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While interactive simulations have been mostly limited to Computer Graphics applications, new generations of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) allow the realization of industrial-grade interactive 3D physics simulations. By combining an immersed boundary method with efficient GPU-based MINRES and CG solvers using a GPU-based geometric multigrid preconditioner, we demonstrate a fast industrial 3D computational mechanics solver. The various implementation aspects - specifically how they differ from similar concepts used in the Computer Graphics community - are discussed in detail. The proposed concept opens up new classes of industrial simulation applications allowing a democratization beyond today's expert users, from designer centric simulation to operational and service decisions based on 3D simulations. To support this, we provide various benchmark cases including a real-world study of a simulation-based service decision for a damaged gear-box mount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fine particle liquid–solid flow in porous media is involved in many industrial processes such as oil exploitation, geothermal reinjection and particle filtration. Understanding the migration characteristics of single fine particles in liquid–solid flow in porous media can provide micro-detailed explanations for the fine particle liquid–solid flow in porous media. In this paper, an existing lattice Boltzmann method–discrete element method (LBM-DEM) is improved by introducing a new boundary thickening direct forcing (BTDF) immersed boundary method (IBM) to replace the classical IBM. The new method is used to investigate the migrations of one, two or three fine particles in a flow field in porous media and the reactions of one, two or three fine particles on the flow field. It is found that the movement distance of a fine particle in porous media does not show a linear correlation with the fine particle's density. A fine particle with a higher density may move a shorter distance and then stagnates. Although a fine particle with a smaller diameter has a better following performance in a flow field, it is also likely to be stranded in a low-infiltration area in porous media. Under the same increase ratio, the increase in the diameter of a fine particle causes an increased pressure drop of the liquid–solid flow. In some cases, the increase in the quantity of fine particles can intensify the disturbance of fine particles on the flow field, improving the movement of fine particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Transactions of Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this work, the immersed boundary method with time filter and scalar auxiliary variable techniques is studied to solve the fluid–structure interaction problems. For the fluid flow, we first use the backward Euler differentiation formula in temporal discretization, we then employ the time filter technique to improve its convergence order, the scalar auxiliary variable strategy is visited to decouple the fluid equations and achieve fast solutions. We adopt the immersed boundary method to build the connection between the fluid and the structure, as well as characterize the deformations of the structure. We approximate the fluid–structure interaction model by the finite element method in space. The semi-discrete and fully-discrete implicit numerical schemes are proposed followed with unconditionally stability properties. We carry out several numerical experiments to validate the convergence behaviors and efficiency of the algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local scour around bridge foundations significantly impacts the stability and safety of marine structures. The development of scour holes adjacent to the pile foundations of sea-crossing bridges, influenced by tidal currents, involves multidimensional physical fields, multiscale coupling, and complex variations in marine loads. However, experimental models alone are inadequate for investigating the underlying mechanisms. Numerical simulation, a critical tool for studying local scour processes, faces the challenge of accurately modeling sediment transport, particularly under tidal flow conditions near pile foundations. To solve this challenge, this research considers the effect of reciprocating flow on sediment shear as well as its characteristic dissipation based on the immersed boundary method, introduces a reciprocating flow dissipation mechanism, and adds a momentum exchange term between the fluid and the sediment to derive a new controlling equation; a new tidal flow localized scour solver is ultimately constructed, termed TidalflowFOAM. The solver effectively simulates complex flow conditions under tidal currents, extending the modeling capabilities to more realistic three-dimensional bridge scour scenarios under combined wave and current conditions. Validation through cases reported in the literature and a series of controlled experiments, encompassing varying depths, flow velocities, and pile diameters, demonstrates the solver's proficiency in capturing post-vortex data and accurately reflecting the influence of key factors on scour depth. However, the fidelity of the simulated scour hole morphology under tidal flow conditions behind the piles requires enhancement. The proposed numerical model for tidal flow conditions has high solution accuracy and can guide practical engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce the numerical strategy for mixed uncertainty propagation based on probability and Dempster–Shafer theories, and apply it to the computational model of peristalsis in a heart-pumping system. Specifically, the stochastic uncertainty in the system is represented with random variables while epistemic uncertainty is represented using non-probabilistic uncertain variables with belief functions. The mixed uncertainty is propagated through the system, resulting in the uncertainty in the chosen quantities of interest (QoI, such as flow volume, cost of transport and work). With the introduced numerical method, the uncertainty in the statistics of QoIs will be represented using belief functions. With three representative probability distributions consistent with the belief structure, global sensitivity analysis has also been implemented to identify important uncertain factors and the results have been compared between different peristalsis models. To reduce the computational cost, physics constrained generalized polynomial chaos method is