Finite element methods for strongly-coupled systems of fluid-structure interaction with application to granular flow in silos

A monolithic approach to fluid-structure interactions based on the space-time finite element method is presented to investigate stress states in silos filled with granular material during discharge. The thin-walled silo-shell is discretized by continuum based, mixed-hybrid finite elements, whereas the flowing granular material is described by an enhanced viscoplastic non-Newtonian fluid model. To adapt the mesh nodes of the fluid domain to the structural deformations, a mesh-moving scheme using a pseudo-solid is applied. The level-set-method involving XFEM is used, including a 4D split algorithm for the space-time finite elements, in order to describe free surfaces. The method is applied to 3D silo discharges. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)