Direct-Coupled Fluid-Structure Interaction for Automotive Applications 2012-01-0760

CAD integrated tools are accelerating product development by incorporating various aspects of physics through coupling with computational aided engineering (CAE) packages. One of the most challenging coupled-physics is fluid-structure interaction (FSI), which integrates the coupled response of fluid flow with a deforming structure. Many automotive design problems involve some form of FSI, but the coupling effects often are simplified or ignored because of complexity and lack of coupled solution technology. To address this, Altair HyperWorks offers a fully integrated coupled finite element analysis (FEA) capability, so called Direct-Coupled FSI (DC-FSI).

The DC-FSI technology, available in HyperWorks 11.0.230, can be used in a wide variety of applications such as hydraulically damped rubber mounts, door seals, shock absorbers, design of valves and rubber diaphragms that restrict flow, and antilock braking systems. In this paper, we present a flow-restrictor problem that has been analyzed with the DC-FSI capability available with AcuSolve and RADIOSS. Numerical simulation of the flow-restrictor working process during its design and development stage shows the difficulties in the fluid-rubber interaction (FRI) between the rubber washer and the turbulent fluid flow. The proposed technology can be used to evaluate the carrying fluid capacity, to identify the housing volumetric characteristics, and to determine the fluid field distribution and stress distribution of rubber parts of the flow restrictor.