On the stability of the finite element immersed boundary method

The immersed boundary (IB) method is a mathematical formulation for fluid–structure interaction problems, where immersed incompressible visco-elastic bodies or boundaries interact with an incompressible fluid.The original numerical scheme associated to the IB method requires a smoothed approximation of the Dirac delta distribution to link the moving Lagrangian domain with the fixed Eulerian one.We present a stability analysis of the finite element immersed boundary method, where the Dirac delta distribution is treated variationally, in a generalized visco-elastic framework and for two different time-stepping schemes.     

Two dimensional shallow-water flow model with immersed boundary method

This study demonstrates an immersed boundary (IB) method which integrates a depth-averaged two dimensional flow model is proposed to tackle a typical fluid-solid phase problem in fluid dynamics field. The finite-difference scheme with curvilinear coordinate system is employed to discretize the shallow-water flow equations. Lagrangian markers and Eulerian grid are applied to portray the geometric contour of interior boundary and discretize the flow domain, respectively. The Dirac delta function is accordingly conducted to link both Lagrangian and Eulerian coordinate systems. The numerical simulations of single pier are performed and compared to examine the effect of marker’s mesh width, grid size, and the various Dirac delta functions. Experimental data from literatures are compared with numerical results to justify the validity of the proposed IB model. To further demonstrate the model capability, the model is applied to the hypothetical cases of piers in parallel, and compared with theoretical results.     

Parallel unstructured multigrid simulation of 3D unsteady flows and fluid-structure interaction in mechanical heart valve using immersed membrane method

In this work, a second-order accurate immersed membrane method (IMM) is adopted to simulate the fluid-structure interaction phenomena in the mechanical heart valves (MHVs). The leaflets of the MHV are immersed in the fluid flows and move on top of the fixed fluid mesh. The blood flow is computed by a 3D parallel unstructured multigrid implicit finite-volume Navier-Stokes solver for incompressible flows. The opening and closing phases of a St. Jude 29 mm MHV are computed under pulsatile inflow to investigate the blood-leaflet interactions. The results show that the moment generated by the fluid pressure is the major cause for the valve motions, while the moment due to the fluid shear stresses is almost negligible. It is also observed that near the end of the opening phase the valve opening speed decelerates, so the valve leaflets have a cushioning effect and avoid a sudden impact on the hinges. For closing phase, jet flows are formed in the central channel and squeeze flows occur in the side channels near the fully closed positions.     

Numerical simulation of 3D fluid–structure interaction flow using an immersed object method with overlapping grids

The newly developed immersed object method (IOM) [Tai CH, Zhao Y, Liew KM. Parallel computation of unsteady incompressible viscous flows around moving rigid bodies using an immersed object method with overlapping grids. J Comput Phys 2005; 207(1): 151–72] is extended for 3D unsteady flow simulation with fluid–structure interaction (FSI), which is made possible by combining it with a parallel unstructured multigrid Navier–Stokes solver using a matrix-free implicit dual time stepping and finite volume method [Tai CH, Zhao Y, Liew KM. Parallel computation of unsteady three-dimensional incompressible viscous flow using an unstructured multigrid method. In: The second M.I.T. conference on computational fluid and solid mechanics, June 17–20, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA, 2003; Tai CH, Zhao Y, Liew KM. Parallel computation of unsteady three-dimensional incompressible viscous flow using an unstructured multigrid method, Special issue on “Preconditioning methods: algorithms, applications and software environments. Comput Struct 2004; 82(28): 2425–36]. This uniquely combined method is then employed to perform detailed study of 3D unsteady flows with complex FSI. In the IOM, a body force term F is introduced into the momentum equations during the artificial compressibility (AC) sub-iterations so that a desired velocity distribution V₀ can be obtained on and within the object boundary, which needs not coincide with the grid, by adopting the direct forcing method. An object mesh is immersed into the flow domain to define the boundary of the object. The advantage of this is that bodies of almost arbitrary shapes can be added without grid restructuring, a procedure which is often time-consuming and computationally expensive. It has enabled us to perform complex and detailed 3D unsteady blood flow and blood–leaflets interaction in a mechanical heart valve (MHV) under physiological conditions.     

