Improving the robustness of the immersed interface method through regularized velocity reconstruction

Abstract: Robust, broadly applicable fluid-structure interaction (FSI) algorithms remain a challenge for computational mechanics. In previous work, we introduced an immersed interface method (IIM) for discrete surfaces and an extension based on an immersed Lagrangia-Eulerian (ILE) coupling strategy for modeling FSI involving complex geometries. The ability of the method to sharply resolve stress discontinuities induced by singular immersed boundary forces in the presence of low-regularity geometrical representations makes it a compelling choice for three-dimensional modeling of complex geometries in diverse engineering applications. Although the IIM we previously introduced offers many desirable advantages, it also imposes a restrictive mesh factor ratio, requiring the surface mesh to be coarser than the fluid grid to ensure stability. This is because when the mesh factor ratio constraint is not satisfied, parts of the structure motion are not controlled by the discrete FSI system. This constraint can significantly increase computational costs, particularly in applications involving multiscale geometries with highly localized complexity or fine-scale features. To address this limitation, we devise a stabilization strategy for the velocity restriction operator inspired by Tikhonov regularization. This study demonstrates that using a stabilized velocity restriction operator in IIM enables a broader range of structure-to-fluid grid-size ratios without compromising accuracy or altering the flow dynamics. This advancement significantly broadens the applicability of the method to real-world FSI problems involving complex geometries and dynamic conditions, offering a robust and computationally efficient solution.