Application of Computational Fluid Dynamics and Fluid Structure Interaction Techniques for Calculating the 3D Transient Flow of Journal Bearings Coupled with Rotor Systems

Journal bearings are important parts to keep the high dynamic performance of rotor machinery. Some methods have already been proposed to analysis the flow field of journal bearings, and in most of these methods simplified physical model and classic Reynolds equation are always applied. While the application of the general computational fluid dynamics （CFD）-fluid structure interaction （FSI） techniques is more beneficial for analysis of the fluid field in a journal bearing when more detailed solutions are needed. This paper deals with the quasi-coupling calculation of transient fluid dynamics of oil film in journal bearings and rotor dynamics with CFD-FSI techniques. The fluid dynamics of oil film is calculated by applying the so-called ＂dynamic mesh＂ technique. A new mesh movement approacb is presented while the dynamic mesh models provided by FLUENT are not suitable for the transient oil flow in journal bearings. The proposed mesh movement approach is based on the structured mesh. When the joumal moves, the movement distance of every grid in the flow field of bearing can be calculated, and then the update of the volume mesh can be handled automatically by user defined function （UDF）. The journal displacement at each time step is obtained by solving the moving equations of the rotor-bearing system under the known oil film force condition. A case study is carried out to calculate the locus of the journal center and pressure distribution of the journal in order to prove the feasibility of this method. The calculating results indicate that the proposed method can predict the transient flow field of a journal bearing in a rotor-bearing system where more realistic models are involved. The presented calculation method provides a basis for studying the nonlinear dynamic behavior of a general rotor-bearing system.

Numerical Investigation on Fluid Structure Interaction Considering Rotor Deformation for a Centrifugal Pump

The existing research for unsteady flow field and the corresponding flow induced vibration analysis of centrifugal pump are mainly carried out respectively without considering the interaction between fluid and structure. The ignorance of fluid structure interaction （FSI） means that the energy transfer between fluid and structure is neglected. To some extent, the accuracy and reliability of unsteady flow and rotor deflection analysis should be affected by this interaction mechanism. In this paper, a combined calculation between two executables for turbulent flow and vibrating structure was established using two-way coupling method to study the effect of FSI. Pressure distributions, radial forces, rotor deflection and equivalent stress are analyzed. The results show that the FSI effect to pressure distribution in flow field is complex. The pressure distribution is affected not only around impeller outlet where different variation trends of pressure values with and without FSI appear according to different relative positions between blade and cutwater, but also in the diffusion section of volute. Variation trends of peak values of radial force amplitude calculated with and without FSI are nearly same under high flow rate and designed conditions while the peak value with FSI is slightly smaller, and differently, the peak value with FSI is larger with low flow rate. In addition, the effect of FSI on the angle of radial force is quite complex, especially under 0.5Q condition. Fluctuation of radial deflection of the rotor has obvious four periods, of which the extent is relatively small under design condition and is relatively large under off-design condition. Finally, fluctuations of equivalent stress with time are obvious under different conditions, and stress value is small. The proposed research establishes the FSI calculation method for centrifugal pump analysis, and ensures the existing affect by fluid structure interaction.

Dynamic Analysis of Tension Leg Platform for Offshore Wind Turbine Support as Fluid-Structure Interaction

Tension leg platform （TLP） for offshore wind turbine support is a new type structure in wind energy utilization. The strong-interaction method is used in analyzing the coupled model, and the dynamic characteristics of the TLP for offshore wind turbine support are recognized. As shown by the calculated results： for the lower modes, the shapes are water＇s vibration, and the vibration of water induces the structure＇s swing; the mode shapes of the structure are complex, and can largely change among different members; the mode shapes of the platform are related to the tower＇s. The frequencies of the structure do not change much after adjusting the length of the tension cables and the depth of the platform; the TLP has good adaptability for the water depths and the environment loads. The change of the size and parameters of TLP can improve the dynamic characteristics, which can reduce the vibration of the TLP caused by the loads. Through the vibration analysis, the natural vibration frequencies of TLP can be distinguished from the frequencies of condition loads, and thus the resonance vibration can be avoided, therefore the offshore wind turbine can work normally in the complex conditions.

