Multi-Domain Meshes for Automobile Underhood Applications

A fast and fully automated, Cartesian cell dominated projected mesh generation tool, that does not require a water-tight surface mesh and can handle dirty geometry without the need for CAD clean-up, is ideal for generating the fluid (air) domain mesh in the underhood region of an automobile. For simulating radiation and conduction though, it may be essential to model the solid material of the underhood components as well. Thus a multi-domain mesh is required. This paper presents an approach in which a projected mesh generation tool (CFD-VisCART) creates the fluid mesh and communicates with a conventional grid generator (CFD-GEOM), which in turn creates the solid component mesh. This approach thus tries to combine the benefits of the two vastly varying grid generation algorithms and allows the user to achieve a very short turnaround time for the underhood mesh. An intake duct geometry is considered here to simulate the rise in temperature of the air moving through this component due to the combined effects of radiation from neighboring heated components, conduction through the intake duct material and convection due to the flowing air. Current limitations with this approach and ongoing/future development work are also discussed.