3D Quadrilateral Mesh Quality Improvement via Edge Collapsing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems face challenges in generating high-quality 3D quadrilateral-dominant surface meshes, often resulting in poorly shaped and distorted elements that affect the accuracy and computational efficiency of finite element analyses.
Innovation Solution
A data processing system and method that improve element quality by collapsing short edges into triangular elements, moving nodes to meet minimum edge length criteria, and applying smoothing algorithms to address distortion and size metrics, ensuring all quadrilaterals meet predetermined edge length and angle requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated mesh generation is used to improve productivity, then mesh generation speed increases, but element quality deteriorates with distorted and poorly shaped elements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-correction by automatically detecting poor-quality elements and applying appropriate repair operations (node moving, edge collapsing, element splitting) without requiring manual intervention, enabling the mesh generation process to improve its own output quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system evaluates element quality metrics (aspect ratio, skewness, Jacobian determinant, edge length ratios) and uses this feedback to determine which repair operations to apply, creating a closed-loop process that continuously improves mesh quality
2Manufacturing precision
If manual mesh editing is applied to improve element quality, then element quality improves, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automates what would otherwise be manual editing tasks by implementing algorithms that automatically detect and repair poor-quality elements through node moving, edge collapsing, and element splitting operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical editing operations with automated computational algorithms that evaluate element quality metrics and apply appropriate repairs based on predefined criteria and optimization functions
3Manufacturing precision
If aggressive edge collapsing is used to remove small elements, then minimum edge length requirements are met, but mesh topology changes significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies edge collapsing selectively and partially, only when necessary to meet minimum edge length requirements, rather than aggressively collapsing all small edges, thus maintaining mesh topology stability while achieving quality improvement
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the state of edges by collapsing them when they fail quality criteria, converting quadrilateral elements to triangular elements or removing them entirely, while using quality metrics to control the extent of these changes
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is provided for element quality improvement in three-dimensional (3D) quadrilateral-dominant surface meshes. The system may include a processor configured to collapse a first plurality of edges of a plurality of quadrilateral elements that form a surface mesh of a 3D model, which edges have lengths that are shorter than a predetermined fraction of a minimum element edge length (MEL). Further, the processor may also move nodes connected to at least some of a second plurality of edges of the plurality of quadrilateral elements so as to have lengths that are at least the MEL. Also, the processor may adjust included angles and the warp of elements to be within predetermined limits. Further, the processor may collapse in the mesh all remaining edges of the plurality of quadrilateral elements that are shorter than the MEL to produce a modified surface mesh in which all quadrilaterals in the modified mesh have edge lengths that are at least the MEL.