adopted to construct cheaper surrogates as approximations for the full simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling action of gas flow with propellant burning surface regression is the critical process in solid rocket motor (SRM), which has an important effect on the unsteady combustion, erosive burning, dynamic combustion and pressure fluctuation of propellants. The immersed boundary method (IBM) is used to deal with the dynamic boundary of the flow field caused by the burning surface regression, and the face offsetting method (FOM) is applied to track the regression of the burning surface. The combination of these two methods can realize the coupling simulation of gas flow and burning surface regression. In this paper, the mathematical model of the immersed boundary method for all the flow field boundaries and the coupling method of gas flow with the propellant burning surface regression are given. And the implementation method of the immersed boundary method for all boundary conditions in the non-viscous flow field is given. The internal flow fields of the motor with the end-slotted and end-burning propellant and another motor with the perforated cylindrical propellant, considering the erosive burning, are simulated. The numerical results show that IBM, combined with FOM, has effectively realized the simulation of gas flow coupled with the burning surface regression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand morphogenesis, it is necessary to know the material properties or forces shaping the living tissue. In spite of this need, very few in vivo measurements are currently available. Here, using the early Drosophila embryo as a model, we describe a novel cantilever-based technique which allows for the simultaneous quantification of applied force and tissue displacement in a living embryo. By analyzing data from a series of experiments in which embryonic epithelium is subjected to developmentally relevant perturbations, we conclude that the response to applied force is adiabatic and is dominated by elastic forces and geometric constraints, or system size effects. Crucially, computational modeling of the experimental data indicated that the apical surface of the epithelium must be softer than the basal surface, a result which we confirmed experimentally. Further, we used the combination of experimental data and comprehensive computational model to estimate the elastic modulus of the apical surface and set a lower bound on the elastic modulus of the basal surface. More generally, our investigations revealed important general features that we believe should be more widely addressed when quantitatively modeling tissue mechanics in any system. Specifically, different compartments of the same cell can have very different mechanical properties; when they do, they can contribute differently to different mechanical stimuli and cannot be merely averaged together. Additionally, tissue geometry can play a substantial role in mechanical response, and cannot be neglected.

A hybrid approach based on the immersed boundary method (IBM) is developed for computation of flow-induced sound around moving bodies. In this method, a high-fidelity direct numerical simulation (DNS) solver is used to simulate the incompressible flow field. The sound field is predicted by discretizing acoustic perturbation equations (APEs) with dispersion-relation-preserving space scheme and low-dispersion and low-dissipation Runge-Kutta time integration. A sharp-interface IBM based on ghost-cell is implemented for present two-step DNS-APE approach to deal with complex moving bodies with Cartesian grids. The present method is validated through simulations of sound generation caused by flow past a rotating cylinder, an oscillating cylinder, and tandem oscillating and stationary cylinders. The sound generated by typical kinds of complicated bio-inspired locomotions, i.e., flapping flight by wings of varied shapes and collective undulatory swimming in tandem, are investigated using present method. The results demonstrate potential of the hybrid approach in addressing flow-induced sound generation and propagation with complex moving boundaries in a fluid medium, especially for the sound characteristics of bio-mimetic flows, which might shed lights on investigations on bio-acoustics, ethology of complex animal system, and related bio-mimetic design for quietness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shock wave propagation and their damage to solid structures, which involve complex multiphase and multiphysics phenomena, are difficult problems to address. In this paper, a three-dimensional graphics processing unit (GPU)-accelerated finite difference-smoothed particle hydrodynamics (FD-SPH) method was developed for the prediction of strongly compressible fluid flow and strong fluid-structure interactions. The conventional mesh-based finite difference method was used to simulate shock wave propagation, while the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method was employed to predict the dynamic behavior of solid materials. In addition, the immersed boundary method (IBM) was implemented in the GPU-accelerated FD-SPH solver for the boundary treatment of the interface between solid and fluid materials. Four numerical cases, namely shock-cylinder obstacle interaction, elastic panel deformation induced by shock wave propagation, the response of stainless steel tubes under internal blast loading, and the damage of blast loading on reinforced concrete slab, were conducted for verification of the GPU-accelerated FD-SPH solver. The numerical results were compared against the available experimental data, which shows that the GPU-accelerated FD-SPH solver is capable of capturing the shock wave propagation and its damage to structures very well. • A GPU accelerated coupled FD-SPH method is developed to solve strong fluid-structure interaction problems. • The immersed boundary method is used in the solver to impose boundary conditions on the fluid-structure interface. • The propagation of shock waves and its damage to the structure is well captured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realistic acoustic problems often involve interactions between arbitrary-shaped moving objects at the interface with a fluid domain. The present work aims at developing numerical methods to take into account moving boundaries for acoustic problems, with a high order of convergence. The reference problem considered in this work is the solution of the non-linear Euler equations by a finite-difference