Fluid-membrane interaction based on the material point method

The material point method (MPM) uses unconnected, Lagrangian, material poin ts to discretize solids, fluids or membranes. All variables in the solution of the continuum equations are associated with these points; so, for examp le, they carry mass, velocity, stress and strain. A background Eulerian mes h is used to solve the momentum equation. Data mapped from the material poi nts are used to initialize variables on the background mesh. In the case of multiple materials, the stress from each material contributes to forces at nearby mesh points, so the solution of the momentum equation includes all materials. The mesh solution then updates the material point values. This s imple algorithm treats all materials in a uniform way, avoids complicated m esh construction and automatically applies a noslip contact algorithm at no additional cost. Several examples are used to demonstrate the method, incl uding simulation of a pressurized membrane and the impact of a probe with a pre-inflated airbag. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.