Fluid structure interaction for circulation valve of hydraulic shock absorber

Based on the working principle and the damping characteristic of hydraulic shock absorber, a fluid structure interaction method was presented, which was used to analyze the microcosmic and high-frequency processing mechanism of fluid structure interaction between circulation valve and liquid of hydraulic shock absorber. The fluid mesh distortion was controlled by the CEL language, and the fluid struc^tre interaction mathematical model was established. The finite element model was established by ANSYS CFX software and was analyzed by dynamic mesh technique. The local sensitive computational area was meshed by prismatic grid, which could reduce the negative volume problem during the simulation. The circulation valve and liquid of hydraulic shock absorber were simulated and analyzed under the condition of sinusoidal inlet velocity loads. Flow characteristic and dynamics characteristic were obtained. The pressure distribution and the displacement of circulation value were obtained, and the acceleration curve of circulation valve was simulated and analyzed. The conformity of the final simulation results with the experimental datum indicates that this method is accurate and reliable to analyze the dynamics characteristic between circulation valve and liquid of hydraulic shock absorber, which can provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing hydraulic shock absorber in the future.

Fluid-structure interaction simulation of three-dimensional flexible hydrofoil in water tunnel

The closely coupled approach combined with the finite volume method （FVM） solver and the finite element method （FEM） solver is used to investigate the fluid-structure interaction （FSI） of a three-dimensional cantilevered hydrofoil in the water tunnel. The FVM solver and the coupled approach are verified and validated by compar- ing the numerical predictions with the experimental measurements, and good agreement is obtained concerning both the lift on the foil and the tip displacement. In the noncav- itating flow, the result indicates that the growth of the initial incidence angle and the Reynolds number improves the deformation of the foil, and the lift on the foil is increased by the twist deformation. The normalized twist angle and displacement along the span of the hydrofoil for different incidence angles and Reynolds numbers are almost uniform. For the cavitation flow, it is shown that the small amplitude vibration of the foil has limited influence on the developing process of the partial cavity, and the quasi two-dimensional cavity shedding does not change the deformation mode of the hydrofoil. However, the frequency spectrum of the lift on the foil contains the frequency which is associated with the first bend frequency of the hydrofoil.

Improved frequency modeling and solution for parallel liquid-filled pipes considering both fluid-structure interaction and structural coupling

The dynamic characteristics of a single liquid-filled pipe have been broadly studied in the previous literature.The parallel liquid-filled pipe(PLFP)system is also widely used in engineering,and its structure is more complex than that of a single pipe.However,there are few reports about the dynamic characteristics of the PLFPs.Therefore,this paper proposes improved frequency modeling and solution for the PLFPs,involving the logical alignment principle and coupled matrix processing.The established model incorporates both the fluid-structure interaction(FSI)and the structural coupling of the PLFPs.The validity of the established model is verified by modal experiments.The effects of some unique parameters on the dynamic characteristics of the PLFPs are discussed.This work provides a feasible method for solving the FSI of multiple pipes in parallel and potential theoretical guidance for the dynamic analysis of the PLFPs in engineering.

Effects of renal artery stenosis on realistic model of abdominalaorta and renal arteries incorporating fluid-structureinteraction and pulsatile non-Newtonian blood flow

The effects of the renal artery stenosis （RAS） on the blood flow and vessel walls are investigated. The pulsatile blood flow through an anatomically realistic model of the abdominal aorta and renal arteries reconstructed from CT-scan images is simulated, which incorporates the fluid-structure interaction （FSI）. In addition to the investigation of the RAS effects on the wall shear stress and the displacement of the vessel wall, it is determined that the RAS leads to decrease in the renal mass flow. This may cause the activation of the renin-angiotension system and results in severe hypertension.

Channel Stability Analysis by One-Way Fluid Structure Interaction: A Case Study in China

Channel engineering stability with underground goafs is a complex three-dimensional problem, especially when considering channel leakage, and is influenced by a number of processes, such as seepage, fluid structure interaction (FSI), modeling, and selection of geological mechanical parameters. In this study, stability finite element analysis by one-way FSI was performed by establishing an integrated 3D engineering geological model. The extended Fourier amplitude sensitivity test was used to quantitatively assess the first-order and total sensitivities of the engineering model to critical geological mechanical parameters. Results illustrate that the channel engineering deformation is under a reasonable range and the elastic modulus is the highest total sensitivity parameter for the channel tilt and curvature at 0.7395 and 0.7525, respectively. Moreover, the most observable coupling effects for the curvature and horizontal strain are cohesion (0.1933) and density (0.7410), respectively. © 2017, Tianjin University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.