time-domain method, describing the formation of one-dimensional waves created by a moving piston. The most suitable class of methods to solve this type of problem in the case of complex moving boundaries is the ghost-point method for sharp interface with 4th order reconstruction.1 In order to accurately formulate the immersed boundaries with ghost points, the boundary conditions are formulated in terms of characteristic waves of the non-linear equations. The proposed approach is also extended to represent moving boundaries with a prescribed acoustic impedance. This is achieved by coupling a time-domain acoustic impedance model to the immersed boundary technique. The method is also applied to a two-dimensional example, where an acoustic pulse is reflected by a moving wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a kind of immersed boundary method, the discretized force with ghost cell method, is introduced to study compressible flow. Meanwhile, an adaptive mesh refinement scheme and a wall treatment for turbulent flow are proposed. With the help of in-house code, the accuracy of the method is verified based on several classic tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In injured arteries, platelets adhere to the subendothelium and initiate the coagulation process. They recruit other platelets and form a plug that stops blood leakage. The formation of the platelet plug depends on platelet activation, a process that is regulated by intracellular calcium signaling. Using an improved version of a previous multiscale model, we study the effects of changes in calcium signaling on thrombus growth. This model utilizes the immersed boundary method to capture the interplay between platelets and the flow. Each platelet can attach to other platelets, become activated, express proteins on its surface, detach, and/or become non-adhesive. Platelet activation is captured through a specific calcium signaling model that is solved at the intracellular level, which considers calcium activation by agonists and contacts. Simulations reveal a contact-dependent activation threshold necessary for the formation of the thrombus core. Next, we evaluate the effect of knocking out the P2Y and PAR receptor families. Further, we show that blocking P2Y receptors reduces platelet numbers in the shell while slightly increasing the core size. An analysis of the contribution of P2Y and PAR activation to intraplatelet calcium signaling reveals that each of the ADP and thrombin agonists promotes the activation of platelets in different regions of the thrombus. Finally, the model predicts that the heterogeneity in platelet size reduces the overall number of platelets recruited by the thrombus. The presented framework can be readily used to study the effect of antiplatelet therapy under different physiological and pathological blood flow, platelet count, and activation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the need for handling complex geometries in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) grows, efficient and accurate mesh generation techniques become paramount. This study presents an adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) technology based on cell-based Cartesian grids, employing a distance-weighted least squares interpolation for finite difference discretization and utilizing immersed boundary methods for wall boundaries. This facilitates effective management of both transient and steady flow problems. Validation through supersonic flow over a forward-facing step, subsonic flow around a high Reynolds number NHLP airfoil, and supersonic flow past a sphere demonstrated AMR's efficacy in capturing essential flow characteristics while wisely refining and coarsening meshes, thus optimizing resource utilization without compromising accuracy. Importantly, AMR simplified the capture of complex flows, obviating manual mesh densification and significantly improving the efficiency and reliability of CFD simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multitubular reactors are commonly used in industry for processes involving highly exothermic chemical reactions. This reactor type consists of individual tubes, with a small diameter compared to the particle size. These slender beds facilitate heat management, but also give rise to flow maldistribution, which decreases the reactor efficiency. The aim of this article is to validate particle‐resolved simulations using Magnetic Resonance Imaging experiments while focusing on the flow maldistribution. The packing structure used in the simulations is reconstructed from the experimental images to facilitate a one‐to‐one comparison. A good match between experiments and simulations is found for the averaged flow profile, probability density function of the velocity in axial direction and even the local velocity distributions. However, a correction of the experimental results for magnetic susceptibility artifacts is necessary to obtain a similar match in the probability density functions and the local profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow and heat transfer in a bidisperse gas–solid system with freely moving spheres are simulated by particle‐resolved direct numerical simulation (PR‐DNS). Gas–solid coupling is enforced by the direct‐forcing immersed boundary method. Compard with the DNS database, it is found that the existing polydisperse drag correction model developed from static systems combined with various monodisperse drag models underestimates the drag force on dynamic arrays of particles. The existing Nusselt number correction model developed from static systems combined with various monodisperse models overestimates the Nusselt number of dynamic arrays of particles. