We present the core and special multiscale space–time (ST) methods we developed for thermo-fluid analysis of a ground vehicle and its tires. We also present application of these methods to thermo-fluid analysis of a freight truck and its rear set of tires. The core multiscale ST method is the ST variational multiscale (ST-VMS) formulation of the Navier–Stokes equations of incompressible flows with thermal coupling, which is multiscale in the way the small-scale thermo-fluid behavior is represented in the computations. The special multiscale ST method is spatially multiscale, where the thermo-fluid computation over the global domain with a reasonable mesh refinement is followed by a higher-resolution computation over the local domain containing the rear set of tires, with the boundary and initial conditions coming from the data computed over the global domain. The large amount of time-history data from the global computation is stored using the ST computation technique with continuous representation in time (ST-C), which serves as a data compression technique in this context. In our thermo-fluid analysis, we use a road-surface temperature higher than the free-stream temperature, and a tire-surface temperature that is even higher. We also include in the analysis the heat from the engine and exhaust system, with a reasonably realistic representation of the rate by which that heat transfer takes place as well as the surface geometry of the engine and exhaust system over which the heat transfer occurs. We take into account the heave motion of the truck body. We demonstrate how the spatially multiscale ST method, with higher-refinement mesh in the local domain, substantially increases the accuracy of the computed heat transfer rates from the tires.

We focus on turbocharger computational flow analysis with a method that possesses higher accuracy in spatial and temporal representations. In the method we have developed for this purpose, we use a combination of i) the Space-Time Variational Multiscale (ST-VMS) method, which is a stabilized formulation that also serves as a turbulence model, ii) the ST Slip Interface (ST-SI) method, which maintains high-resolution representation of the boundary layers near spinning solid surfaces by allowing in a consistent fashion slip at the interface between the mesh covering a spinning surface and the mesh covering the rest of the domain, and iii) the Isogeometric Analysis (IGA), where we use NURBS basis functions in space and time. The basis functions are spatially higher-order in all representations, and temporally higher-order in representation of the solid-surface and mesh motions. The ST nature of the method gives us higher-order accuracy in the flow solver, and when combined with temporally higher-order basis functions, a more accurate representation of the surface motion, and a mesh motion consistent with that. The spatially higher-order basis functions give us again higher-order accuracy in the flow solver, a more accurate, in some parts exact, representation of the surface geometry, and better representation in evaluating the second-order spatial derivatives. Using NURBS ⇤

Tire aerodynamics with actual tire geometry, road contact and tire deformation pose tough computational challenges. The challenges include (1) the complexity of an actual tire geometry with longitudinal and transverse grooves, (2) the spin of the tire, (3) maintaining accurate representation of the boundary layers near the tire while being able to deal with the flow-domain topology change created by the road contact and tire deformation, and (4) the turbulent nature of the flow. A new spacetime (ST) computational method, "ST-SI-TC-IGA," is enabling us to address these challenges. The core component of the ST-SI-TC-IGA is the ST Variational Multiscale (ST-VMS) method, and the other key components are the ST Slip Interface (ST-SI) and ST Topology Change (ST-TC) methods and the ST Isogeometric Analysis (ST-IGA). The VMS feature of the ST-VMS addresses the challenge created by the turbulent nature of the flow, the moving-mesh feature of the ST framework enables high-resolution flow computation near the moving fluid-solid interfaces, and the higher-order accuracy of the ST framework strengthens both features. The ST-SI enables moving-mesh computation with the tire spinning. The mesh covering the tire spins with it, and the SI between the spinning mesh and the rest of the mesh accurately connects the two sides of the solution. The ST-TC enables moving-mesh computation even with the TC created by the contact between the tire and the road. It deals with the contact while maintaining high-resolution flow representation near the tire. Integration of the ST-SI and ST-TC enables high-resolution representation even though parts of the SI are coinciding with the tire and road surfaces. It also enables dealing with the tire-road contact location change and contact sliding. By integrating the ST-IGA with the ST-SI and ST-TC, in addition to having a more accurate representation of the tire geometry and increased accuracy in the flow solution, the element density in the tire grooves and in the narrow spaces near the contact areas is kept at a reasonable level. We present computations with the ST-SI-TC-IGA and two models of flow around a rotating tire with road contact and prescribed deformation. One is a simple 2D model for verification purposes, and one is a 3D model with an actual tire geometry and a deformation pattern provided by the tire company. The computations show the effectiveness of the ST-SI-TC-IGA in tire aerodynamics.

