Automatic nested refinement: a technique for the generation of high quality multi-block structured grids for multi-scale problems using GridPro

Abstract

A technique for the generation of conformal adaptive refinement of hex meshes is presented. Automatic nested refinement is a technique for generating recursively nested topology automatically. It can be applied inside GridPro’s topological paradigm to generate block structured grids, which can resolve tiny features in the problem while providing for a smooth and consistent way to transition to a larger scale. The selection of self-similar, ‘fractal-like’ topological templates makes the selection of number of levels easy, while making the technique feasible for infinite levels of adaptive refinement. The technique has been programmed and integrated into the GUI of GridPro, making it very accessible and easy to use. This method illustrates a way of generating structured grids in an unstructured way, made possible because of the topological paradigm of GridPro. Because the technique uses the topological paradigm, it inherits all the advantages the paradigm offers, including the ability to handle very complex geometries, parametric variation of surfaces, and the ease of use, speed and quality of GridPro. The technique has been illustrated using a variety of applications. This method has proved to be a fast, efficient, automatic and reliable means to perform physical simulations that have a disparity in scale.