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the effects of the granular temperature on the drag force and Nusselt number are negligible. Novel polydisperse drag and Nusselt number models are derived based on the database. The advantages of the derived polydisperse drag and Nusselt number models are demonstrated and confirmed by comparing the results of the computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method using various drag and Nusselt number models with experimental or additional PR‐DNS data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immersed boundary (IB) methods have been successfully implemented for different applications. This paper focuses on the immersed boundary implementation for two different governing equations, namely the diffusion equation and Euler equations, using a bi-linear interpolation for the implementation of the boundary condition. The concept of implicit interpolation is introduced which eradicates the problems faced with the explicit interpolation in which it is required to move away from the boundary in the fluid domain in order to complete the interpolation stencil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work proposes the application of a computational methodology based on the coupling of the Fourier Pseudospectral Method (FPSM) and the Immersed Boundary Method (IBM) for conducting flow simulations over slender airfoils. This methodology, termed IMERSPEC, leverages the benefits of both high accuracy and low computational cost inherent in pseudospectral methods, thanks to the utilization of the Fast Fourier Transform algorithm. IBM is employed to impose non-periodic boundary conditions in the Navier–Stokes equations, addressing the requirement of periodicity at boundaries for FPSM convergence and to accurately represent the immersed slender airfoil in the flow. The aerodynamic behavior of the analyzed profiles was assessed by calculating lift and drag coefficients, which were then compared with existing literature results. Consistently favorable outcomes were observed, particularly in flows at lower Reynolds numbers, demonstrating the effectiveness of the IMERSPEC methodology for simulating complex flows computationally. Additionally, weight functions, fundamental to IBM, are employed flexibly for aerodynamic force calculations. Specifically, within the same simulation, a Cubic function is utilized for drag calculation while a Hat function is employed for lift calculation, yielding results more closely aligned with the literature's findings. This approach offers an alternative to previously proposed methods for IBM implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new hybrid numerical approach is presented that couples "ghost cell" based immersed boundary (IB) method with the finite volume lattice Boltzmann method (FVLBM). In the implementation process, the grid cells are classified into three types, i.e., " f l u i d c e l l ", " s o l i d c e l l " and " g h o s t c e l l ", where the " g h o s t c e l l " is the first layer of " s o l i d c e l l " near the " f l u i d c e l l ". As the wall boundary condition is reflected in the " g h o s t c e l l ", the high–accuracy reconstruction of variables in it will be the key point of present approach. Then, a FVLBM scheme is used to update the distribution function in the " f l u i d c e l l ", and a least square interpolation based formulation is derived to construct the distribution functions in it. Further, the bounce–back scheme embedded in the streaming–collision lattice Boltzmann method will be employed as the wall boundary condition. Besides, for the class of moving boundary problems, the construction of the distribution function in the " f r e s h c e l l " is also considered. A number of typical benchmarking incompressible viscous fluid flows over both stationary and moving objects are simulated to justify the present method, using obstacles ranging from a stationary and a translating circular cylinders, a rotationally oscillating cylinder, to two more complex flows around an oscillating cylinder in the stationary fluid and in the free–stream. Besides, the temporal and spatial accuracy also are testified by the simulation of Taylor–Couette flow. The obtained accurate simulation results demonstrate the capability of the present hybrid IB–FVLBM for computer simulations of both stationary and moving boundary problems in the incompressible flow regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the flow physics of the forward-facing (FF) and backward-facing (BF) trapezoidal cylinders (TC) subjected to two-dimensional, incompressible, and laminar flow is investigated using an in-house developed flexible forcing immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann solver. The Reynolds number (Re) is defined based on the cylinder's characteristic length D. For the steady and unsteady flow regimes, Re is varied in the ranges of 10–40 and 75–125, respectively. The TCs shape is varied by modifying its nondimensional axial H/D and transverse Y/D length scales, between 0.5 to 2 and 0 to 1, respectively. Here, TCs horizontal central axis is always aligned along the incoming flow direction. It is observed that the flow separation points on the FF-TC and BF-TC are strongly influenced by the geometric (H/D and Y/D) and flow parameters (Re). Based on the boundary layer separation point, we have categorized the wake flow regimes behind the FF-TC and BF-TC into four types. In addition, the effect of the geometric and flow parameters on the drag coefficient (Cd), vortex shedding frequency, and steady and unsteady wake characteristics are thoroughly investigated here. Furthermore, by performing nonlinear regression analysis, we have proposed a set of correlation equations for the Cd and Strouhal number (St), using which the aerodynamic characteristics of differently shaped TC can be derived in the considered Re range without performing rigorous numerical simulations or experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Computational Mechanics / Jisuan Lixue Xuebao is the property of Chinese Journal of Computational Mechanics Editorial Office, Dalian University of Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract In this work, the sharp-interface immersed boundary (IB) method proposed by Mittal et al. (J Comput Phys 227(10):4825–4852, 2008) is extended to fluid-structure-interaction (FSI) simulation of parachute inflation by utilizing several open-source tools. The method employs a Cartesian-grid ghost-cell methodology to accurately represent the immersed boundary, and it is suitable for solving moving-boundary flows with arbitrarily complex geometries. The finite-element code CalculiX is employed to solve the structural dynamics of the parachute system. The IB flow solver is coupled with CalculiX in a minimally-invasive manner using the multi-physics coupling library preCICE. The implicit fluid-structure coupling together with the Aitken adaptive under-relaxation scheme is considered to improve the numerical accuracy and stability. The developed approach is validated by a benchmark FSI case. Numerical experiments on the inflation process of several typical parachutes are further conducted. The breathing process, flow structure, canopy displacement and drag coefficient are analyzed to demonstrate the applicability of the present approach for simulating parachute inflation.

