Element Quality definitions: WEDGE

WEDGE element types

The quality measures supported for WEDGE element types are as follows,

1. Aspect Ratio
2. Warpage
3. Interior Angle
4. Skew
5. Volume
6. Edge Length
7. Stable time increment
8. Mid node alignment ratio
9. Mid node deviation ratio

Aspect Ratio

Aspect ratio of a WEDGE element is defined as the ratio of its longest edge to its shortest edge.

Warp Angle

The face warpage of a WEDGE element is defined as the maximum warpage among the three quadrilateral faces, each treated as a QUAD element.

Interior Angle

It is angle between the edges of a triangular/rectangular face of wedge. Minimum and maximum value of interior angle for each wedge element is calculated by considering all the faces of the wedge element.

Skew

The skew angle of a WEDGE element is defined as the maximum skew angle among its three quadrilateral faces and two triangular faces. Each quadrilateral face is treated as a QUAD element and each triangular face as a TRI element.

Volume

Volume of the WEDGE element.

Edge Length

Length of Wedge Edges.

Stable time increment

The Stable time step is the time needed for a shock wave (stress / pressure wave) to cross the smallest distance in an element. It is used to determine the initial minimum time step required for explicit dynamic analysis. This parameter also depends on the material properties assigned to the elements apart from the element dimensions.

Mid node alignment ratio

It describes how close a mid node can be displaced towards corner node along element edge.

Mid node deviation ratio

It describes how far a mid node is displaced from the line joining corner nodes.