH AND WE CAN ALL EXHALE ................................................................................ 6
3. DIFFICULT GEOMETRY IS REAL GEOMETRY ..................................................................................................................... 7
3.1 BUT WAIT – WHAT IS THE REAL TRICK TO A QUALITY MESH? ................................................................................................................................. 8
3.2 DEFEATING MESSY GEOMETRY (WELL, DEFEATURING) ........................................................................................................................................... 9
4. WHY WE STILL NEED HEXING FOR LINEAR STATIC STRESS ANALYIS ............................................................................. 10
5. BEING CLEVER WITH YOUR GEOMETRY BATTLES.......................................................................................................... 11
6. MIXED MESHES CAN BE OUTSTANDING ....................................................................................................................... 12
7. LET’S WRAP IT UP .......................................................................................................................................................... 13

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 User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis 2020

1. WHY WE ARE HERE: FEA SOLID MODELING, MESHING AND ANALYSIS

Pretty much anybody can take a chunk of junk or as one might say a “potato” mesh it, apply some boundary conditions
and, with a click-of-a-mouse, generate some colors. But as we know, it can be a long and difficult road to turn colors into
a verified simulation that has a chance that it might be accurate. This seminar will focus on showing how to idealize solid
geometry into efficient numerical models that are quick to run and can generate accurate results. Why is speed
important? Because to get an answer that you can trust often means running the same model dozens of times. So, we
will cover how to take a chunk of junk, mesh the impossible, hex what is hexable and tet the rest, discuss element quality
and then how to make it run quickly.

1.1 WHAT WE WILL COVER

o Difficult Geometry is Real Geometry: Geometry Cleanup (removing blends), Mesh Preparation
o Why is Hexing so Difficult and Why Should We Care – A Nod to Those that just Tet Everything
o Being Clever with your Geometry Battles – Let’s Step Back and Think about the Analysis Objective
o Why Do So Many Simulation Engineers Think That Mesh Refinement Makes An Accurate Analysis?
o Easy Ways to Check Your Mesh Resolution (Normal Modes Analysis) to Determine If It is Good Enough
o Don’t Fall In Love with 10-Node Tets and If You Do, Use the Iterative Solver
o Lastly, If It Looks Good, Most Likely It Is Good

1.2 WHAT WE DON’T COVER

• Bias Toward Any One FEA Software Program – This Seminar is for Any and All Simulation Engineers
• That FEA is for Everybody, as one Chief Engineer told me “many engineers think that they might enjoy
simulation…” So, we are not going to sugar coat anything. Getting the “right” answer is hard work and no FEA
program created on this wonderful green earth is going to ensure that you will get the right answer – only thru
your hard thinking is the way forward.

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 User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis 2020

2. LET’S JUST GET THE DEMO OVER WITH AND WE CAN ALL EXHALE
Finite element analysis in four steps (and about as many keystrokes)

Import Geometry Assign Material and Mesh

Apply Boundary Conditions (constraint and load) Analyze and Contour Stress Results

 What is Verification as compared to Validation?

 Why Do So Many Simulation Engineers Think That Mesh Refinement Makes an Accurate Analysis?

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 User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis 2020

3. DIFFICULT GEOMETRY IS REAL GEOMETRY

Every FEA tool has their solid meshing “We Can Mesh EVERYTHING with One Click” option. In FEMAP it is the Geometry
Preparation button. The methodology is to keep the underlying geometry while modifying the surface skins.

What We Fear Geometry Preparation Meshed with Some Advisories (Mesh Statistics)

Contour Model Data

Mesh Preparation Slices and Dices and Then Combines Curves

and Surfaces

One Can Adjust These Operations in the

Mesh Toolbox

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 User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis 2020

3.1 BUT WAIT – WHAT IS THE REAL TRICK TO A QUALITY MESH?

The real gig is to skin the solid with triangular plate elements and then do some cleanup. This may seem a bit old-school
but you arrive with confidence that you have a good mesh.

For tetrahedral meshing, the Jacobian is about as good as it gets for “one-stop-shopping”; however for shells, one should
also check warping, but that is another Seminar.

We Can Do Better Feature Suppression Tri Mesh Jacobian

Mesh Sizing Jacobian < 0.80

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 User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis 2020

3.2 DEFEATING MESSY GEOMETRY (WELL, DEFEATURING)

Just some basic geometry operations that are within the Meshing Toolbox (updated at every revision with more
and more stuff).

 Meshing Toolbox, Feature Removal

 Feature Type, Blends, Limit Size =
0.25
 Nothing is perfect and the remaining
blends can be removed by Feature
Type, Surfaces (no limit size) – one-
by-one.

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 User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis 2020

4. WHY WE STILL NEED HEXING FOR LINEAR STATIC STRESS ANALYIS

 There is no one size fits all. It is 890k nodes, Mixed Mesh 10-node Tet to 8-node Hex
easy to tet mesh but for every 8-
node, quasi-parabolic hex, it
takes five 10-node tetrahedrals
(26 nodes) to fill the same
space.
 Glued connections between 10-
node tet and 8-node bricks is
very efficient.
 Normal modes analysis is an
effective way to determine
mesh convergence.

12k nodes, 20.4, 55.2, 71.9, 110 Hz 43k nodes, 20.2, 55, 71.2, 108 Hz 86k nodes. 20.3, 55.4, 71.3, 110 Hz

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 User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis 2020

5. BEING CLEVER WITH YOUR GEOMETRY BATTLES

When Hexing Rules What is the Gig with Hexing (Approach on Surface)

 Hexing is about thinking in “blocks” and pushing mesh faces

thru the solid. It can handle opposing curved surfaces if they
can be matched
 Some solids that can be hexed should not be due to poor
element quality
 One can also blend tet meshes into hex mesh with pyramid
elements
Titanium Bone Screw Split Geometry / Hex Sizing Hex Tet

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 User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis 2020

6. MIXED MESHES CAN BE OUTSTANDING

 One can mix meshes and get clean transitions
 With Pyramid transition, joining 10-node tetrahedrals to 8-node bricks works surprising well
 Be careful joining 20-node brick meshes onto 8-node brick meshes (see Modify / Update Elements / Connect
Linear/Parabolic Elements)

10-Node Tets, 8-Node and 20-Node Bricks Mixed Mesh with Pyramid Transition Stress Results Under Tension

Something is Not Right Updated Elements Smooth and Mostly Groovy

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 User Guide: FEA Solid Modeling, Meshing and Analysis 2020

7. LET’S WRAP IT UP
 Don’t Fall In Love with 10-Node Tets and If You Do, Use the Iterative Solver
 Lastly, If It Looks Good, Most Likely It Is Good
 Good job for hanging in there and working to improve your simulation skill set!

Isoparametric Elements Stress Flows More and More

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