Numerical simulation of a multi-store separation phenomenon:: A fictitious domain approach

In this article we discuss the numerical simulation of multi-store separation phenomena taking place in incompressible Newtonian viscous fluids. We assume that these phenomena are modeled by the Navier-Stokes equations coupled to the Euler-Newton equations describing solid rigid body motions. The numerical methodology relies on the combination of a finite element approximation with time-discretization by operator-splitting and a Lagrange multiplier based fictitious domain method allowing the flow calculations to take place in a fixed simple shape space region. The results of numerical experiments are presented; they concern the separation and free fall of elongated ellipsoids under an airfoil shaped cylinder. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.