Simulations of propelling and energy harvesting articulated bodies via vortex particle-mesh methods

The emergence and understanding of new design paradigms that exploit flow induced mechanical instabilities for propulsion or energy harvesting demands robust and accurate flow structure interaction numerical models. In this context, we develop a novel two dimensional algorithm that combines a Vortex Particle-Mesh (VPM) method and a Multi-Body System (MBS) solver for the simulation of passive and actuated structures in fluids. The hydrodynamic forces and torques are recovered through an innovative approach which crucially complements and extends the projection and penalization approach of Coquerelle et al. and Gazzola et al. The resulting method avoids time consuming computation of the stresses at the wall to recover the force distribution on the surface of complex deforming shapes. This feature distinguishes the proposed approach from other VPM formulations. The methodology was verified against a number of benchmark results ranging from the sedimentation of a 2D cylinder to a passive three segmented structure in the wake of a cylinder. We then showcase the capabilities of this method through the study of an energy harvesting structure where the stocking process is modeled by the use of damping elements

Planar potential flow on Cartesian grids

Potential flow has many applications, including the modelling of unsteady flows in aerodynamics. For these models to work efficiently, it is best to avoid Biot-Savart interactions between the potential flow elements. This work presents a grid-based solver for potential flows in two dimensions and its use in a vortex model for simulations of separated aerodynamic flows. The solver follows the vortex-in-cell approach and discretizes the streamfunction-vorticity Poisson equation on a staggered Cartesian grid. The lattice Green's function is used to efficiently solve the discrete Poisson equation with unbounded boundary conditions. In this work, we use several key tools that ensure the method works on arbitrary geometries, with and without sharp edges. The immersed boundary projection method is used to account for bodies in the flow and the resulting body forcing Lagrange multiplier is identified as a discrete version of the bound vortex sheet strength. Sharp edges are treated by decomposing the body-forcing Lagrange multiplier into a singular and smooth part. To enforce the Kutta condition, the smooth part can then be constrained to remove the singularity introduced by the sharp edge. The resulting constraints and Kelvin's circulation theorem each add Lagrange multipliers to the overall saddle point system. The accuracy of the solver is demonstrated in several problems, including a flat plate shedding singular vortex elements. The method shows excellent agreement with a Biot-Savart method when comparing the vortex element positions and the force

Conception et mise en oeuvre de méthodes vortex hybrides-frontières immergées pour des milieux solides-fluides-poreux. Application au contrôle passif d'écoulements.

In this work we use a hybrid vortex penalization method (HVP) to simulate incompressibleflows past bluff bodies in complex solid-fluid-porous media. In this hybrid particle approach,the advection phenomenon is modeled through a vortex method in order to benefit from thenatural description of the flow supplied by particle methods and their low numerical diffusionfeatures. A particle remeshing is performed systematically on an underlying Cartesian grid inorder to prevent distortion phenomena. On the other hand, the viscous and stretching effects aswell as the velocity calculation are discretized on the mesh through Eulerian schemes. Finally,the treatment of boundary conditions is handled with a penalization method that is well suitedfor the treatment of solid-fluid-porous media.The HVP method is applied to passive flow control. This flow control study is realized pasta 2D semi-circular cylinder and a 3D hemisphere by adding a porous layer on the surface of thebody. The presence of such porous layer modifies the characteristics of the conditions at theinterfaces and leads to a regularization of the wake and to a decrease of the aerodynamic dragof the controlled obstacle. Through parametric studies on the permeability, the thickness andthe position of the porous coating, this works aims to identify efficient control devices for flowsaround obstacles like the rear-view mirrors of a ground vehicle.Dans cette thèse nous mettons en oeuvre une méthode vortex hybride pénalisée (HVP) afin desimuler des écoulements incompressibles autour de corps non profilés dans des milieux complexessolides-fluides-poreux. Avec cette approche particulaire hybride, le phénomène de convection estmodélisé à l’aide d’une méthode vortex afin de bénéficier du caractère peu diffusif et naturel desméthodes particulaires. Un remaillage des particules est alors réalisé systématiquement sur unegrille cartésienne sous-jacente afin d’éviter les phénomènes de distorsion. D’autre part, les effetsdiffusifs et d’étirement ainsi que le calcul de la vitesse sont traités sur la grille cartésienne, àl’aide de schémas eulériens. Le traitement des conditions de bords aux parois de l’obstacle esteffectué à l’aide d’une technique de pénalisation, particulièrement bien adaptée au traitementde milieux solides-fluides-poreux.Cette méthode HVP est appliquée au contrôle passif d’écoulement. Cette étude de contrôleest effectuée respectivement en 2D et en 3D autour d’un demi-cylindre et d’un hémisphère parl’ajout d’un revêtement poreux à la surface de l’obstacle. La présence de cette couche poreusemodifiant la nature des conditions aux interfaces, permet de régulariser l’écoulement global etde diminuer la traînée aérodynamique de l’obstacle contrôlé. A travers des études paramétriquessur la perméabilité, l’épaisseur et la position du revêtement poreux, ce travail vise à identifier desdispositifs de contrôles efficaces pour des écoulements autour d’obstacles comme des rétroviseursautomobiles

