Transitioning between different types of mesh elements has always been a challenge for simulation software. Previously, tetrahedron and pyramid elements have filled this
transition zone. However, they are not very accurate and create a dense mesh with many elements. ANSYS has addressed this issue by developing the polyhedral element. Polyhedral elements can take on any shape required to form a conformal mesh. This allows the transition zone to be filled with fewer and higher quality elements resulting in a better mesh and more accurate solution.
Released in Fluent 19.2, polyhedral elements solve simulation problems in less time, more accurately, and with lass RAM than previous meshes. The poly-hexcore mesh uses polyhedral elements in the transition zone with a hexahedral element core, providing the optimal combination of mesh elements. In CFD simulations, the poly-hexcore mesh improved solve time by 20 to 50 percent over a hexahedral core or polyhedral core mesh of the same accuracy. The benefits of this new meshing method will continue to improve as ANSYS refines how it uses the new polyhedral element.
By: Adam Remmel
