Methods for 3D computation of fluid-object interactions in spatially periodic flows

We present computational methods for 3D simulation of fluid-object interact ions in spatially periodic Rows. These methods include a stabilized space-t ime finite element formulation for incompressible Rows with spatial periodi city, automatic mesh generation and update techniques for fluid-object mixt ures with spatial periodicity. and parallel implementations. The methods ca n be applied to uni-periodic (i.e., periodic in one direction). bi-periodic . or tri-periodic Rows. The methods are described here in the context of tr i-periodic Rows with fluid-object interactions, and are applied to the simu lation of sedimentation of particles in a fluid. We present several case st udies where the results obtained provide notable insight into the behavior of fluid particle mixtures during sedimentation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.