[CAD formats] close stl file, inflow calculation, how to generete mesh?

lixuethermal · November 7, 2011, 19:20

Hi, I am a new user of OF. Now I want to calculate the blood flow in a part of carotid artery. But I do not know how to generate the mesh.

The stl file of the artery was obtained from CT scan. It was a closed geomerty. So I need to cut the stl file to generate both inlet and outlet planes before meshing. I have tried gmesh, engrid...,but it seems to me that all those softwares can only generate mesh but can not modify the stl file.

If I can divide the stl to 3 parts: wall, inlet, outlet, Gmesh should be able to give me the initial mesh with lables. But so far, I have not found an opensource software that can cut stl files.

I used to use Ansys to calculate the same problem, there was no problem. I transfered icem-cfd mesh to OF, and used OF as a solver, there was no problem either.

Now, I want to find a way to replace ICEM-CFD, and do everything using opensource code. Does anyone have a clue, greatly appreciate.

eugene · November 8, 2011, 05:48

Try Blender. Its a bit of a learning curve, but it has all the required functionality.

Alternatively, you can just stick some separately defined plane geometries between the inlet/outlet faces and the rest of the mesh using the foam native snappyHexMesh tool. Let me know if you need more info on how to do this.

lixuethermal · November 9, 2011, 01:37

Thanks

, you gave me a very improtant clue.

I will try "Blender" first as caelinux has this software installed. Just want to make sure that the purpose of using "Blender" is to cut in/out based on a stl file and output 3 stl files for the mesh generation (gmsh). Is that correct?

eugene · November 9, 2011, 07:05

Well, we don't use gmsh, we use snappyHexMesh almost exclusively, so I cannot comment on that aspect. For the rest, yes Blender has the capability to do what you want.

November 7, 2011, 19:20	close stl file, inflow calculation, how to generete mesh?	#1
lixuethermal New Member Peter.Zhang Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Hi, I am a new user of OF. Now I want to calculate the blood flow in a part of carotid artery. But I do not know how to generate the mesh. The stl file of the artery was obtained from CT scan. It was a closed geomerty. So I need to cut the stl file to generate both inlet and outlet planes before meshing. I have tried gmesh, engrid...,but it seems to me that all those softwares can only generate mesh but can not modify the stl file. If I can divide the stl to 3 parts: wall, inlet, outlet, Gmesh should be able to give me the initial mesh with lables. But so far, I have not found an opensource software that can cut stl files. I used to use Ansys to calculate the same problem, there was no problem. I transfered icem-cfd mesh to OF, and used OF as a solver, there was no problem either. Now, I want to find a way to replace ICEM-CFD, and do everything using opensource code. Does anyone have a clue, greatly appreciate.

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November 8, 2011, 05:48		#2
eugene Senior Member Eugene de Villiers Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 725 Rep Power: 21	Try Blender. Its a bit of a learning curve, but it has all the required functionality. Alternatively, you can just stick some separately defined plane geometries between the inlet/outlet faces and the rest of the mesh using the foam native snappyHexMesh tool. Let me know if you need more info on how to do this.

November 9, 2011, 01:37		#3
lixuethermal New Member Peter.Zhang Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Thanks , you gave me a very improtant clue. I will try "Blender" first as caelinux has this software installed. Just want to make sure that the purpose of using "Blender" is to cut in/out based on a stl file and output 3 stl files for the mesh generation (gmsh). Is that correct?

November 9, 2011, 07:05		#4
eugene Senior Member Eugene de Villiers Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 725 Rep Power: 21	Well, we don't use gmsh, we use snappyHexMesh almost exclusively, so I cannot comment on that aspect. For the rest, yes Blender has the capability to do what you want.