Hello, I know English badly (not native for me). In CFD texts we meet words "mesh" and "grid". Is it any difference between them or they are full synonyms? When to use mesh and when grid (regarding CFD only)?

Strictly speaking, grid is 2D, and mesh is 3D, but we tend to use them both interchangeably.

Grid is mainly used in the UK but mesh is the USA common use for the same stuff

I've seen the term mesh a lot in structural FE analysis, and grid for CFD, mainly for structured grids. Is there any relation? Mesh for unstructured layout and grid for structured layout?

- Márcio

My proposal is to compromise on the word grish!

I consider these terms interchangeable, but in my CFD code I took advantage of these two terms and use mesh to denote a purely geometric entity (a collection of vertices), while grid is an object that contains all the data, derivatives, etc. i

The two words are the same and can be used interchangably.

However, grid often tends to be used to refer to structured hex meshes (mapped meshes) while mesh tends to be used for unstructured tessellations.

I've never hear of the 2D (grid) and 3D (mesh) distinction.

And then there are folks who refer to them as simplices.

putting another kind of confusion regarding terms...

in 3D: Element is used in FEM volume is used in FVM and voxel is used in computer graphics

for me, they're all the same thing

I've never heard a strict and formal definition regarding the terms grid and mesh but I have the same opinion than John Chawner: GRID is more used in structured cases and MESHES are more applied to unstructured tesselations.

Regards

Renato.