Numerical analysis of fluid-body interaction considering vortex and tornado-like flows

Abstract A numerical analysis of fluid-body interaction is performed in this work in order to evaluate the influence of vortex and tornado-like flows on immersed objects. Velocity profile models are adopted to generate vortical flow fields based on time-dependent boundary conditions and a finite element formulation is used for spatial discretization, where eight-node hexahedral elements with one-point integration are adopted. In addition, an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) approach is proposed to describe the relative motion between vortex flow and immersed objects. The flow governing equations are discretized using an explicit two-step Taylor-Galerkin scheme and tornado flow fields are simulated using the Rankine Combined Vortex Model (RCVM) and the Vatistas Model. Turbulence modeling is performed using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with the Smagorinsky’s sub-grid scale model. Problems involving moving and stationary tornadoes interacting with fixed and moving objects are analyzed, where significant aerodynamic forces are observed on the immersed bodies, producing also significant changes in the vortex flow characteristics.