The Particle Finite Element Method: an efficient method to solve CFD problems with free-surfaces and breaking waves.

IDELSOHN S.; OÑATE E.; MARTI J.; CELIGUETA M.; LIMACHE A.

Egmond aan Zee, Holanda

Conferencia; Eccomas CFD 2006; 2006

The European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences

We present a general formulation for analysis of fluid-structure interactionproblems using the particle finite element method (PFEM). The key feature of the PFEMis the use of an updated Lagrangian description to model the motion of nodes (particles)in both the fluid and the structure domains. Nodes are viewed as material points (calledparticles) which can freely move and even separate from the main analysis domain representing,for instance, the effect of water drops. A mesh connects the nodes definingthe discretized domain where the governing equations, expressed in an integral from, aresolved as in the standard FEM. An incremental iterative scheme for the solution of thenon linear transient coupled fluid-structure problem is described. Examples of applicationof the PFEM to solve a number of fluid-structure interaction problems involving largemotions of the free surface and splashing of waves are presented.