Abstract

In the present work a new approach to solve fluid-structure interaction problems is described. Both, the equations of motion for fluids and for solids have been approximated using a material (lagrangian) formulation. To approximate the partial differential equations representing the fluid motion, the shape functions introduced by the Meshless Finite Element Method (MFEM) have been used. Thus, the continuum is discretized into particles that move under body forces (gravity) and surface forces (due to the interaction with neighboring particles). All the physical properties such as density, viscosity, conductivity, etc., as well as the variables that define the temporal state such as velocity and position and also other variables like temperature are assigned to the particles and are transported with the particle motion. The so called Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) provides a very advantageous and efficient way for solving contact and free-surface problems, highly simplifying the treatment of fluid-structure interactions. '''Key words: '''Fluid-Structure interaction, Particle methods, Lagrange formulations, Incompressible Fluid Flows, Meshless Methods, Finite Element Method.

Abstract

An explicit time integrator without the CFL < 1 restriction for the momentum equation is presented. This allows stable large time-steps in problems dominated by convection, independently of the spatial discretization.

The idea is to use the information existing at time t=tn in the velocity streamlines as well as in the acceleration streamlines to update the particle position as well as the velocity in an updated Lagrangian frame. The method may be used with moving or fixed meshes.

Abstract

We present a general formulation for incompressible fluid flow analysis using the finite element method (FEM). The necessary stabilization for dealing with convective effects and the incompressibility condition are introduced via the so called finite calculus (FIC) method. The extension of the standard eulerian form of the equations to an arbitrary lagrangian-eulerian (ALE) frame adequate for treating fluid-structure interaction problems is presented. The fully lagrangian form is also discussed. Details of an effective mesh updating procedure are presented together with a method for dealing with free surface effects of importance for ship hydrodynamic analysis and many other fluid flow problems. Examples of application of the eulerian, the ALE and the fully lagrangian flow descriptions are presented.

Abstract

A method is presented for the solution of the incompressible fluid flow equations using a Lagrangian formulation. The interpolation functions are those used in the meshless finite element method and the time integration is introduced in a semi-implicit way by a fractional step method. Classical stabilization terms used in the momentum equations are unnecessary due to the lack of convective terms in the Lagrangian formulation. Furthermore, the Lagrangian formulation simplifies the connections with fixed or moving solid structures, thus providing a very easy way to solve fluid–structure interaction problems.

Abstract