The National Grid Project

Abstract In 1991, the NSF Engineering Research Center at Mississippi State formed a national coalition of industrial and federal laboratory participants to develop a comprehensive grid generation system defined by users and designed by experts. This NSF/ERC provides a natural mechanism to form such a coalition of interest, funding, and talent, and is a natural and enduring agency to support, maintain and enhance the system. The objective of this National Grid Project is to increase the efficiency and productivity of the grid generation process to the high level required for high performance computational simulation of real-world systems for design and analysis in engineering applications. The Project is achieving this objective by developing a comprehensive interactive/automated grid generation system which will provide a uniform environment for the construction of computational grids using state-of-the-art technology. This comprehensive grid generation system is a necessary element to meet the grand challenges of the nation's High Performance Computing and Communications Program. The system incorporates a surface definition system including: an interface with IGES files and CAD systems: B-splines and NURBS; surface-surface intersection; surface quality enhancement; a surface grid generation system based on surface parametric coordinates; a volume grid generation system including transfinite interpolation, elliptic and hyperbolic generation systems; both block-structured and unstructured grids with hybrid and chimera (overset) combinations; and orthogonal, reflective and periodic boundaries. Block interfaces and connectivity are automated and the system includes automated fault diagnostics and corrective measures.