Coupling fluid (CFD) and structural (FE) models using finite interpolationelements

In the field of aeroelasticity, interactions between elastic structures and fluid flow are investigated. Recently, numerical aeroelastic models have b een built composing those of the combining fluid dynamics (CFD) and the com putational structural dynamics (CSD) domains. Since the fluid and the struc tural models differ in their formulation and discretization, an interface m odel has to be introduced that represents the connectivity and physical int eraction between the two single domain models. In the following, a scheme f or coupling fluid (CFD) and structural models (FE) in space is presented wh ich is based on finite interpolation elements. It is applied to static aero elastic problems, in order to predict the equilibrium of elastic wing model s in transonic fluid flow. The structure is represented by finite elements and the related equations are solved using commercial FE analysis codes. Th e transonic fluid flow is described by the three-dimensional Euler equation s, solved by an upwind scheme procedure. The resulting coupled field proble m containing the fluid and the structural state equations, is solved by app lying a partitioned solution procedure. In each solution step the interface and boundary conditions are exchanged and updated. Here, a fixed-point ite ration scheme is used for the coupled aeroelastic equations. (C) 2000 Editi ons scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.