In this article, I will focus on the improved twisting utilizing the unfolding folded faces (UFF) algorithm discussed in the last BRC post. The new twisting limits for both the Onera M6 wing and the F-18C vertical tail will be shown. See “Bob’s Research Corner: Grid Def – Twist” for the previous twist limits.Continue reading→

For the last several months, I’ve been working on an algorithm to increase the amount of bending my grid deformer can handle before the grid becomes invalid. I’m finally to the point where I believe I have a reliable algorithm that unfolds folded faces resulting from grid deformation. For this article, I will focus on bending only. I will show the increased bending limit for both the Onera M6 wing and the F-18C vertical tail shown previously in “Bob’s Research Corner: Grid Def – Bending”.Continue reading→

In this post, I’ll present the twisting results of my grid deformation code.  I’ve taken the same grids (Onera M6 wing and the F-18C vertical tail) and applied a twist along the mid-chord.  For information about the grids and the bending results, you can read “Bob’s Research Corner: Grid Def – Bending”.  Twisting along the mid-chord is based on the square of the span location times a maximum twist angle.

On the Onera M6 wing, the maximum twist angle achieved before encountering folded faces was 10.5 degrees. The maximum twist occurs at the wing tip.  This is an ok twist amount just like the bending result.  The results are shown below, first with a video of the wing twisting over 25 time-steps followed by still images comparing the original versus deformed grid.  The original grid is shown in red while the deformed grid is shown in blue.Continue reading→

For the last month or so, I’ve been focusing on 3-D grids with deforming boundaries.  I split this into two main categories: bending and twisting.  This article will focus on bending only.  I will make a post about twisting in the near future.

The goal of this project is to develop a grid deformation algorithm capable of handling larger than real world deformations.  And by handling, I mean producing valid Cobalt grids.  If I’m successful, then our customers can simulate real world cases such as aeroelastic deformations.

The first test case I’m going to show is an Onera M6 wing grid.  The grid contains 2,276,261 cells (1,832,756 tets, 17,642 pyramids and 425,863 prisms) and is valid for Navier-Stokes simulations.  The bending function used is a quadratic displacement based on an amplitude multiplying the square of the span location.  The maximum deflection of the tip I could get was 9.25% of the span; anything larger resulted in the dreaded folded faces.  For those not familiar with a folded face, first, define a face as the interface between two cells.  When flow leaves one cell across a face, it enters the other cell.  When a face becomes folded, then the centroids of both cells lie on the same side of the face.  This means flow leaving one cell through the face, also leaves the other cells.  This is VERY bad as conservation cannot be conserved!  That being said, a 9.25% of the span deflection is not bad.  This might be good enough for real world cases.  Of course, I’d like to do better.  The video below shows the bending of the wing compared to the original.  And the images show the original grid versus the deformed grid.Continue reading→