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We describe how the spatially multiscale Sequentially-Coupled Fluid–Structure Interaction (SCFSI) techniques we have developed, specifically the “SCFSI M2C”, which is spatially multiscale for the structural mechanics part, can be used for increasing the accuracy of the membrane and cable structural mechanics solution in parachute FSI computations. The SCFSI M2C technique is used here in conjunction with the Stabilized Space–Time FSI (SSTFSI) technique, which was developed and improved over the years by the Team for Advanced Flow Simulation and Modeling (T AFSM) and serves as the core numerical technology, and a number of special parachute FSI techniques developed by the T AFSM in conjunction with the SSTFSI technique.

In this work, transient free surface flows of a viscous incompressible fluid are numerically solved through parallel computation. Transient free surface flows are boundary-value problems of the moving type that involve geometrical nonlinearities. In contrast to more conventional computational fluid dynamics problems, the computational flow domain is partially bounded by a free surface which is not known a priori, since its shape must be computed as part of the solution. In steady flow the free surface is obtained by an iterative process, but when the free surface evolves with time the problem is more difficult as it generates large distortions in the computational flow domain. The incompressible Navier-Stokes numerical solver is based on the finite element method with equal order elements for pressure and velocity (linear elements), and it uses a streamline upwind/Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) scheme (Hughes, T. J. R., and Brooks, A. N., 1979, “A Multidimensional Upwind Scheme With no Crosswind Diffusion,” in Finite Element Methods for Convection Dominated Flows, ASME ed., 34. AMD, New York, pp. 19–35, and Brooks, A. N., and Hughes, T. J. R., 1982, “Streamline Upwind/Petrov-Galerkin Formulations for Convection Dominated Flows With Particular Emphasis on the Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations,” Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng., 32, pp. 199–259) combined with a Pressure-Stabilizing/Petrov-Galerkin (PSPG) one (Tezduyar, T. E., 1992, “Stablized Finite Element Formulations for Incompressible Flow Computations,” Adv. Appl. Mech., 28, pp. 1–44, and Tezduyar, T. E., Mittal, S., Ray, S. E., and Shih, R., 1992, “Incompressible Flow Computations With Stabilized Bilinear and Linear Equal Order Interpolation Velocity-Pressure Elements,” Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng., 95, pp. 221–242). At each time step, the fluid equations are solved with constant pressure and null viscous traction conditions at the free surface and the velocities obtained in this way are used for updating the positions of the surface nodes. Then, a pseudo elastic problem is solved in the fluid domain in order to relocate the interior nodes so as to keep mesh distortion controlled. This has been implemented in the PETSc-FEM code (PETSc-FEM: a general purpose, parallel, multi-physics FEM program. GNU general public license (GPL), http://www.cimec.org.ar/petscfem) by running two parallel instances of the code and exchanging information between them. Some numerical examples are presented.

The purpose of this paper is to survey some recent advances in variational integrators for both finite dimensional mechanical systems as well as continuum mechanics. These advances include the general development of discrete mechanics, applications to dissipative systems, collisions, spacetime integration algorithms, AVI’s (Asynchronous Variational Integrators), as well as reduction for discrete mechanical systems. To keep the article within the set limits, we will only treat each topic briefly and will not attempt to develop any particular topic in any depth. We hope, nonetheless, that this paper serves as a useful guide to the literature as well as to future directions and open problems in the subject.