A hybrid two-way fluid-solid interaction method for intermittent fluid domains: A case study on peristaltic pumps

In this paper, a hybrid two-way fluid–solid interaction method (HTFSIM) is proposed to overcome the limitations of conventional two-way fluid–solid interaction method (CTFSIM) in simulating intermittent fluid domains, providing a more detailed understanding of the flow pulsation mechanism of peristaltic pumps. The HTFSIM distinguishes between intermittent and continuous fluid domains based on the peristaltic pump’s operating principle. By combining point cloud 3D reconstruction of hyper-elastic structures from finite element calculations with traditional two-way fluid–solid coupling, the flow in these domains is calculated separately and then superimposed to capture the flow fluctuations of the peristaltic pump cycle. Comparison of computational and experimental results with the CTFSIM demonstrates that the HTFSIM achieves higher computational accuracy and efficiency. Furthermore, the results regarding the contribution of individual rollers to the flow rate indicate that the flow rate variation caused by Roller 2 follows an asymmetric sinusoidal distribution, which influences the upper limit of the peristaltic pump outlet flow rate. Meanwhile, the reflux induced by Roller 1 affects the lower limit of the outlet flow rate. These findings are crucial for understanding the mechanism behind the flow pulsations in peristaltic pumps.