A finite element immersed boundary method for fluid flow around moving objects

This paper presents the extension of a recently proposed immersed boundary method to the solution of the flow around moving objects. Solving the flow around objects with complex shapes may involve extensive meshing work that has to be repeated each time a change in the geometry is needed. Mesh generation and solution interpolation between successive grids may be costly and introduce errors if the geometry changes significantly during the course of the computation. These drawbacks are avoided when the solution algorithm can tackle grids that do not fit the shape of immersed objects. This work presents an extension of our recently developed finite element Immersed Boundary (IB) method to transient applications involving the movement of immersed fluid/solid interfaces. As for the fixed solid boundary case, the method produces solutions of the flow satisfying accurately boundary conditions imposed on the surface of immersed bodies. The proposed algorithm enriches the finite element discretization of interface elements with additional degrees of freedom, the latter being eliminated at element level. The boundary of immersed objects is defined using a time dependent level-set function. Solutions are shown for various flow problems and the accuracy of the present approach is measured with respect to solutions on body-conforming meshes.     

A collocated finite volume embedding method for simulation of flow past stationary and moving body

A simple and conservative numerical scheme is introduced in this paper to simulate unsteady flow around stationary and moving body. Based on the embedding method (immersed boundary (IB) + volume of fluid (VOF)) implemented in the finite-volume framework, flow past the arbitrarily complex geometry can be readily computed on any existing mesh system. Flow variables stored at cell centers, including those residing within the immersed body, are computed where the induced effect on the flow due to the immersed body is realised via a simple acceleration term (forcing function) derived based on the VOF value. In the current work, an identical VOF value is used for all momentum equations, in contrast to that of the pre-existing method, whereby numerical interpolation is required. The method is verified with a number of flow cases, including flow in a 2D square cavity, flow past a stationary and oscillating cylinder and flow induced by a flapping ellipse in an enclosure.     

An immersed boundary method based on the lattice Boltzmann approach in three dimensions,with application

The immersed boundary (IB) method originated by Peskin has been popular in modeling and simulating problems involving the interaction of a flexible structure and a viscous incompressible fluid. The Navier–Stokes (N–S) equations in the IB method are usually solved using numerical methods such as FFT and projection methods. Here in our work, the N–S equations are solved by an alternative approach, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Compared to many conventional N–S solvers, the LBM can be easier to implement and more convenient for modeling additional physics in a problem. This alternative approach adds extra versatility to the immersed boundary method. In this paper we discuss the use of a 3D lattice Boltzmann model (D3Q19) within the IB method. We use this hybrid approach to simulate a viscous flow past a flexible sheet tethered at its middle line in a 3D channel and determine a drag scaling law for the sheet. Our main conclusions are: (1) the hybrid method is convergent with first-order accuracy which is consistent with the immersed boundary method in general; (2) the drag of the flexible sheet appears to scale with the inflow speed which is in sharp contrast with the square law for a rigid body in a viscous flow.     

Coupled lattice Boltzmann and discrete element modelling of fluid–particle interaction problems

Particle–fluid systems encountered in many scientific and engineering applications impose a significant modelling challenge. This paper outlines a new solution strategy that couples lattice Boltzmann (LB), large eddy simulation (LES), and discrete element (DE) methodologies for the simulation of particle–fluid systems at moderately high Reynolds numbers. The following main computational issues are considered: (1) the use of the standard LB formulation for the solution of fluid flows; (2) the incorporation of the one-parameter Smagorinski turbulence model in the LB equations for turbulent flows; (3) the utilisation of one immersed boundary scheme for computing hydrodynamic interaction forces between the fluid and moving particles; and (4) the use of DE methods accounting for the interaction between solid particles. The new contributions made in the current work include the application of the Smagorinski turbulence model to moving particles and the proposal of a subcycling time integration scheme for the DE modelling in order to ensure an overall stable LB–DE solution. A complex transport problem involving 70 large moving particles with moderately high Reynolds number (around 56,000) is provided to demonstrate the capability of the presented coupling strategy.     

Calculation of hydrodynamic forces acting on a submerged moving object using immersed boundary method

General formulae are derived to calculate the hydrodynamic force acting on a solid object, either stationary or in motion, when an immersed boundary (IB) method is used to simulate the flow around the object. These formulae explore the fact that the imposed force term in the IB method contributes to the force applied by the object on the external fluid as well as the unsteady flow inside the virtual domain which is occupied by the object. These formulae are particularly important when the object in unsteady motion is solved in an inertial coordinate system. The formulae are adopted in the present two-dimensional (2D) numerical model, in which a SIMPLEC-type two-step computational scheme is introduced to solve the Navier-Stokes (N-S) equations. Several case studies, including the simulation of the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a circular cylinder, are carried out in this work. The agreement of the predicted results with the experimental and numerical data reported by other researchers proves the significance of these formulae.     

