Thursday, November 21, 9:00am-9:45am
Lucy Zhang
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
Presenting in Track 10: Fluids Engineering
Presentation Title:Modeling and simulations of fluid-structure interactions in engineering applications
Abstract: Fluid-structure interaction (FSI) is a critical phenomenon in many natural and engineered systems. FSI is governed by complex, coupled physical equations that account for the dynamics of both fluid mechanics and solid mechanics. The mathematical modeling of FSI requires solving the Navier-Stokes equation for the fluid domain and the equations of elasticity for the solid domain. Advances in CFD and finite element methods have enabled accurate simulations of FSI, facilitating better understanding in many natural systems and better designs in engineering applications. In this talk, I will discuss computational strategies for simulating fluid-structure problems, including the immersed methods. Immersed methods allow for multiple discretized meshes to co-exist and overlap within one computational domain. It also provides the versatility in coupling multiple solvers that govern different physics. Additional computational capabilities such as uncertain quantifications on complex systems can be easily applied, enhancing the analysis of complex problems. I will demonstrate these methods through examples in several shock physics and biomedical applications, while also addressing the remaining challenges in this field.
Biography: Prof. Lucy Zhang is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Nuclear Engineering and Associate Dean for Research Innovations, Partnerships, and Workforce Development at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). She is a Fellow of ASME. She received her B.S. from Binghamton University in December of 1997, obtained her M.S. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University, IL, respectively. She joined Mechanical Engineering Department at Tulane as an assistant professor. Due to Hurricane Katrina, she moved to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2006 and was later promoted to Associate Professor and Professor. Her research interests are building advanced and robust computational tools and software for accurate and efficient multiphysics and multiscale simulations that can be used for engineering applications in biomechanics, micro and nano-mechanics, medicine, and defense projects. She recently completed serving as a Program Director in the Mechanics cluster: Mechanics of Materials and Structures (MoMS) and Biomechanics & Mechanobiology (BMMB) programs within the CMMI Division at NSF. She is also the co-host of “This Academic Life” podcast series.