C-start: optimal start of larval fish

We investigate the C-start escape response of larval fish by combining flow simulations using remeshed vortex methods with an evolutionary optimization. We test the hypothesis of the optimality of C-start of larval fish by simulations of larval-shaped, two- and three-dimensional self-propelled swimmers. We optimize for the distance travelled by the swimmer during its initial bout, bounding the shape deformation based on the larval mid-line curvature values observed experimentally. The best motions identified within these bounds are in good agreement with in vivo experiments and show that C-starts do indeed maximize escape distances. Furthermore we found that motions with curvatures beyond the ones experimentally observed for larval fish may result in even larger escape distances. We analyse the flow field and find that the effectiveness of the C-start escape relies on the ability of pronounced C-bent body configurations to trap and accelerate large volumes of fluid, which in turn correlates with large accelerations of the swimme

FluSI: A novel parallel simulation tool for flapping insect flight using a Fourier method with volume penalization

FluSI, a fully parallel open source software for pseudo-spectral simulations of three-dimensional flapping flight in viscous flows, is presented. It is freely available for non-commercial use under [https://github.com/pseudospectators/FLUSI]. The computational framework runs on high performance computers with distributed memory architectures. The discretization of the three-dimensional incompressible Navier--Stokes equations is based on a Fourier pseudo-spectral method with adaptive time stepping. The complex time varying geometry of insects with rigid flapping wings is handled with the volume penalization method. The modules characterizing the insect geometry, the flight mechanics and the wing kinematics are described. Validation tests for different benchmarks illustrate the efficiency and precision of the approach. Finally, computations of a model insect in the turbulent regime demonstrate the versatility of the software

An immersed interface method for the 2D vorticity-velocity Navier-Stokes equations with multiple bodies

We present an immersed interface method for the vorticity-velocity form of the 2D Navier Stokes equations that directly addresses challenges posed by multiply connected domains, nonconvex obstacles, and the calculation of force distributions on immersed surfaces. The immersed interface method is re-interpreted as a polynomial extrapolation of flow quantities and boundary conditions into the obstacle, reducing its computational and implementation complexity. In the flow, the vorticity transport equation is discretized using a conservative finite difference scheme and explicit Runge-Kutta time integration. The velocity reconstruction problem is transformed to a scalar Poisson equation that is discretized with conservative finite differences, and solved using an FFT-accelerated iterative algorithm. The use of conservative differencing throughout leads to exact enforcement of a discrete Kelvin's theorem, which provides the key to simulations with multiply connected domains and outflow boundaries. The method achieves second order spatial accuracy and third order temporal accuracy, and is validated on a variety of 2D flows in internal and free-space domains