I-STL2MOOSE: From STL data to integrated volumetrical meshes for MOOSE
Joe Sgarrella, Farshad Ghanbari, Christian Peco
Abstract
In several areas of science and engineering, STL (STereoLithography) data files are the standard representation of three-dimensional geometries. STL files are amenable to 3D printing and computer-aided design modeling, which often become the starting point for high-fidelity Finite Element analysis simulations. When the model is complex and involves various STL files, their integration into a conforming mesh with CAD-based interface level of definition is not a straightforward process. In this paper, we present I-STL2MOOSE, a Python-based tool that combines an arbitrary number of STL files into an integrated volumetrical mesh that is directly readable by MOOSE, a parallel, efficient open-source Finite Element implementation.