This example creates an alveolar mesh (19 alveoli around an alveolar duct) using a 3-D Voronoi meshing technique within a unit cube host mesh. The unit cube mesh is read in, boundary (B) and internal boundary (IB) nodes are generated at the cube surfaces and internal (I) nodes are generated uniformly within the unit cube. Delaunay triangulation of these points is formed and a Voronoi mesh is created from this. The resulting structural alveolar mesh consists of 2-D linear surface elements.

Created by Kelly Burrowes, 05/2003.

Delaunay nodes in cube

Delaunay triangulation

Initial Voronoi mesh

Remaining alveoli and duct cells

Duct cells shown with surfaces

Alveolar mesh

Voronoi elements along a central passage are allocated as duct cells, to allow air passage. All Voronoi cells adjacent to the central duct are then grouped as alveoli, these form the alveolar units. The duct cells are discarded to produce the alveolar mesh.