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Conformal and non-conformal mesh comparison
In simulations, while dealing with multiregion (multizone) geometry, we have the option to generate either conformal or non-conformal mesh. Both meshes have their pros and cons. However, a question is more commonly asked if these meshes have effect on the solution accuracy. In general, there is no significant difference between the results obtained from either mesh type. The accuracy of the solution has been discussed later in the article with an example. First let’s define the difference between the two.
Conformal mesh: In conformal mesh, the neighboring cell zones share the nodes on the interface as shown in Figure 1(a). This interface could be a face if it is 3D mesh or an edge in case of 2D mesh. Since the boundary elements share nodes, this ensures there is no gap or overlap on the interface.
Non-conformal mesh: In non-conformal mesh the neighboring cell zones do not share the nodes as shown in Figure 1(b). This results in a different number of boundary elements on the common face/edge, which can cause gap or overlap at the interface.
In Ansys meshing, conformal mesh can be generated in two ways: (1) Using share topology in your geometry (2) non-share topology but creating imprint on the interface. Non-conformal mesh is only generated when you have non-share and no imprint on the surface.
As mentioned before both types of mesh have advantages and disadvantages which are as follows:
|
Conformal mesh |
Non-conformal mesh |
| — Difficult to mesh | ++ Easy to mesh |
| — Less control on mesh / Higher number of elements | ++ Better control on mesh size and number of elements |
| ++ Interfaces are handled automatically (especially in CHT, Valid for share topology only) | — Need to take care of interfaces |
| + No problem in data transfer across interface | – Sometimes divergence problem arises at interface |
In this video, you can see the detailed process of generating both conformal and non-conformal meshes and the discussion on the comparison.
These generated meshes are used for the conjugate heat transfer simulation and the results are compared. Both cases yielded identical temperature distribution of the battery cells and the outlet temperatures. For a detailed overview of the simulation setup and results comparison, you can watch these videos:
Simulation using conformal mesh:
Simulation using non-conformal mesh:
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okay this is a reply test comment