A computational framework for fluid–porous structure interaction with large structural deformation

We study the effect of poroelasticity on fluid–structure interaction. More precisely, we analyze the role of fluid flow through a deformable porous matrix in the energy dissipation behavior of a poroelastic structure. For this purpose, we develop and use a nonlinear poroelastic computational model and apply it to the fluid–structure interaction simulations. We discretize the problem by means of the finite element method for the spatial approximation and using finite differences in time. The numerical discretization leads to a system of non-linear equations that are solved by Newton’s method. We adopt a moving mesh algorithm, based on the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method to handle large deformations of the structure. To reduce the computational cost, the coupled problem of free fluid, porous media flow and solid mechanics is split among its components and solved using a partitioned approach. Numerical results show that the flow through the porous matrix is responsible for generating a hysteresis loop in the stress versus displacement diagrams of the poroelastic structure. The sensitivity of this effect with respect to the parameters of the problem is also analyzed.