Coupling two ALE mesh domains

[ffan]

Hi,

Is it possible to couple two ALE domains? Code_Saturne has an ALE example in which a cylinder moving up and down, and one simulates the flow passes the cylinder and the formed downstream vortices. The example uses one ALE domain for the entire flow field. Let's change the configuration a little, let's say the original flow field was divided into two parts by the horizontal plane passing through the original cylinder center. As the cylinder moves up and down, the dividing plane would moves following the cylinder motion, and the two domains deform accordingly. Can we solve the problem with two ALE meshes (one for the upper flow domain and the other for the lower one), and using CS-CS coupling at the mesh-mesh interface? Thank you very much.

- ffan

[Yvan Fournier]

Hello,

Yes, this should be possible, though exchanging deformation info through coupling might not be automated yet, so minor developments would be need to extend the current coupling scheme.

You might also be able to separate your domains using a "thin wall", which, todays, splits interior faces at the domain boundary in two boundary faces (one for each split domain), but shares the face vertices, so deformation is naturally synchronized (without the need for coupling). Not sure this fits your use case, but it would be much simpler.

Regards,

Yvan