best way to mesh a thin box?
 

Hi, I want to create mesh for a 3-D box/container made of thin sheet metal (1 mm thick). I need to model the heat conduction on the box surface due to some heat source on the box. I tried two methods:

1. Gambit---it gave me error when I create hex mesh. I think the problem is at the corners. The Fluent Technique Support person tells me to slice the box into some thin plates and mesh them seperately. However, if I do this I need to create interfaces between plates in CFX-pre. But in pre it seems that each 2d region can be used once.

2. CFX-mesh----I tried create 2D mesh using "Extrude 2D Mesh". But when I specify extruded periodic pair on the box surface, it does not allow me to do so unless I slice the box into 5 plates.

Please guide me how to create this mesh.

Thank you so much.

Re: best way to mesh a thin box?
 

hi,

i don't know whether you know icem or not, if no, try to find it and get used to it, it's really cool cos it gives you lots of options for meshing and more important than all it qualifies your mesh and makes it convergent for solver.

try it and you will see how is that. if you have any question with icem feel free and ask me.

bye