[jb56]

Hello,


I am new to OpenFOAM and am trying to model a cross-strip detector by generating a block with vertices 0-7 that defines the outer vertices of the 3D rectangular prism detector. Then, I want to place 37 rectangular strips on the bottom and 37 rectangular strips on the top such that the bottom and top strips are oriented perpendicular to each other. Each of these strips will be set to a fixed voltage value and my goal is to see how the fields behave inside the whole detector block.


I attempted to model the above by defining the 'vertices' for the eight outer points and for each of the four vertices per strip. Then, in 'blocks' I define one 'hex' for the detector volume with vertices 0-7. I define in the 'boundary' section types 'patch', for the bottom, top, and each of the strips (using the defined vertices to define the 'faces') and define the four sides of the detector with 'walls'. I then fill the 'patches' section with 'fixedValue strip#' and the corresponding four vertices for each.


All of my edges are straight so I did not include an 'edges' section.



When I run 'blockMesh', I receive the error '--> FOAM FATAL ERROR:
face 0 in patch 0 does not have neighbour cell face: 4(11 10 9 8)'.



At first, I thought I made a mistake with the ordering of the vertices but I have not yet found such an error. Perhaps my mistake(s) are more with the geometry-- how should I define blocks with the strips oriented perpendicular to each other? Do I have to include patches that define the areas between all of the strips, and do all of the patches have to have corresponding entries in the boundary section?


Any advice is appreciated. Thank you for your time.


Edit: Hi all. I'm revisiting this simulation after some distractions with other projects. I'm no longer defining the four sides of the detector with 'walls', since I think OpenFOAM uses that term more literally when considering inflows and outflows into and out of a volume. Here, I'm not really concerned with the behavior outside of my main rectangular block. I seek the behavior of the electric fields inside of the cross-strip detector I described above. Unfortunately, I'm still encountering the same error. I now realize that to define a face by listing vertices, all of the vertices must be part of a block. This brings me to my main question- is there a good way to define blocks in this perpendicular strip configuration? The necessary geometry is not clear to me. Thanks in advance for any and all help.