Shear-slip mesh update in 3D computation of complex flow problems with rotating mechanical components

In this paper we present a 3D computational technique fur simulation of com plex, real-world flow problems with fast-rotating mechanical components. Th is technique is based on the Deformable-Spatial-Domain/Stabilized Space-Tim e (DSD/SST) formulation, Shear-Slip Mesh Update Method (SSMUM), and an effi cient parallel implementation for distributed-memory parallel computing pla tforms. The DSD/SST formulation was developed earlier for flow problems wit h moving boundaries and interfaces. including flows with moving mechanical components. The DSD/SST formulation requires. as a companion method. an eff ective mesh update strategy. especially in complex Row problems. The SSMUM was developed to meet the mesh update requirements in simulation of flow pr oblems with fast translations, and recently, with a new version of SSMUM. f ast rotations. As an example of the class of challenging simulations that c an be carried out by this technique. we present computation of Row around a helicopter with its rotor in motion. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All ri ghts reserved.