Collaborative Research: Mathematical, Computational and Experimental Modeling of the Multidisciplinary Dynamics of Fluid-Structure Interaction

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Objective and Intellectual Merits: In an age where multidisciplinary interactions have become ubiquitous in science and engineering, the interaction of a flowing fluid and a deformable structure or solid is one of the richest sources of mathematical challenges and fundamental physical phenomena with important applications to engineering and technology. Examples of mathematical challenges are the chaotic, high dimensional modeling of turbulence that continues to defy rationale predictions from first principles to the many distinct and complex limit cycle oscillations that emerge from dynamic stabilities that arise due to fluid-structure interaction. The physical phenomena of interest range from blood flows in arteries, to airflow over an oscillating tongue that can lead to clinical dangerous and potentially fatal oscillations, to flow over flexible long span bridges and tall buildings, to flow over and around flight vehicles over a wide range of scales from micro air vehicles to modern passenger airliners, to fluid-structural systems whose limit cycles may be a source of energy harvesting.The methods that have been proposed to better understand and exploit these phenomena include theoretical models of high sophistication including the continuum models of the fluid and the structure. While analytical solutions continue to be sought and found, computational models that tax the resources of the most powerful computers also play an important role as do scale model experiments based upon a sound fundamental analysis and understanding of the first principles of the relevant continuum models. Indeed it is by exploiting the complementary strengths of each approach, theoretical modeling, computational modeling and experimental scale models that the deepest and richest insights can be obtained.Such a collaborative approach is proposed here. Professor Balakrishnan will lead the theoretical modeling effort, Professor Hodges will be primarily responsible for the computational models and Professor Dowell will be the lead for the experimental scale model effort. Taken together this will be a powerful and highly experienced team It is expected that each investigator and the members of their research teams will learn much about the multidisciplinary dynamics of fluid-structure interaction, and also from each other!There are many physical phenomena that might be chosen to focus our research program. Based upon our experience and after consultation among the principals, two have been chosen for this research project, i.e. long span wing-like structures in a flowing fluid which are found in novel flight vehicle designs and long span bridges and flapping ?flags? which are studies as models of the human tongue and also have been proposed as energy harvesting devices from the natural wind.Broader Impact: This proposal brings together senior investigators from three major research institutions covering a wide range of intellectual experience from modern mathematics to rigorously based computational models to multidisciplinary experiments to address fluid-structure interaction phenomena. This research will also provide an opportunity for graduate students and post-doctoral visitors to participate and learn in this rich environment.