An Immersed Boundary Method for General Flow Applications Available to Purchase

The development of a direct-forcing immersed-boundary method for general flow applications is outlined in this paper. A cell-classification procedure based on a signed distance to the nearest surface is used to separate the computational domain into cells outside the immersed object (‘field cells’), cells outside but adjacent to the immersed object (‘band cells’), and cells within the immersed object (‘interior cells’). Interpolation methods based on laminar / turbulent boundary layer theory are used to prescribe the flow properties within the ‘band cells’. The method utilizes a decomposition of the velocity field near embedded surfaces into normal and tangential components, with the latter handled using power-law interpolations to mimic the energizing effects of turbulent boundary layers. A procedure for directly embedding sequences of stereo-lithography files as immersed objects in the computational is described, as are extensions of the methodology to compressible, turbulent flows. Described applications include human motion, moving aerodynamic surfaces, and shock / boundary layer interaction flow control.