A FEM‐BEM approach for Fluid‐Structure Interaction

Abstract

In an earlier attempt to solve problems of Fluid‐Structure Interaction (FSI), a high‐order finite element code, which can be applied to solve problems of Computational Structural Dynamics (CSD) has been coupled to a Lattice Boltzmann (LB) fluid solver. In order to extend this approach to maritime applications and to increase the computational efficiency, the CSD solver is coupled to a fluid solver based on the Boundary Element Method (BEM). In this way, the computational effort for the discretisation of the fluid is significantly reduced. In this paper the proposed coupling scheme is discussed and compared to a FSI scheme where the BEM is replaced by a method based on the Reynolds‐averaged Navier‐Stokes equations (RANSE). Special emphasis is placed on the question of how to exchange the data between the different discretisation schemes and the development of a stable and efficient coupling scheme for FSI simulations. (© 2011 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)