Abstract
Keywords:
fluid-structure interaction, computational methodology, coupling of codes, membrane deformation.
Abstract
The current research investigates the flow-induced deformation of a convertible roof of a vehicle using experimental and numerical methods. A computational methodology is developed that entails the coupling of a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code with a third-party structural solver. Computed deformations show a reasonable similarity with the results of wind tunnel experiments. The computed flowstructure interaction yields stable solutions, the aerodynamically loaded flexible roof settling into static equilibrium. The static deformation varies by less than 1% per iteration after three iterations between the fluid and structural codes. The methodology is shown to be robust even under conditions beyond those likely to be encountered. The full methodology could be used as a design tool. However, the present work demonstrates that reasonably accurate predictions, to within 20%, are possible using only a single iteration between the fluid and the structural codes.