Validation of FSTraceInterface for Aeroelastic Simulations
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To enhance the efficiency and safety of turbine systems, blade design processes are increasingly incorporating complex, multi-physics phenomena; shifting from traditional unidirectional coupling approaches toward fully coupled thermoelastic simulations that account for the dynamic interaction between blade structures and surrounding flows. For instance, in addressing challenges such as flutter-induced life-cycle oscillations, the TRACE (Turbomachinery Research Aerodynamic Computational Environment) framework has been extended to support bidirectional fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations [1]. However, it primarily focuses on fluid dynamics, limiting its ability to fully capture structural behavior. As the importance for comprehensive structural analysis grows, integrating with a dedicated, high-fidelity structural solver becomes essential for accurate and reliable FSI predictions. To overcome this limitation, we developed FSTraceInterface—a robust, efficient interface enabling seamless bidirectional data exchange between TRACE and the FSDM library [1]. This integration provides a reliable foundation for fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations, enabling efficient coupling between fluid and structural solvers. In this work, we further verify the results of FSTraceInterface by comparing it against an established CODA workflow (CFD Software by ONERA, DLR, and Airbus) using canonical test cases such as a pitching airfoil under aerodynamic loading (Fig. 1a) and a circular cylinder undergoing vortex-induced vibrations (Fig. 1b).