Unstructured Grid Immersed Boundary Method for Numerical Simulation of Fluid Structure Interaction

This paper presents an improved unstructured grid immersed boundary method.The advantages of both immersed boundary method and body fitted grids which are generated by unstructured grid technology are used to enhance the computation efficiency of fluid structure interaction in complex domain.The Navier-Stokes equation was discretized spacially with collocated finite volume method and Euler implicit method in time domain.The rigid body motion was simulated by immersed boundary method in which the fluid and rigid body interface interaction was dealt with VOS(volume of solid) method.A new VOS calculation method based on graph was presented in which both immersed boundary points and cross points were collected in arbitrary order to form a graph.The method is verified with flow past oscillating cylinder.

Fluid−Structure Interaction of Two-Phase Flow Passing Through 90° Pipe Bend Under Slug Pattern Conditions

Numerical simulations of evolution characteristics of slug flow across a 90°pipe bend have been carried out to study the fluid−structure interaction response induced by internal slug flow.The two-phase flow patterns and turbulence were modelled by using the volume of fluid(VOF)model and the Realizable k−εturbulence model respectively.Firstly,validation of the CFD model was carried out and the desirable results were obtained.The different flow patterns and the time-average mean void fraction was coincident with the reported experimental data.Simulations of different cases of slug flow have been carried out to show the effects of superficial gas and liquid velocity on the evolution characteristics of slug flow.Then,a one-way coupled fluid-structure interaction framework was established to investigate the slug flow interaction with a 90°pipe bend under various superficial liquid and gas velocities.It was found that the maximum total deformation and equivalent stress increased with the increasing superficial gas velocity,while decreased with the increasing superficial liquid velocity.In addition,the total deformation and equivalent stress has obvious periodic fluctuation.Furthermore,the distribution position of maximum deformation and stress was related to the evolution of slug flow.With the increasing superficial gas velocity,the maximum total deformation was mainly located at the 90°pipe bend.But as the superficial liquid velocity increases,the maximum total deformation was mainly located in the horizontal pipe section.Consequently,the slug flow with higher superficial gas velocity will induce more serious cyclical impact on the 90°pipe bend.

An improved algorithm for fluid-structure interaction of high-speed trains under crosswind

Based on the train-track coupling dynamics and high-speed train aerodynamics, this paper deals with an improved algorithm for fluid-structure interaction of high-speed trains. In the algorithm, the data communication between fluid solver and structure solver is avoided by inserting the program of train-track coupling dynamics into fluid dynamics program, and the relaxation factor concerning the load boundary of the fluid-structure interface is introduced to improve the fluctuation and convergence of aerodynamic forces. With this method, the fluid-structure dynamics of a highspeed train are simulated under the condition that the velocity of crosswind is 13.8 m/s and the train speed is 350 km/h. When the relaxation factor equals 0.5, the fluctuation of aerodynamic forces is lower and its convergence is faster than in other cases. The side force and lateral displacement of the head train are compared between off-line simulation and co-simulation. Simulation results show that the fluid-structure interaction has a significant influence on the aerodynam- ics and attitude of the head train under crosswind conditions. In addition, the security indexes of the head train worsen after the fluid-structure interaction calculation. Therefore, the fluid-structure interaction calculation is necessary for high-speed trains.

NUMERICAL SOLUTION OF FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION IN LIQUID-FILLED PIPES BY METHOD OF CHARACTERISTICS

Fluid-structure interaction （FSI） is essentially a dynamic phenomenon and always exists in fluid-filled pipe system. The four-equation model, which has been proved to be effective to describe and predict the phenomenon of FSI due to friction coupling and Poisson coupling being taken into account, is utilized to describe the FSI of fluid-filled pipe system. Terse compatibility equations are educed by the method of characteristics （MOC） to describe the fluid-filled pipe system. To shorten computing time needed to get the solutions under the condition of keeping accuracy requirement, two steps are adopted, firstly the time step Δt and divided number of the straight pipe are optimized, sec-ondly the mesh spacing Δz close to boundary is subdivided in several submeshes automatically ac-cording to the speed gradient of fluid. The mathematical model and arithmetic are validated by com-parisons between simulation solutions of two straight pipe systems and experiment known from lit-erature.

