Coupling with CFD using MPCCI
A coupling of structural mechanics and computational fluid dynamics has been realized within the scope of the CISPAR ESPRIT project by a loose coupling approach.
Within the project a general COupled COmmunication LIBrary (COCOLIB) has been developed by FhG/SCAI, which allows for a weak coupling of a structural mechanics software (CSD) and a fluid dynamics software (CFD). Both packages are running simultaneously and the data exchange is during run time following previously defined criteria and coupling algorithms (Gauss-Seidel, Jacobi). This software has been further developed and is now called MpCCI (more information at www. mpcci.org).
The transferred boundary conditions comprise thermal and mechanical quantities (force F or pressure resp., heat flux Q, displacement r, velocity v, temperature T). There the coupling library does any interpolation and projection necessary due to incompatible meshes between structure and fluid.
The calls to MpCCI have been integrated into PERMAS. So, PERMAS and any CFD code where MpCCI is adopted, too, can be used to solve applications in mechanical, thermal, or thermo-mechanical coupling. Module PERMAS-CCL provides all necessary functions from the PERMAS side to support the coupling.