Fast Finite-difference Mesh Generation Algorithm for Large and Complex Titanium Alloy Castings
Author of the article: SHI Yuhang1,2, YIN Yajun1, SHEN Xu1, JI Xiaoyuan1, ZHOU Jianxin1
Author's Workplace:1. State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; 2. School of Software Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Key Words:complex castings; titanium alloy; mesh generation; finite difference; octree
Abstract:
Titanium alloys, with their excellent corrosion resistance, light weight and high strength, have become a core
material in the aerospace industry. With the rapid development of modern equipment manufacturing technology, the
manufacturing technology of titanium alloy castings has also reached a new height. Not only is the complexity significantly
improved, but the scale of the castings also tends to increase. The trend of large-scale, thin-walled and complex titanium
alloy castings undoubtedly brings challenges to the numerical simulation of the casting process. The mesh is the
computational domain of the numerical simulation process, so the primary issue is how to efficiently generate high-quality
meshes. To address this problem, this paper proposes an algorithm aimed at efficiently generating hexahedral uniform
meshes suitable for finite difference methods. The algorithm combines the octree data structure, which has the advantage of
spatial division, and the classical ray piercing algorithm. The octree data structure is first utilized to perform fine spatial
delineation of the 3D model of titanium alloy casting, and an accurate surface mesh is quickly generated through a mapping
relationship with a finite difference mesh. Then, the ray piercing algorithm is used to accurately construct the internal mesh
based on the surface mesh and the intersection information between the rays and the interior of the casting. After testing
and verification, the algorithm can efficiently and accurately generate high-quality finite difference hexahedral uniform
meshes, which provides an accurate and reliable computational domain for subsequent numerical calculations.