A ball-vertex approach to r-refinement for accuracy enhancements in CFD Calculations

Jones, Bevan W S; Malan, Arnaud G; van Rooyen, Jacobus A

A ball-vertex approach to r-refinement for accuracy enhancements in CFD Calculations

Working Paper

2015

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Abstract

Presented in this paper is an accuracy enhancing r-refinement scheme based on the ballvertex method [1, 2]. Due the success of the method in mesh movement, this work seeks to extend its use to error minimization for computational fluid dynamics calculations. To this end, element edges are loaded via error driven monitor functions. The latter are estimated from both field gradients and curvature. Boundary nodal movement is facilitated via the use of automated B`ezier surface reconstruction. The application study involves both analytical as well as industrial test-cases. The latter involves 2D and 3D transonic flow calculations. When compared with the mesh independence solution, an error reduction in the computed coefficient of lift and moment of 60% was achieved even on relatively coarse meshes and close to an order of magnitude on finer meshes. Finally, a mesh deformation, moving boundary, problem was completed to demonstrate duality as both a mesh optimisation and deformation tool.