Generation of adaptive refinement tetrahedral meshes over domains of multi-chamber partition

Purpose In this study, we propose a tetrahedral mesh generation and adaptive refinement method for multi-chamber, multi-facet, multiscale and surface-solid mesh coupling with extremely thin layers, solving the two challenges of mesh generation and refinement in current electromagnetic simulation models. Design/methodology/approach Utilizing innovative topology transformation techniques, high-precision intersection judgment algorithms and highly reliable boundary recovery algorithms to reduce the number of Steiner locking points. The feasible space for the reposition of Steiner points is determined by using the linear programming. During mesh refinement, an edge-split method based on geometric center and boundary facets node size is devised. Solving the problem of difficult insertion of nodes in narrow geometric spaces, capable of filtering the longest and boundary edges of tetrahedrons, refining the mesh layer by layer through multiple iterations, and achieving collaborative optimization of surface and tetrahedral mesh. Simultaneously, utilizing a surface-facet preserving mesh topology optimization algorithm to improve the fit degree between the mesh and geometry. Findings Initial mesh generation for electromagnetic models, compared to commercial software, the method proposed in this paper has a higher pass rate and better mesh quality. For the adaptive refinement performance of high-frequency computing, this method can generate an average of 50% fewer meshes compared to commercial software while meeting simulation accuracy. Originality/value This paper proposes a complete set of mesh generation and adaptive refinement theories and methods designed for the structural characteristics of electromagnetic simulation models, which meet the needs of real-world industrial applications.