Unable to mesh IGES/STEP/SLDASM model (created using Solidworks 2016) in ANSYS 15
 

Hey Friends,

I am a novice at ANSYS/FLUENT. I have a solid model assembly (made in s/works 2016) which basically just has two solid parts, a fuselage and a horizontal tail, in STEP, IGES & SLDASM formats.

When I try to mesh the STEP & IGES models using the built in Meshing tool in ANSYS FLUENT 15, I get a 'FAILED MESH' with errors as seen in the attached screenshot. The SLDASM file just doesn't import and gives me "The selected file is of an unsupported or unconfigured Geometry type" error message.

I am absolutely clueless about what I should do next. Any help in this regard will be greatly appreciated. I can provide more inputs (even the solid model file if needed) at anytime.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

You can send your file to paritoshvasava@gmail.com.

Files sent! Kindly take a look.

Thanks.

- AMG

where did you create your domain.

I would recommend design modeller or space claim for importing your goemetry and then making some checks and repairs. make domain there and directly read file in fluent meshing or ICEM CFD etc.

I created an 'enclosure' around the solid model in 'Design Modeller' and then used Boolean operation to subtract the model from the enclosure leaving the enclosure with a void as my final solid.

How to do the checks and repairs that you mention about?

Halved the model using Slice but no luck with mesh
 

Hey Friends,

I tried slicing the solid into two halves, using the symmetry plane, and then again meshing. But it didn't seem to work.

I know for sure there is some beginner's mistake I am committing.

Please help me guys. Please!!!!!

- AMG

You need to clean up your geometry
 

I checked your model and I think you geometry needs bit of clean up. [LIST=1][*] There is small cylindrical gaps (bolt like) on the Cut-Extrude2 and bolt-like cylinders on the Surface-Knit27 part. These are either not aligned or not matching. Therefore when you combine the model, it leaves a gap (may be visible if you make your model transparent). Perhaps this gap also appears in while you generate the flow domain. [*] The contact surfaces of Cut-Extrude2 and Surface-Knit27 parts are different. This leaves very thin surfaces in this region. If the details are important then you have to use a very small mesh size there. I recommend that you modify geometry to deal with these minute details. [*]The end of the tail is not sharp and there is a very thin surface. Again, if the details are important then you have to use a very small mesh size there.

I have roughly tried once by making above modifications and could make a mesh. I think these should work for you as well.

can you attach geometry here?

Sent to your e-mail.

By the way, I am using SpaceClaim that comes with latest version of Ansys (V17.2). I have been using it for almost 4 years now and I feel that it is far better than Design Modeler. It has already replace DM as standard CAD module that comes with Ansys (since V16). Eventually, it will replace DM permanently. This is just in case you did not knew.

Corrected the geometry but still "failed mesh"
 

@vasava:

Thank you for your quick response.

After downloading the solid model files, when I simply say <Generate Mesh> after importing the "Fluid_Part.stl" file into Ansys, I still get the same error as before. When I tried making an enclosure around the "Plane.stl" file, I get an error, "Conversion of body to DesignModeler format failed" (as shown in figure attached).

During the intermittent period I tried correcting the geometry. I think I even managed to do it; I know that because earlier when I used to import the .step file into Ansys, I would end up with 3 solids (one being the loose surfaces occurring due to improper alignment or match as you mentioned earlier), but later I was getting just two solids (the fuse and the horizontal tail) in the tree. But again when I tried generating the mesh by clicking on <Generate Mesh> it did not succeed.

Geometry file too big to attach
 

@Far:

Thanks for offering to help but I regret to inform that the file I have created is too big to be uploaded here.

Kindly give me your mail address and I'll try sending it.

Cheers!!