Fluid–Structure Interaction with Low-Re Turbulence Model

Abstract

Abstract: This report presents a methodology to couple fluid and structure that gives rise to a variety of phenomena with applications in many areas, such as stability analysis of airplane wings, turbomachinery/bridge design and blood flow through arteries. An efficient interface for the fluid-structure coupling is developed that resolves complications associated with the interaction between two simulation modules. The computational framework consists of a multi-block moving grid technique, the low-Re k–ǫ turbulence model, and a structure/pressure-based flow solver. The moving grid approach which handles the geometric variations in time, combines master/slave strategy and transfinite interpolation techniques. A modified Newmark–β method is used for solving the non-linear structural equation.

Main result: The turbulent flow characteristics subjected to a favorable pressure gradient inside a two/three–dimensional contraction have been carried out numerically. Attention is focused on the relaminarization in the boundary layer of a flat plate (i.e.,vane), positioned at the centerline of the contraction and the downstream development of the vortex induced vibration (VIV). FINFLO handles this complex case appreciably well.