Using COMSOL Multiphysics as mesh-generator

In order to use a mesh generated with COMSOL, the mesh has to be exported from COMSOl and converted to .hdf5 using "comsol_meshconvert.py". The following steps need to be taken:

Geometry

If non-conforming grids are going to be used, it is important that the geometric domains are not merged via “union” to avoid collapsing the shared boundaries of the adjacent domains into one. Only the domains, whose shared interfaces are going to be conforming are merged by creating a “union”. At the end of the geometric sequence a “Form Assembly”-Node must be used, the “create pairs” box must be checked and the pairing type “identity pair” must be chosen. That way, the previously formed unions will stay unions and the rest of the domains will stay separate while the boundaries on both sides will be kept.

Selections

All regions (domains, boundaries,..) need to be defined as “selections” and can later be used in openCFS by the name given in COMSOL. When the selections for the boundaries at non-conforming interfaces are created (master and slave), the boundary belonging to the correct region must be chosen. (boundaries of adjacent regions are indistinguishable, an easy way of selecting the boundary of one domain is by hiding the other domain).

Mesh and export

After the usual meshing-process the mesh is exported as .mphtxt via mesh -> export. It is important that the selections are included in the export.

Conversion

To convert the mesh open Anaconda prompt (or a Terminal), go to the directory where both the script (comsol_meshconvert.py) and the meshfile (mesh_comsol.mphtxt) are and type "python comsol_meshconvert.py mesh_comsol.mphtxt". After processing, the converted meshfile should be in the folder aswell, named like the .mphtxt-file, but with a .cfs extension.