Curvature Sizing Function

The Curvature sizing function determines element size based on the curvature evaluation of a surface at the current location. Two surface curvature values (taken perpendicular to each other) are compared at the location of interest, and the largest is used as the sizing function for the mesh. Figure 1 shows a solid with a highly deformed surface which displays rapid change of surface curvature at several locations.

Figure 1. NURBS solid with high surface curvature change

Figure 2 depicts a normal paved mesh of this surface using a common size on all bounding curves and no sizing function in the interior. The total number of quadrilateral shell elements for this case is 1988. Figure 3 shows a mesh which was generated with the curvature sizing function option. The mesh is graded denser in the regions of quickly changing curvature, such as at the tops of the hills and at the bottom of the valley. Due to the intense interrogation of the underlying geometric modeler which the curvature method relies on, this option can be very computationally expensive.

Figure 2. NURBS mesh with no interior sizing function

Figure 3. NURBS mesh with curvature sizing function