engineering

Unstructured grid

Unstructured grid is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Unstructured grid rather than just read about it. In short: An unstructured grid or irregular grid is a tessellation of a part of the Euclidean plane or Euclidean space by simple shapes, such as triangles or tetrahedra, in an irregular pattern. Grids of this type may be used in finite element analysis when the input to be analyzed has an irregular shape.

Key takeaways

Unstructured grid belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Unstructured grid to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Unstructured grid from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

An unstructured grid or irregular grid is a tessellation of a part of the Euclidean plane or Euclidean space by simple shapes, such as triangles or tetrahedra, in an irregular pattern. Grids of this type may be used in finite element analysis when the input to be analyzed has an irregular shape. Unlike structured grids, unstructured grids require a list of the connectivity which specifies the way a given set of vertices make up individual elements (see graph (data structure)). Ruppert's algorithm is often used to convert an irregularly shaped polygon into an unstructured grid of triangles. In addition to triangles and tetrahedra, other commonly used elements in finite element simulation include quadrilateral (4-noded) and hexahedral (8-noded) elements in 2D and 3D, respectively. One of the most commonly used algorithms to generate unstructured quadrilateral grid is "Paving". However, there is no such commonly used algorithm for generating unstructured hexahedral grid on a general 3D solid model. "Plastering" is a 3D version of Paving, but it has difficulty in forming hexahedral elements at the interior of a solid.

See also Gridding – Interpolation on functions of more than one variablePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Types of mesh Regular grid – Tessellation of Euclidean space Mesh generation – Subdivision of space into cells Finite element analysis – Numerical method for solving physical or engineering problemsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

References

External links "Types of Grids". Archived from the original on 2013-03-25. Unstructured Grid

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Unstructured grid

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Unstructured grid claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Unstructured grid before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Unstructured grid ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Unstructured grid

In research: Unstructured grid appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Unstructured grid in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Unstructured grid is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Mesh generation, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Unstructured grid outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Unstructured grid in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Unstructured grid means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Unstructured grid out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Unstructured grid in simple terms?

Why does Unstructured grid matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Unstructured grid?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Unstructured grid.