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The space-time (ST) computational method "ST-SI-TC-IGA" has recently enabled computational analysis of tire aerodynamics with actual tire geometry, road contact and tire deformation. The core component of the ST-SI-TC-IGA is the ST Variational Multiscale (ST-VMS) method, and the other key components are the ST Slip Interface (ST-SI) and ST Topology Change (ST-TC) methods and the ST Isogeometric Analysis (ST-IGA). These ST methods played their parts in overcoming the computational challenges, including (i) the complexity of an actual tire geometry with longitudinal and transverse grooves, (ii) the spin of the tire, (iii) maintaining accurate representation of the boundary layers near the tire while being able to deal with the flow-domain topology change created by the road contact, and (iv) the turbulent nature of the flow. The combination of the ST-VMS, ST-SI and the ST-IGA has also recently enabled solution of fluid film problems with a computational cost comparable to that of the Reynolds-equation model for the comparable solution quality. This was accomplished with the computational flexibility to go beyond the limitations of the Reynolds-equation model. Here we include and address the computational challenges associated with the road roughness and the fluid film between the tire and the road. The new methods we add to accomplish that include a remedy for the trapped fluid, a method for reducing the number of control points as a space occupied by the fluid shrinks down to a narrow gap, and a method for representing the road roughness. We present computations for a 2D test problem with a straight channel, a simple 2D model of the tire, and a 3D model with actual tire geometry and road roughness. The computations show the effectiveness of our integrated set of ST methods targeting tire aerodynamics. Keywords Tire aerodynamics • Actual tire geometry • Road contact • Road roughness • Fluid film • ST Variational Multiscale (ST-VMS) method • ST Slip Interface (ST-SI) method • ST Topology Change (ST-TC) method • ST Isogeometric Analysis (ST-IGA) B Kenji Takizawa

We present a space–time (ST) computational flow analysis method with built-in Reynolds-equation limit. The method enables solution of lubrication fluid dynamics problems with a computational cost comparable to that of the Reynolds-equation model for the comparable solution quality, but with the computational flexibility to go beyond the limitations of the Reynolds-equation model. The key components of the method are the ST Variational Multiscale (ST-VMS) method, ST Isogeometric Analysis (ST-IGA), and the ST Slip Interface (ST-SI) method. The VMS feature of the ST-VMS serves as a numerical stabilization method with a good track record, the moving-mesh feature of the ST framework enables high-resolution flow computation near the moving fluid–solid interfaces, and the higher-order accuracy of the ST framework strengthens both features. The ST-IGA enables more accurate representation of the solid-surface geometries and increased accuracy in the flow solution in general. With the ST-IGA, even with just one quadratic NURBS element across the gap of the lubrication fluid dynamics problem, we reach a solution quality comparable to that of the Reynolds-equation model. The ST-SI enables moving-mesh computation when the spinning solid surface is noncircular. The mesh covering the solid surface spins with it, retaining the high-resolution representation of the flow near the surface, and the SI between the spinning mesh and the rest of the mesh accurately connects the two sides of the solution. We present detailed 2D test computations to show how the method performs compared to the Reynolds-equation model, compared to finite element discretization, at different circumferential and normal mesh refinement levels, when there is an SI in the mesh, and when the no-slip boundary conditions are weakly-enforced.

The Space-Time Variational Multiscale (ST-VMS) method was introduced to function as a moving-mesh method. It is the VMS version of the Deforming-Spatial-Domain/Stabilized ST (DSD/SST) method. It has reasonably good turbulence modeling features and serves as a core computational method. The ST Slip Interface (ST-SI) method was introduced to addresses the challenge involved in high-resolution representation of the boundary layers near spinning solid surfaces. The mesh covering a spinning solid surface spins with it and thus maintains the high-resolution representation near it. The ST-TC method was introduced for moving-mesh computation of flow problems with topology changes, such as contact between solid surfaces. It deals with the TC while maintaining high-resolution boundary layer representation near solid surfaces. The "ST-SI-TC" method we introduce here integrates the ST-SI and ST-TC methods in the ST-VMS framework. It enables accurate flow analysis when we have a spinning solid surface that is in contact with a solid surface. We present two test computations with the ST-SI-TC method, and they are both with models of flow around a rotating tire with road contact and prescribed deformation, one with a 2D model, and one with a 3D model.

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