Modelling and simulation of porous immersed boundaries

The immersed boundary method has been used to simulate a wide range of fluid–structure interaction problems from biology and engineering, wherein flexible solid structures deform in response to a surrounding incompressible fluid flow. We generalize the IB method to handle porous membranes by incorporating an additional transmembrane flux that obeys Darcy’s law. An approximate analytical solution is derived that clearly illustrates the effect of porosity on the immersed boundary motion. Numerical simulations in two dimensions are used to validate the analytical results and to illustrate the motion of more general porous membrane dynamics.     

An immersed boundary technique for simulating complex flows with rigid boundary

A new immersed boundary (IB) technique for the simulation of flow interacting with solid boundary is presented. The present formulation employs a mixture of Eulerian and Lagrangian variables, where the solid boundary is represented by discrete Lagrangian markers embedding in and exerting forces to the Eulerian fluid domain. The interactions between the Lagrangian markers and the fluid variables are linked by a simple discretized delta function. The numerical integration is based on a second-order fractional step method under the staggered grid spatial framework. Based on the direct momentum forcing on the Eulerian grids, a new force formulation on the Lagrangian marker is proposed, which ensures the satisfaction of the no-slip boundary condition on the immersed boundary in the intermediate time step. This forcing procedure involves solving a banded linear system of equations whose unknowns consist of the boundary forces on the Lagrangian markers; thus, the order of the unknowns is one-dimensional lower than the fluid variables. Numerical experiments show that the stability limit is not altered by the proposed force formulation, though the second-order accuracy of the adopted numerical scheme is degraded to 1.5 order. Four different test problems are simulated using the present technique (rotating ring flow, lid-driven cavity and flows over a stationary cylinder and an in-line oscillating cylinder), and the results are compared with previous experimental and numerical results. The numerical evidences show the accuracy and the capability of the proposed method for solving complex geometry flow problems both with stationary and moving boundaries.     

Numerical simulation of patient-specific left ventricular model with both mitral and aortic valves by FSI approach

Intraventricular flow is important in understanding left ventricular function; however, relevant numerical simulations are limited, especially when heart valve function is taken into account. In this study, intraventricular flow in a patient-specific left ventricle has been modelled in two-dimension (2D) with both mitral and aortic valves integrated. The arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) approach was employed to handle the large mesh deformation induced by the beating ventricular wall and moving leaflets. Ventricular wall deformation was predefined based on MRI data, while leaflet dynamics were predicted numerically by fluid–structure interaction (FSI). Comparisons of simulation results with in vitro and in vivo measurements reported in the literature demonstrated that numerical method in combination with MRI was able to predict qualitatively the patient-specific intraventricular flow. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to simulate patient-specific ventricular flow taking into account both mitral and aortic valves.     

A unified operator splitting approach for multi-scale fluid–particle coupling in the lattice Boltzmann method

A unified framework to derive discrete time-marching schemes for the coupling of immersed solid and elastic objects to the lattice Boltzmann method is presented. Based on operator splitting for the discrete Boltzmann equation, second-order time-accurate schemes for the immersed boundary method, viscous force coupling and external boundary force are derived. Furthermore, a modified formulation of the external boundary force is introduced that leads to a more accurate no-slip boundary condition. The derivation also reveals that the coupling methods can be cast into a unified form, and that the immersed boundary method can be interpreted as the limit of force coupling for vanishing particle mass. In practice, the ratio between fluid and particle mass determines the strength of the force transfer in the coupling. The integration schemes formally improve the accuracy of first-order algorithms that are commonly employed when coupling immersed objects to a lattice Boltzmann fluid. It is anticipated that they will also lead to superior long-time stability in simulations of complex fluids with multiple scales.     

An immersed boundary approach for shape and topology optimization of stationary fluid-structure interaction problems

This paper presents an approach to shape and topology optimization of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems at steady state. The overall approach builds on an immersed boundary method that couples a Lagrangian formulation of the structure to an Eulerian fluid model, discretized on a deforming mesh. The geometry of the fluid-structure boundary is manipulated by varying the nodal parameters of a discretized level set field. This approach allows for topological changes of the fluid-structure interface, but free-floating volumes of solid material can emerge in the course of the optimization process. The free-floating volumes are tracked and modeled as fluid in the FSI analysis. To sense the isolated solid volumes, an indicator field described by linear, isotropic diffusion is computed prior to analyzing the FSI response of a design. The fluid is modeled with the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, and the structure is assumed linear elastic. The FSI model is discretized by an extended finite element method, and the fluid-structure coupling conditions are enforced weakly. The resulting nonlinear system of equations is solved monolithically with Newton’s method. The design sensitivities are computed by the adjoint method and the optimization problem is solved by a gradient-based algorithm. The characteristics of this optimization framework are studied with two-dimensional problems at steady state. Numerical results indicate that the proposed treatment of free-floating volumes introduces a discontinuity in the design evolution, yet the method is still successful in converging to meaningful designs.     