In this work, the explicit boundary-condition-enforced immersed boundary method (EIBM) and the lattice Boltzmann flux solver (LBFS) are integrated into OpenFOAM to efficiently solve incompressible flows with complex geometries and moving boundaries. The EIBM applies the explicit technique to greatly improve the computational efficiency of the original boundary-condition-enforced immersed boundary method. In addition, the improved EIBM inherits the accurate interpretation of the no-slip boundary condition and the simple implementation from the original one. The LBFS uses the finite volume method to discretize the recovered macroscopic governing equations from the lattice Boltzmann equation. It enjoys the explicit relationship between the pressure and density, which avoids solving the pressure Poisson equation and thus saves much computational cost. Another attractive feature of the LBFS lies in its simultaneous evaluation of the inviscid and viscous fluxes. OpenFOAM, as an open-source CFD platform, has drawn increasing attention from the CFD community and has been proven to be a powerful tool for various problems. Thus, implementing the EIBM and LBFS into such a popular platform can advance the practical application of these two methods and may provide an effective alternative for complicated incompressible flow problems. The performance of the integrated solver in OpenFOAM is comprehensively assessed by comparing it with the widely used numerical solver in OpenFOAM, namely, the Pressure-Implicit with Splitting of Operators (PISO) algorithm with the IBM. A series of representative test cases with stationary and moving boundaries are simulated. Numerical results confirm that the present method does not have any streamline penetration and achieves the second-order accuracy in space. Therefore, the present method implemented in the open-source platform OpenFOAM may have good potential and can serve as a powerful tool for practical engineering problems.

In this present article, the use of a throttling device in the form of movable flap to study scramjet inlet unstart has been investigated numerically. The flap has been employed as an effort to simulate the rise in combustor pressure of the scramjet. Computational analysis for freestream Mach number and freestream pressure of 6.0 and 488 M respectively, have been performed by a two-dimensional compressible CFD in-house Finite volume solver for perfect gas. Convective fluxes have been evaluated using AUSM scheme. Inviscid flow has been assumed for all the simulations. Particular point of interest in these simulations is the application of Immersed Boundary Method along the wall boundaries, enabling the use of structured grid for complex geometries. The results demarcate the starting condition of the inlet based on the flap throttling values. Comparative results in the form of Mach number and pressure contours are presented for different flap positions. The use of Immersed Boundary Method has been successfully displayed by simulating a movable flap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a modified immersed boundary method (IBM) with a ghost-cells strategy is introduced to study a kind of vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT). In order to improve the accuracy of the numerical calculation and enhance its adaptability, some treatments on the IBM for the VAWT especially are carried out. The method is testified by the numerical simulation of an Eppler387 airfoil. With the help of the method, some flowing characteristics of the wind turbine have been thoroughly observed and understood. Furthermore, the effects of blade shape, tip vortex and secondary flowing on the turbine performance are discussed in detail based on the numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a slip‐wall model for large eddy simulation (LES) is improved and implemented in an immersed boundary method named the local domain‐free discretization (DFD) method. Considering that the matching location may be in the viscous sublayer, the physics‐based interpretation of a Robin‐type wall closure is complemented. Then, the slip‐wall wall model is improved, in which the slip length is redefined and the Robin boundary condition is imposed at the solid wall. The improved slip‐wall model is implemented in the local DFD method to evaluated the tangential velocity at an exterior dependent node, and then the requirement on high resolution of boundary layers can be alleviated. The non‐equilibrium effects are accounted for by adding an explicit correction to the wall shear stress. In order to validate the present wall‐modeled LES/DFD method, a series of turbulent channel flows at various Reynolds numbers, the flow over periodic hills and the flows over a NACA 4412 airfoil at a high Reynolds number are simulated. The predicted results agree well with the referenced experimental data and numerical results. Especially, the results of the separated flow over the airfoil at a near‐stall condition demonstrate the performance of the present wall‐modeled LES/DFD method for complex flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the explicit boundary-condition-enforced immersed boundary method (EIBM) and the lattice Boltzmann flux solver (LBFS) are integrated into OpenFOAM to efficiently solve incompressible flows with complex geometries and moving boundaries. The EIBM applies the explicit technique to greatly improve the computational efficiency of the original boundary-condition-enforced immersed boundary method. In addition, the improved EIBM inherits the accurate interpretation of the no-slip boundary condition and the simple implementation from the original one. The LBFS uses the finite volume method to discretize the recovered macroscopic governing equations from the lattice Boltzmann equation. It enjoys the explicit relationship between the pressure and density, which avoids solving the pressure Poisson equation and thus saves much computational cost. Another attractive feature of the LBFS lies in its simultaneous evaluation of the inviscid and viscous fluxes. OpenFOAM, as an open-source CFD platform, has drawn increasing attention from the CFD community and has been proven to be a powerful tool for various problems. Thus, implementing the EIBM and LBFS into such a popular platform can advance the practical application of these two methods and may provide an effective alternative for complicated incompressible flow problems. The performance of the integrated solver in OpenFOAM is comprehensively assessed by comparing it with the widely used numerical solver in OpenFOAM, namely, the Pressure-Implicit with