Simulating flow-induced fiber motion with finite element based explicit coupling method

This paper presents a finite element based explicit coupling method. The derived method is proposed to solve a certain type of fluid-structure interaction problem, which is the motion of a single or flexible fiber with the motion induced by the low-Reynolds-number fluid. The particle motion is treated as a non-linear geometric dynamic problem. The Total-lagrangian finite element method is applied to describe and discretize the particle domain. The Bathe method is used to integrate the time domain. The Stokes equation is used as the governing equation of the fluid domain. The inertia term of the Stokes equation is ignored, and Reynolds number flow is assumed as zero. Since the time term is also canceled, we solve it as a quasi-static problem. Mixed finite element is to solve the fluid equation. An explicit strategy is implemented to couple the particle and the zero-Reynolds number flow. Simulations with the proposed method are presented, including the motion of single and double rigid particle immersed in the double Couette flow and the Poiseuille flow. Simulation of single flexible fiber immersed in a Poiseuille flow is also presented. Effect of particle's density, aspect ratio, and geometry are discussed.