Fluid–structure interaction modeling with nonmatching interface discretizations for compressible flow problems: simulating aircraft tail buffeting

Abstract

Many aerospace applications involve complex multiphysics in compressible flow regimes that are challenging to model and analyze. Fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulations offer a promising approach to effectively examine these complex systems. In this work, a fully coupled FSI formulation for compressible flows is summarized. The formulation is developed based on an augmented Lagrangian approach and is capable of handling problems that involve nonmatching fluid–structure interface discretizations. The fluid is modeled with a stabilized finite element method for the Navier–Stokes equations of compressible flows and is coupled to the structure formulated using isogeometric Kirchhoff–Love shells. To solve the fully coupled system, a block-iterative approach is used. To demonstrate the framework’s effectiveness for modeling industrial-scale applications, the FSI methodology is applied to the NASA Common Research Model (CRM) aircraft to study buffeting phenomena by performing an aircraft pitching simulation based on a prescribed time-dependent angle of attack.