Generating the Volume Mesh And Interfaces

You generate a polyhedral mesh for the fluid and the solids with conformal interfaces between them to compute the conjugate heat transfer. For the tabs and the busbars, you use the Thin Mesher.

To generate the volume mesh and interfaces:
  1. Define an automated mesh operation to mesh the thin parts—the tabs and the busbars:
    1. Right-click the Geometry > Operations node and select New > Mesh > Automated Mesh.
    2. In the Create Automated Mesh Operation dialog, select the following parts: busbar1, busbar In, busbar Out, tab1, and tab2.
    3. Select the Surface Remesher, the Polyhedral Mesher, and the Thin Mesher, then click OK.
    4. Rename the Automated Mesh node as Automated Mesh - Thin Parts.
    5. Select the Automated Mesh - Thin Parts node and activate Per-Part Meshing.
    6. Select the Automated Mesh - Thin Parts > Meshers > Surface Remesher node and deactivate Perform Proximity Refinement.
    7. Edit the Default Controls node and set the following properties:
      Node Property Setting
      Base Size Base Size 4 mm
      Minimum Surface Size Percentage of base 25.0
      Number of Thin Layers Number of Layers 3
  2. Define an automated mesh operation to mesh the battery cells:
    1. Right-click the Geometry > Operations node and select New > Mesh > Automated Mesh.
    2. In the Create Automated Mesh Operation dialog, select the Cell part.
    3. Select the Surface Remesher and the Polyhedral Mesher, then click OK.
    4. Rename the Automated Mesh node as Automated Mesh - Cell.
    5. Select the Automated Mesh - Cell node and set Mesher Execution Mode to Parallel.
    6. Select the Automated mesh - Cell > Default Controls > Base Size node and set Base Size to 4 mm.
    7. Right-click the Custom Controls node and select New > Surface Control.
    8. Edit the Surface Control node and set the following properties: .
      Node Property Setting
      Surface Control Part Surfaces bottom
      Controls > Target Surface Size Target Surface Size Custom
      Values > Target Surface Size Percentage of Base 50.0
  3. Define an automated mesh operation to mesh the plate and the coolant:
    1. Right-click the Geometry > Operations node and select New > Mesh > Automated Mesh.
    2. In the Create Automated Mesh Operation dialog, select the following parts: Coolant and Plate.
    3. Select the Surface Remesher, the Polyhedral Mesher, and the Prism Layer Mesher, then click OK.
    4. Rename the Automated Mesh node as Automated Mesh - Cooling.
    5. Select the Automated Mesh - Cooling node and set Mesh Execution Mode to Parallel.
    6. Edit the Default Controls node and set the following properties:
      Node Property Setting
      Base Size Base Size 5 mm
      Minimum Surface Size Percentage of base 50.0
      Prism Layer Controls > Prism Layer Total Thickness Size Type Absolute
      Absolute Size 0.5 mm
    7. Right-click the Custom Controls node and select New > Surface Control.
    8. Edit the Surface Control node and set the following properties: .
      Node Property Setting
      Surface Control Part Surfaces Plate > Surfaces > Faces
      Controls > Prism Layers Prism Layers Custom
      Customize Number of Layers Activated
      Customize Total Thickness Activated
      Values > Custom Prism Values Number of Prism Layers 1
      Prism Layer Total Thickness Size Type Absolute
      Absolute Size 0.5 mm
  4. Define a mesh operation that patterns the volume mesh of the initial cell and the tabs:
    1. Right-click the Geometry > Operations node and select New > Mesh > Volume Mesh Pattern.
    2. In the Create Volume Pattern Operation dialog, click OK.
    3. Select the Volume Mesh Pattern node and create the following dynamic query for Input Parts:
      Name contains (
      25 matching geometry parts consisting of all surface patterned cells and tabs are found.
    4. Click OK.
  5. Create weak contacts between all solid battery components:
    1. Right-click the Geometry > Operations node and select New > Surface Preparation > Contact Creator.
    2. In the Create Contact Creator Operation dialog, click OK.
    3. Select the Contact Creator node and create the following dynamic query for Input Parts:
      Name does not contain coolant
      32 matching geometry parts consisting of all solid parts are found.
    4. Click OK.
  6. Right-click the Geometry > Operations node and select Execute All.
    You can follow the mesh generation progress in the output window.
  7. When the mesh generation process has finished, right-click the Parts node and select Update Interfaces > Update Contact-mode Interfaces.
    Updating the interfaces results in the creation of the interface between the battery cells and the plate.
  8. Select the Interfaces > Cell/Plate node and create the following dynamic query for Contacts:
    Type is Part Surface Contact
    Specifying the contacts in this form, as a dynamic query, ensures that the contacts are assigned automatically in case the volume mesh is regenerated or geometry parts change.
    64 matching contacts are found.
  9. Click OK.
  10. To view the volume mesh, create a mesh scene.


  11. Save the simulation.