Efficient analysis of fluid-structure interaction problems in structural dynamics.

The aim of this project is to develop advanced numerical methods for problems of fluid-structure interaction in structural dynamics; examples are the analysis of flexible structures under wind loading and off-shore structures. For relatively rigid structures, the fluid load can be determined by considering the flow around a perfectly rigid obstacle. This is no longer the case for flexible structures, where dynamic pressures result in large structural displacements, which again have an influence on the fluid flow. This may give rise to structural instabilities, such as the ovalling of silos, flutter of bridges, vortex induced vibrations of marine riser pipes and galloping cables. Given the tendency in modern architecture to build lightweight and slender structures (e.g. tensile structures), problems of dynamic fluid-structure interaction are of high relevance. Numerical methods are very valuable to assess these fluid-structure interaction problems in an early design phase and are highly complementary to more elaborate wind and water tunnel testing. A first objective of the research project is to investigate alternative loose and strong coupling schemes for fluid-structure interaction in civil engineering. It will be verified how reduced order models of the fluid and the structure can be used to accelerate convergence and how these reduced order models can further be improved. It has been shown that the use of different time integration schemes in the flow and the structural solver can lead to spurious behaviour of the solution. A second objective of the research project is to study the accuracy and stability of coupled problems when different time integration schemes are used for the different subproblems. The different physical characteristics of the fluid and structure domains often require different mesh refinements at the interface. Important issues are conservation of forces and energy transferred at the interface. The implementation of algorithms for data transfer in case of non-matching meshes forms a third objective of the research project.

Keywords:Fluid-structure interaction, Structural dynamics

Disciplines:Construction engineering, Earthquake engineering, Geotechnical and environmental engineering, Water engineering, Wind engineering