Splitting of Operators (PISO) algorithm with the IBM. A series of representative test cases with stationary and moving boundaries are simulated. Numerical results confirm that the present method does not have any streamline penetration and achieves the second-order accuracy in space. Therefore, the present method implemented in the open-source platform OpenFOAM may have good potential and can serve as a powerful tool for practical engineering problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a numerical approach to address mass transport problems in multiphase systems, where a diffusing species concentration may exhibit discontinuities across phase boundaries. The approach employs a fixed structured grid, non-conforming with the probably complex or even evolving phase interfaces, in the same spirit as in numerous works in the literature focused on the dynamics of multiphase flows containing solid particles, immiscible fluids, elastic embedded structures, etc. The distinctive feature of the proposition is that in the transport equation, solved over the entire domain, the discontinuities are captured by including a distribution of source-dipoles along the phase boundaries. Moreover, the magnitude of the discontinuities and the source-dipole field strength do not need to be predetermined but are found as parts of the solution by a compatibility condition on the composite concentration field. A numerical implementation based on the finite element method is presented and examples are discussed demonstrating the validity of the approach. In addition, several types of multiphase mass transport problems are discussed, and simple examples are also presented, where it could find application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the sharp-interface immersed boundary (IB) method proposed by Mittal et al. (J Comput Phys 227(10):4825–4852, 2008) is extended to fluid-structure-interaction (FSI) simulation of parachute inflation by utilizing several open-source tools. The method employs a Cartesian-grid ghost-cell methodology to accurately represent the immersed boundary, and it is suitable for solving moving-boundary flows with arbitrarily complex geometries. The finite-element code CalculiX is employed to solve the structural dynamics of the parachute system. The IB flow solver is coupled with CalculiX in a minimally-invasive manner using the multi-physics coupling library preCICE. The implicit fluid-structure coupling together with the Aitken adaptive under-relaxation scheme is considered to improve the numerical accuracy and stability. The developed approach is validated by a benchmark FSI case. Numerical experiments on the inflation process of several typical parachutes are further conducted. The breathing process, flow structure, canopy displacement and drag coefficient are analyzed to demonstrate the applicability of the present approach for simulating parachute inflation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metachrony is defined as coordinated asynchronous movement throughout multiple appendages, such as the cilia of cells and swimmerets of crustaceans. Used by species of crustaceans and microscopic cells to move through fluid, the process of metachronal propulsion was investigated. A rigid crustacean model with paddles moving in symmetric strokes was created to simulate metachronal movement. Coupled with the surrounding fluid domain, the immersed boundary method was employed to analyze the fluid–structure interactions. To explore the effect of a nonlinear morphology on the efficiency of metachronal propulsion, a range of crustacean body shapes was generated and simulated, from upward curves to downward curves. The highest propulsion velocity was found to be achieved when the crustacean model morphology was a downward curve, specifically a parabola of leading coefficient k = −0.4. This curved morphology resulted in a 4.5% higher velocity when compared to the linear model. As k deviated from −0.4, the propulsion velocity decreased with increasing magnitude, forming a concave downward trend. The impact of body shape on propulsion velocity is shown by how the optimal velocity with k = −0.4 is 71.5% larger than the velocity at k = 1. Overall, this study suggests that morphology has a significant impact on metachronal propulsion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional (3D) fully-coupled fluid-structure model has been developed in this study to calculate the impact force of tsunamis on a flexible structure considering fluid-structure interactions. The propagation of a tsunami is simulated by solving the 3D Navier–Stokes equations using a finite volume method with the volume-of-fluid technique. The structure motion under the tsunami impact force is simulated by solving the motion equation using the generalized alpha method. The structure motion is fed back into the fluid solver via a technique that combines a sharp-interface immersed boundary method with the cut-cell method. The flow model predicts accurate impact forces of dam-break flows on rigid blocks in three experimental cases. The fully coupled 3D flow-structure model is tested with experiments on a large-scale (1:5) model bridge under nonbreaking and breaking solitary waves. The simulated wave propagation and structure restoring forces generally agree well with the measured data. Then, the fully-coupled fluid-structure model is compared with an uncoupled model and applied to assess the effect of flexibility on structure responses to tsunami loading, showing that the restoring force highly depends on the dynamic characteristics of the structure and the feedback coupling between fluid and structure. The maximum hydrodynamic and restoring forces decrease with increasing structure flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical study of linear wave scattering over a floating platform has been simulated by an efficient numerical model in this letter. The non-hydrostatic model is used to simulate the free surface and the uneven bottom. For the solid body modelling, the immersed boundary method (IBM) is implemented by introducing a virtual boundary force into the momentum equations to emulate the boundary conditions. This implementation enhances the ability of the model to simulate interactions between waves and floating structures. A numerical case involving wave interactions with a floating platform is studied to validate the numerical model. By simulating the wave propagation, the numerical model captures the variation of the wave scattering very well, which verifies the performance of the numerical model and the robust strategy of the IBM.

