[Gmsh] Gmsh - External Flow Mesh Generation - Airfoil STL file

Eefoe · June 22, 2017, 14:14

Hi everyone,

I'm exploring Gmsh and its meshing capabilities. It seems powerful enough to help me out, but I can't seem to get the mesh to notice the airfoil at all. I'm importing the geometry as a .stl file as it was one of the available CAD outputs for a 3D model.

My primary goal is to come up with a reliable and repeatable method of generating a mesh to study external flow around a CAD model (for design optimization), so this is my 2D attempt at using Gmsh to build unstructured meshes around airfoils. The only part I'm missing here right now is getting the mesh to 'respect' the existence of the airfoil and mesh around it (as well as refine the mesh around the leading edge, trailing edge, and build a boundary layer with y+ = 1). Does anyone have any idea where I should start on this?

Eefoe · July 11, 2017, 14:57

Bump. Any thoughts, anyone?

RKyle · August 22, 2017, 09:27

I'm new to Gmsh too, and I think that the problem is in the .stl file. Save your CAD model as a .stp file instead and merge/open it, think that's the main way! Then specify the physical groups etc.

June 22, 2017, 14:14	Gmsh - External Flow Mesh Generation - Airfoil STL file	#1
Eefoe New Member Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 8 Rep Power: 8	Hi everyone, I'm exploring Gmsh and its meshing capabilities. It seems powerful enough to help me out, but I can't seem to get the mesh to notice the airfoil at all. I'm importing the geometry as a .stl file as it was one of the available CAD outputs for a 3D model. My primary goal is to come up with a reliable and repeatable method of generating a mesh to study external flow around a CAD model (for design optimization), so this is my 2D attempt at using Gmsh to build unstructured meshes around airfoils. The only part I'm missing here right now is getting the mesh to 'respect' the existence of the airfoil and mesh around it (as well as refine the mesh around the leading edge, trailing edge, and build a boundary layer with y+ = 1). Does anyone have any idea where I should start on this?

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July 11, 2017, 14:57		#2
Eefoe New Member Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 8 Rep Power: 8	Bump. Any thoughts, anyone?

August 22, 2017, 09:27		#3
RKyle New Member R Kyle Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Scotland Posts: 11 Rep Power: 9	I'm new to Gmsh too, and I think that the problem is in the .stl file. Save your CAD model as a .stp file instead and merge/open it, think that's the main way! Then specify the physical groups etc.