Shear-slip mesh update in 3D computation of complex flow problems with rotating mechanical components

Abstract

In this paper we present a 3D computational technique for simulation of complex, real-world flow problems with fast-rotating mechanical components. This technique is based on the Deformable-Spatial-Domain/Stabilized Space-Time (DSD/SST) formulation, Shear-Slip Mesh Update Method (SSMUM), and an efficient parallel implementation for distributed-memory parallel computing platforms. The DSD/SST formulation was developed earlier for flow problems with moving boundaries and interfaces, including flows with moving mechanical components. The DSD/SST formulation requires, as a companion method, an effective mesh update strategy, especially in complex flow problems. The SSMUM was developed to meet the mesh update requirements in simulation of flow problems with fast translations, and recently, with a new version of SSMUM, fast rotations. As an example of the class of challenging simulations that can be carried out by this technique, we present computation of flow around a helicopter with its rotor in motion.