A Script-Based, Parameterized Finite Element Mesh for Design and NDE on a GPU

Abstract

ABSTRACTFinite element mesh generators exist in the public domain, a few even based on a parametric device description. The typical mesh generator requires some man–machine interaction to define the points and boundary conditions, and does not work for non-stop optimization iterations for which we need a mesh dynamically evolving through the iterations with optimization variables as changing parameters. Such mesh generators as do exist are rare, commercial, and not easily available to researchers except at great cost and never with the code to modify them to suit individual needs. We take a regular open source mesh generator and write a script-based interface as open source to run non-stop for optimization. We then use it to create a non-destructive evaluation system for army ground vehicles’ defect characterization and use it equally for machine design. A simple scheme of averaging neighbour heights gives us a smooth geometry without having to use Bezier curves. The mesh runs on the central processing unit but finite element optimization is on the graphics processing unit for speed and practicable testing times.