Modelling wave interaction with deformable structures based on a multi-region approach within OpenFOAM

Martínez Ferrer, PJ, Qian, L, Ma, ZH, Causon, DM and Mingham, CG (2017) Modelling wave interaction with deformable structures based on a multi-region approach within OpenFOAM. In: Proceedings of The 27th International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference, 25 June 2017 - 30 June 2017, San Francisco, California.

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Abstract

© 2017 by the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE). This paper presents the development of a multi-region computational fluid-structure dynamics (CFSD) method which is integrated in our virtual wave structure interaction solver wsiFoam, based on the open-source OpenFOAM library, in order to account for the hydro-elastic effects produced by violent wave impacts against deformable bodies. This strategy relies entirely on the finite volume method (FVM) and does not require any third-party solvers, which renders it suitable for efficient parallel computing. We validate this novel approach against previous experimental and numerical results corresponding to a dam break of water impacting on a highly deformable plate as well as a flexible wedge entering water at a constant speed. In general, our preliminary results agree qualitatively well with previous data whilst the performance of parallel implementation evidences the potential of this method to be used in future high performing computing (HPC) applications.