Immersed boundary method application as a way to build a simplified fluid-structure model

Abstract

A simplified fluid-structure interaction model, consisting of a cylinder tethered by a spring system interacting dynamically with an incompressible two-dimensional lid-driven cavity flow, is solved using the immersed boundary method. Results show that when the spring forces are weaker than the fluid drag force, the springs stretch freely and the cylinder motion is the direct result of the fluid dynamics action. For higher values of spring forces, the cylinder motion reaches a maximum displacement, and the spring forces induce the cylinder to an oscillatory movement damped by the fluid drag forces. Subsequently the amplitude of the displacement decreases. The cylinder motion is restricted within the mainstream fluid flow, where the maximum displacement reduces as the Reynolds number increases.