Suspension flows are frequently found in our daily lives, and their rheological properties are critical issues in many fields. In numerical simulations of suspension flows based on the two-way coupling approach, it is important to treat the no-slip boundary condition. The immersed boundary method (IBM) and interpolated bounce-back (IBB) scheme are representative schemes for satisfying the no-slip boundary condition in the lattice Boltzmann method. In the regard, the virtual flux method (VFM) has also been recently developed. In this study, the effect of pressure interpolation with arbitrary precision on numerical convergence was investigated and various methods were compared. Simulations of flows around a fixed cylinder, inertial migration of a single particle, and suspension flow were performed to compare the VFM with the multi direct forcing immersed boundary method and single-node second-order bounce-back scheme. Consequently, in the simulation of flows past a circular cylinder, we demonstrated that the convergence rate improved slightly when the pressure interpolation precision was increased. Moreover, in the suspension flow, using the VFM and IBB scheme reduced the computing time compared with using the IBM and allowed for more stable analysis at higher area fractions. The VFM can improve the numerical convergence rate by changing the pressure interpolation precision.

Local scour around bridge foundations significantly impacts the stability and safety of marine structures. The development of scour holes adjacent to the pile foundations of sea-crossing bridges, influenced by tidal currents, involves multidimensional physical fields, multiscale coupling, and complex variations in marine loads. However, experimental models alone are inadequate for investigating the underlying mechanisms. Numerical simulation, a critical tool for studying local scour processes, faces the challenge of accurately modeling sediment transport, particularly under tidal flow conditions near pile foundations. To solve this challenge, this research considers the effect of reciprocating flow on sediment shear as well as its characteristic dissipation based on the immersed boundary method, introduces a reciprocating flow dissipation mechanism, and adds a momentum exchange term between the fluid and the sediment to derive a new controlling equation; a new tidal flow localized scour solver is ultimately constructed, termed TidalflowFOAM. The solver effectively simulates complex flow conditions under tidal currents, extending the modeling capabilities to more realistic three-dimensional bridge scour scenarios under combined wave and current conditions. Validation through cases reported in the literature and a series of controlled experiments, encompassing varying depths, flow velocities, and pile diameters, demonstrates the solver’s proficiency in capturing post-vortex data and accurately reflecting the influence of key factors on scour depth. However, the fidelity of the simulated scour hole morphology under tidal flow conditions behind the piles requires enhancement. The proposed numerical model for tidal flow conditions has high solution accuracy and can guide practical engineering applications.

The coupling action of gas flow with propellant burning surface regression is the critical process in solid rocket motor (SRM), which has an important effect on the unsteady combustion, erosive burning, dynamic combustion and pressure fluctuation of propellants. The immersed boundary method (IBM) is used to deal with the dynamic boundary of the flow field caused by the burning surface regression, and the face offsetting method (FOM) is applied to track the regression of the burning surface. The combination of these two methods can realize the coupling simulation of gas flow and burning surface regression. In this paper, the mathematical model of the immersed boundary method for all the flow field boundaries and the coupling method of gas flow with the propellant burning surface regression are given. And the implementation method of the immersed boundary method for all boundary conditions in the non-viscous flow field is given. The internal flow fields of the motor with the end-slotted and end-burning propellant and another motor with the perforated cylindrical propellant, considering the erosive burning, are simulated. The numerical results show that IBM, combined with FOM, has effectively realized the simulation of gas flow coupled with the burning surface regression.

