Applying Curvature Sizing

You can apply curvature sizing if you want the mesh size to be refined based on the curvature in the geometry.

The curvature size function examines curvature on edges and faces and computes element sizes on these entities such that the size will not violate the maximum size or the curvature normal angle. The curvature normal angle is the maximum allowable angle that one element edge is allowed to span.

To apply curvature sizing:

  1. Set the desired Element size and Defeature size, or use defaults.
  2. Select the Curvature check box.
  3. For Minimum size, set the minimum size of element to be generated when curvature is calculated.
  4. For Normal angle, set the maximum allowable angle that one element edge is allowed to span.A default curvature normal angle is computed automatically. To override this value, enter a value between 0 and 180 degrees.You can use the Normal angle to limit the number of elements that are generated along a curve or surface if the minimum size is too small for that particular curve.

    Example: How the Normal Angle Controls Element Placement

    The following figure shows a curved region with a normal angle of α = 45°. If the curvature were extended to 360° to create a circle, the normal angle is the arc span from the center of the circle to the curved region. Three arc spans are needed to span the entire curvature, which results in three elements placed along the curvature: one in each arc span.