Nodal mesh refinements affect the generation of the FE mesh. Use the nodal mesh refinement to achieve an adjusted discretization in the refinement area around the node, as it may be necessary in corner areas or when connecting members to surfaces.
Mesh Refinement Type
There are two options for the geometric shape of the refinement area:
- Circular
- Rectangular
The types, including parameters, are represented symbolically in the dialog graphic.
Parameters
For a circular type, define the 'Radius' of the refinement as well as the 'target FE length' in the center and at the edge of the circle. The outer FE length usually corresponds to the global mesh size.
For a rectangular type, enter the 'Side length' of the cube-shaped refinement area as well as the 'Inner target FE length'.
For circular refinements, you can use the 'FE length arrangement' to control the mesh size of the FE mesh expanding from the inside to the outside:
- Radial: The expansion of the refinement area is uniform from the inside to the outside.
- Gradually: The refinement is carried out step by step for areas of the same mesh size.
- Combined: The mesh is generated by a combination of radial and gradual adjustment.
Options
The refinement area around the node extends in all spatial directions (see the image Circular Mesh Refinement). If you want to include only particular surfaces in the refinement, tick the Apply only on Surfaces Nos. check box. Then, you can enter the numbers of the surfaces or define them graphically with the
button.