Benchmark numerical solutions for two-dimensional fluid–structure interaction involving large displacements with the deforming-spatial-domain/stabilized space–time and immersed boundary–lattice Boltzmann methods

Abstract

Body-fitted and Cartesian grid methods are two typical types of numerical approaches used for modelling fluid–structure interaction problems. Despite their extensive applications, there is a lack of comparing the performance of these two types of approaches. In order to do this, the present paper presents benchmark numerical solutions for two two-dimensional fluid–structure interaction problems: flow-induced vibration of a highly flexible plate in an axial flow and a pitching flexible plate. The solutions are obtained by using two partitioned fluid–structure interaction methods including the deforming-spatial-domain/stabilized space–time fluid–structure interaction solver and the immersed boundary–lattice Boltzmann method. The deforming-spatial-domain/stabilized space–time fluid–structure interaction solver employs the body-fitted-grid deforming-spatial-domain/stabilized space–time method for the fluid motions and the finite-difference method for the structure vibrations. A new mesh update strategy is developed to prevent severe mesh distortion in cases where the boundary does not oscillate periodically or needs a long time to establish a periodic motion. The immersed boundary–lattice Boltzmann method uses lattice Boltzmann method as fluid solver and the same finite-difference method as structure solver. In addition, immersed boundary method is used in the immersed boundary–lattice Boltzmann solver to handle the fluid–structure interaction coupling. Results for the characteristic force coefficients, tail position, plate deformation pattern and the vorticity fields are presented and discussed. The present results will be useful for evaluating the performance and accuracy of existing and new numerical methodologies for fluid–structure interaction.