Numerical Simulation of Fluid–Structure Interaction Problem Associated with Vertical Launching System

Abstract

We develop a combined Lagrangian-Eulerian method for transient fluid-structure interaction problems. Based on the ghost fluid framework for improving interface tracking accuracy between a fluid (hot rocket exhaust plume) and a high strain rate deforming solid (rear cover of a vertical launch system), the numerical coupling between the two media ensures an accurate description of the flexible structure. A nine-node quadrilateral element based on total Lagrangian formulation is used, while the hydrodynamic finite difference method is used for the supersonic exhaust plume that forms a complex flow within the plenum. The Lagrangian, Eulerian, and fluid-structure interaction coupling methods are verified by ANSYS results and related theories. A two-dimensional simulation of the full vertical launch system operation mode is conducted. This requires an accurate reproduction of the complex flowfield generated by the rapid rear cover opening under a high-pressure plume during rocket launch. This fluid-structure interaction problem solution may be used for future design upgrades when a vertical launch system is exposed to unusually harsh interactive gas and structure conditions.

Aerodynamic Pressure Mapping Technique from CFD to FEM Model of N219 Winglet

“…There are many tools and study to map pressure data to FEM model [8][9][10][11]18]. Many studies also point out how to model fluid-solid interaction [12][13][14][15]. MSc Patran provide tools to map continuous load, pressure in this context, to another model with different element mesh [16].…”

A Novel Method for Pressure Mapping between Shell Meshes of Varying Geometries and Resolutions

“…There are numerous other efforts to better understand Fluid Solid Interactions (FSI), and interactions between Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Computational Solid Dynamics (CSD). One such study [20], when using commercial software (ANSYS), approximated a vertical launch tube as a simplified rectangular shape; this was done to validate their novel FSI modeling efforts. Another approach [21] uses the Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) technique, where the shell mesh arbitrarily moves based on pre-determined user assumptions; the algorithm loosely couples the two solvers by applying an arbitrarily specified interface boundary conditions at the beginning of each time step, with specific shell cells to represent the FSI shell border.…”