Hybrid algorithm for modeling of fluid-structure interaction in incompressible, viscous flows

The objective of this paper is to present and to validate a new hybrid coupling （HC） algorithm for modeling of fluid-structure interaction （FSI） in incompressible, viscous flows. The HC algorithm is able to avoid numerical instability issues associated with artificial added mass effects, which are often encountered by standard loosely coupled （LC） and tightly coupled （TC） algorithms, when modeling the FSI response of flexible structures in incompressible flow. The artificial added mass effect is caused by the lag in exchange of interfacial displacements and forces between the fluid and solid solvers in partitioned algorithms. The artificial added mass effect is much more prominent for light/flexible struc- tures moving in water, because the fluid forces are in the same order of magnitude as the solid forces, and because the speed at which numerical errors propagate in an incom- pressible fluid. The new HC algorithm avoids numerical instability issues associated with artificial added mass effects by embedding Theodorsen＇s analytical approximation of the hydroelastic forces in the solution process to obtain better initial estimates of the displacements. Details of the new HC algorithm are presented. Numerical validation studies are shown for the forced pitching response of a steel and a plastic hydrofoil. The results show that the HC algorithm is able to converge faster, and is able to avoid numerical insta- bility issues, compared to standard LC and TC algorithms, when modeling the transient FSI response of a plastic hydrofoil. Although the HC algorithm is only demonstrated for a NACA0009 hydrofoil subject to pure pitching motion, the method can be easily extended to model general 3-D FSI response and stability of complex, flexible structures in turbulent, incompressible, multiphase flows.

Study of velocity effects on parachute inflation performance based on fluid-structure interaction method

The inflation of a five-ring cone parachute with the airflow velocity of 18 m/s is studied based on the simplified arbitrary Lagrange Euler （SALE）/fluid-structure interaction （FSI） method. The numerical results of the canopy shape, stability, opening load, and drag area are obtained, and they are well consistent with the experimental data gained from wind tunnel tests. The method is then used to simulate the opening process under different velocities. It is found that the first load shock affected by the velocity often occurs at the end of the initial inflation stage. For the first time, the phenomena that the inflation distance proportion coefficient increases and the dynamic load coefficient decreases, respectively, with the increase in the velocity are revealed. The above proposed method is competent to solve the large deformation problem without empirial coefficients, and can collect more space-time details of fluid-structure-motion information when it is compared with the traditional method.

3D numerical simulation on fluid-structure interaction of structure subjected to underwater explosion with cavitation

In the underwater-shock environment, cavitation occurs near the structural surface. The dynamic response of fluid-structure interactions is influenced seriously by the cavitation effects. It is also the difficulty in the field of underwater explosion. With the traditional boundary element method and the finite element method （FEM）, it is difficult to solve the nonlinear problem with cavitation effects subjected to the underwater explosion. To solve this problem, under the consideration of the cavitation effects and fluid compressibility, with fluid viscidity being neglected, a 3D numerical model of transient nonlinear fluid-structure interaction subjected to the underwater explosion is built. The fluid spectral element method （SEM） and the FEM are adopted to solve this model. After comparison with the FEM, it is shown that the SEM is more precise than the FEM, and the SEM results are in good coincidence with benchmark results and experiment results. Based on this, combined with ABAQUS, the transient fluid-structure interaction mechanism of the 3D submerged spherical shell and ship stiffened plates subjected to the underwater explosion is discussed, and the cavitation region and its influence on the structural dynamic responses are presented. The paper aims at providing references for relevant research on transient fluid-structure interaction of ship structures subjected to the underwater explosion.

Numerical simulation of soft palate movement and airflow in human upper airway by fluid-structure interaction method

In this paper, the authors present airflow field characteristics of human upper airway and soft palate movement attitude during breathing. On the basis of the data taken from the spiral computerized tomography images of a healthy person and a patient with Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome （OSAHS）, three-dimensional models of upper airway cavity and soft palate are reconstructed by the method of surface rendering. Numerical simulation is performed for airflow in the upper airway and displacement of soft palate by fluid-structure interaction analysis. The reconstructed threedimensional models precisely preserve the original configuration of upper airways and soft palate. The results of the pressure and velocity distributions in the airflow field are quantitatively determined, and the displacement of soft palate is presented. Pressure gradients of airway are lower for the healthy person and the airflow distribution is quite uniform in the case of free breathing. However, the OSAHS patient remarkably escalates both the pressure and velocity in the upper airway, and causes higher displacement of the soft palate. The present study is useful in revealing pathogenesis and quantitative mutual relationship between configuration and function of the upper airway as well as in diagnosingdiseases related to anatomical structure and function of the upper airway.