The presence of particles with a small but finite size, suspended in viscous fluids with low volumetric concentrations, is observed in many applications. The present study focuses on the tridimensional and incompressible lid-driven flow of Newtonian fluids through the application of the immersed boundary method and the Euler–Lagrange approach. These methods are used to numerically predict three-dimensional particle motion by considering nearly neutrally buoyant conditions as well as all relevant elementary processes (drag and lift forces, particle rotation, particle–wall interactions, and coupling between phases). Considering the current stage of the numerical platform, two coupling approaches between phases are considered: one-way and two-way coupling. A single particle is inserted in the cavity after steady-state conditions are achieved. Its three-dimensional motion is obtained from numerical simulations and compared with research data, considering the same conditions, evidently showing that the particle trajectory follows the experimental data until the first collision with a solid surface. After this first contact, there is a deviation between the results, with the two-way coupling results better representing the experimental data than the one-way coupling results. The dimensionless forces' peaks acting on the particles are associated with the relative velocity of the particle near the wall–particle collision position. In terms of magnitude, in general, the drag force has shown greater influence on the particle's motion, followed by the rotation-induced and shear-induced lift forces. Finally, a special application is presented, in which 4225 particles are released into the domain and their dynamic is evaluated throughout dimensionless time, showing similar behavior for both couplings between phases, with variations in local concentrations observed in certain regions. The mean square displacement used to quantify the dispersion evolution of the particles showed that the particulate flow reaches an approximately homogeneous distribution from the moment of dimensionless time tU/S = 130. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction force between fluid and particles in particulate flows is highly dependent on the rheology of fluid. In some engineering applications, like mineral processing, the rheological behaviour of the carrier fluid is characterized by a yield-pseudoplastic non-Newtonian model. The immersed boundary method (IBM) is a numerical strategy to simulate the interaction between phases in the particulate systems using a Cartesian fixed grid. It imposes the solid boundary condition in the computational domain through a modification (e.g. a forcing term) in the governing equations. However, there is still little study in the literature discussing the applicability of different IBMs to yield-pseudoplastic flows. In this paper, the numerical methodology in several versions of immersed boundary methods, including the Volume Penalization IBM (VP-IBM), Indirect Imposition of Discrete Forcing IBM (ID-IBM), and Direct Imposition of Discrete Forcing (DD-IBM), is described. The numerical implementation of the methods is first validated using Newtonian benchmark cases. Then the solvers are utilized for the simulation of yield-pseudoplastic cases with stationary or moving particles. The investigation shows that in the explicit forcing methods, like VP-IBM and ID-IBM, the forcing procedure is conducted using an intermediate solution over the entire computational domain. The dependence of viscosity to strain rate in non-Newtonian cases leads to an inevitable sharp change in viscosity near the solid surface, giving rise to stiffness of the intermediate solution in the interface region. This makes the explicit forcing approaches based on intermediate solution incompatible with the flows with non-Newtonian yield-pseudoplastic rheology. On the other hand, the implicit forcing used in DD-IBM directly implements the boundary conditions on the boundary cells, making this method free from the perturbations related to the highly viscous solid region. In this regard, the simulation with the Direct Imposition IBMs like ghost-cell shows a good agreement between the predicted results and the experimental measurements for the stationary/moving cases. Therefore, it is shown that the DD-IBM is a reliable approach to modelling non-Newtonian flows. • Investigation on the applicability of different immersed boundary methods to a yield-pseudoplastic flow. • Developing numerical solvers based on the most common immersed boundary methods such as VP-IBM, ID-IBM, and DD-IBM. • Fundamental accuracy issues in VP-IBM and ID-IBM for non-Newtonian flows due to their dependence on an intermediate solution. • Superior performance by the implicit forcing approach implemented in the DD-IBM solver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the development of a sharp-interface immersed boundary method based in-house fluid–structure interface (FSI) solver. In particular, we implement conjugate heat transfer (CHT) in the solver in this work. A finite element model is developed for solving heat conduction in the structure. A Dirichlet–Neumann strong coupling is used at the fluid–structure interface to prescribe a perfect thermal contact at the interface. The numerical stability is ensured by using an under-relaxation parameter in the coupling. We present validation of the structural heat transfer solver with analytical results. The solver is verified with previously published results for CHT problems: a structure kept in a cavity with no velocity in fluid, channel flow with CHT, and natural convection in a cavity with CHT. Lastly, we demonstrate the solver's capability by simulating an FSI problem for a deformable structure boundary with CHT. These extensive verification and tests illustrate the accuracy and robustness of the solver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permeability damage in subsurface porous media caused by clay mobilization is encountered in many engineering applications, such as geothermal energy, water disposal, oil recovery, and underground CO2 storage. During the freshwater injection into rocks containing brine, the sudden decrease in salinity causes native clay fines to detach and clog pore throats, leading to a significant decline in permeability. The clay fines detach due to weakened net-attractive forces binding them to each other and the grain. Past experiments link this permeability damage on the immediate history of the salinity and the direction of flow. To better understand this phenomenon, we conducted pore-scale simulations of cyclic injection of freshwater and brine into sandstone containing Kaolinite clay. Our simulations establish a link between the clay-fine trajectory and the permeability trend observed by Khilar and Fogler (1983). For a uniform clay size of 3 microns, we observe a permeability decline by two orders of magnitude during freshwater injection with respect to brine injection. Increasing salinity and simultaneously reversing flow direction restores the permeability. The permeability restoration upon reversing the brine flow direction is attributed to the unblocking of pore throats in the reverse direction by the movement of the clay particles along the grain surfaces by the hydrodynamic force and the strong net-attractive force under high salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]