Flows around moving bodies using a dynamic unstructured overset-grid method

Abstract

In this article, a computational fluid dynamics algorithm is presented for simulations of complex unsteady flows around rigid moving bodies using an unstructured overset-grid method. For this purpose, a highly automated, three-dimensional, tetrahedral, unstructured overset-grid method is developed with one-cell-width overlapping zone in order to model the arbitrary geometries for steady and unsteady flow simulations. A method has been described to obtain the inter-grid boundaries of the one-cell-wide overlapping zone shared by a background grid and a minor grid. In the overset-grid methodology, vector intersection algorithm and bounding box techniques have been utilised. The mesh refinement and overset-scheme conservation studies proved the accuracy and efficiency of the method developed here. The applications of the developed algorithms were also performed through simulations that included complex internal flows around a flow-control butterfly valve as well as flows in an internal combustion engine with a moving piston. Lastly, validations with experimental data were conducted for both steady and unsteady flows around rigid bodies with relative motions.