Dynamic Analysis of A 5-MW Tripod Offshore Wind Turbine by Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction

Fixed offshore wind turbines usually have large underwater supporting structures. The fluid influences the dynamic characteristics of the structure system. The dynamic model of a 5-MW tripod offshore wind turbine considering the pile-soil system and fluid structure interaction （FSI） is established, and the structural modes in air and in water are obtained by use of ANSYS. By comparing low-order natural frequencies and mode shapes, the influence of sea water on the free vibration characteristics of offshore wind turbine is analyzed. On basis of the above work, seismic responses under excitation by E1-Centro waves are calculated by the time-history analysis method. The results reveal that the dynamic responses such as the lateral displacement of the foundation and the section bending moment of the tubular piles increase substantially under the influence of the added-mass and hydrodynamic pressure of sea water. The method and conclusions presented in this paper can provide a theoretical reference for structure design and analysis of offshore wind turbines fixed in deep seawater.

Failure pressure calculation of fracturing well based on fluid-structure interaction

Failure pressure is a key parameter in reservoir hydrofracturing operation. Existing analytical methods for calculating the failure pressure are based on the assumption that borehole fluid is under two extreme conditions: non-infiltration or complete infiltration. The assumption is not suitable for the actual infiltration process, and this will cause a great error in practical calculation. It shows that during the injection process, the dynamic variation in effective stress-dependent permeability has an influence on the infiltration, and the influence also brings about calculation errors. Based on the fluid-structure interaction and finite element method (FEM), considering partial infiltration during injection process, a numerical model for calculating rock failure pressure is established. According to the analysis of permeability test results and response-surface method, a new variation rule of rock permeability with the change of effective stress is presented, and the relationships among the permeability, confining pressure and pore pressure are proposed. There are some differences between the dynamic value of permeability-effective-stress coefficient observed herein and the one obtained by the classical theory. Combining with the numerical model and the dynamic permeability, a coupling method for calculating failure pressure is developed. Comparison of field data and calculated values obtained by various methods shows that accurate values can be obtained by the coupling method. The coupling method can be widely applied to the calculation of failure pressure of reservoirs and complex wells to achieve effective fracturing operation.

DYNAMIC SIMULATION OF FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION PROBLEMS INVOLVING LARGE-AMPLITUDE SLOSHING

An effective computational method is developed for dynamic analysis offluid-structure interaction problems involving large-amplitude sloshing of the fluid andlarge-displacement motion of the structure. The structure is modeled as a rigid container supportedby a system consisting of springs and dashpots. The motion of the fluid is decomposed into twoparts: the large-displacement motion with the container and the large-amplitude sloshing relative tothe container. The former is conveniently dealt with by defining a container-fixed noninertiallocal frame, while the latter is easily handled by adopting an ALE kinematical description. Thisleads to an easy and accurate treatment of both the fluid-structure interface and the fluid freesurface without producing excessive distortion of the computational mesh. The coupling between thefluid and the structure is accomplished through the coupling matrices that can be easilyestablished. Two numerical examples, including a TLD-structure system and a simplified liquid-loadedvehicle system, are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of the proposedmethod. The present work can also be applied to simulate fluid-structure problems incorporatingmultibody systems and several fluid domains.

Vibration analysis of fluid- structure interaction in water hammer based on transfer matrix method

In consideration of the problem that the effect of conduit structure on water hammer has been ignored in the classical theory,the Poisson coupling between the fluid and the pipeline was studied and a fourteen-equation mathematical model of fluid-structure interaction(FSI)was developed.Then,the transfer matrix method(TMM)was used to calculate the modal frequency,modal shape and frequency response.The results were compared with that in experiment to verify the correctness of the TMM and the results show that the fluid-structure coupling has a greater impact on the modal frequencies than the modal shape.Finally,the influence on the response spectrum of different damping ratios was studied and the results show that the natural frequency under different damping ratios has changed little but there is a big difference for the pressure spectrum.With the decreasing of damping ratio,the damping of the system on frequency spectrum is more and more significant and the dispersion and dissipation is more and more apparent.Therefore the appropriate damping ratio should be selected to minimize the effects of the vibration of the FSI.The results provide references for the theory research of FSI in the transient process.