Fluid–shell structure interaction analysis by coupled particle and finite element method

This paper presents a coupled particle and finite element method for fluid–shell structure interaction analysis. The Moving Particle Semi-Implicit (MPS) method is used to analyze fluid flow and the MITC4 shell element is used in the FEM analysis of the structure. This paper considers partitioned coupling between the fluid and structural solvers. In order to satisfy compatibility in the employed partitioned coupling scheme, the Neumann–Dirichlet condition is applied to both the fluid and the structure. A symplectic time integration scheme is used to preserve energy when analyzing the shell structure. If the frequencies of the shell analysis are much higher than those of the MPS fluid solver, its time integration scheme is sub-cycled. When the presented coupling scheme was applied to simulate the sloshing phenomenon in an elastic thin shell structure, fluid fragmentation and large structural deformations were observed.     

Drag of a flexible fiber in a 2D moving viscous fluid

This paper reports the numerical study of the drag of a flexible elastic fiber immersed in a two-dimensional viscous flow using the immersed boundary (IB) method. We found drag reduction of a flexible fiber compared to a stiff one and the drag coefficient decreases with respect to the dimensionless fiber length within a certain range. The results are a starting point for the understanding of the role of flexibility in biological organisms in fluid flows.     

On optimal node spacing for immersed boundary–lattice Boltzmann method in 2D and 3D

A computational study on optimal spacing of Lagrangian nodes discretizing a rigid and immobile immersed body boundary in 2D and 3D is presented in order to show how the density of the Lagrangian points affects the numerical results of the Immersed Boundary–Lattice Boltzmann Method (IB–LBM). The study is based on the implicit velocity correction-based IB–LBM proposed by Wu and Shu (2009, 2010) that allows computing the fluid–body interaction force. However, the (original) method fails for densely spaced Lagrangian points due to ill-conditioned or even singular linear systems that arise from the derivation of the method. We propose a modification that improves the solvability of the linear systems and compare the performance of both methods using several benchmark problems. The results show how the spacing of the Lagrangian points affects the numerical results, mainly the permeability of the discretized body boundary in applications to fluid flows over rigid obstacles and blood flows in arteries in 2D and 3D.     

A combined boundary integral and vortex method for the numerical study of three-dimensional fluid flow systems

Vortex methods using vorticity–velocity formulations have become an increasingly powerful and popular means of studying complex fluid flow systems. The problem of combining an integral equation method and grid-free discrete vortex method (DVM) when studying three-dimensional wall-bounded flows is considered. While the normal boundary condition is satisfied by means of a boundary integral equation (BIE), we also consider the problem of recovering pressure from given vorticity and velocity fields when using Lagrangian DVMs in terms of a BIE. For validation purposes, vortical flow past a sphere and past a flat plate are considered, for which the commonly used method of images is available. Results of near-wall boundary-layer flow simulations are then presented as an illustration of the numerical scheme. The importance of hairpin vortices is highlighted. Finally, results on wall compliance fluid flow are displayed emphasizing the versatility of the numerical method.     

A direct-forcing immersed boundary method for the thermal lattice Boltzmann method

In this study, a direct-forcing immersed boundary method (IBM) for thermal lattice Boltzmann method (TLBM) is proposed to simulate the non-isothermal flows. The direct-forcing IBM formulas for thermal equations are derived based on two TLBM models: a double-population model with a simplified thermal lattice Boltzmann equation (Model 1) and a hybrid model with an advection–diffusion equation of temperature (Model 2). As an interface scheme, which is required due to a mismatch between boundary and computational grids in the IBM, the sharp interface scheme based on second-order bilinear and linear interpolations (instead of the diffuse interface scheme, which uses discrete delta functions) is adopted to obtain the more accurate results. The proposed methods are validated through convective heat transfer problems with not only stationary but also moving boundaries – the natural convection in a square cavity with an eccentrically located cylinder and a cold particle sedimentation in an infinite channel. In terms of accuracy, the results from the IBM based on both models are comparable and show a good agreement with those from other numerical methods. In contrast, the IBM based on Model 2 is more numerically efficient than the IBM based on Model 1.