Coupled discrete element and finite volume methods for simulating loaded elastic fishnets in interaction with fluid

Abstract Several devices and manmade structures interact dynamically with fluids such as water and air, behaving essentially as flexible elastic systems with large deformations and undergoing complex dynamics. The design and analysis of the configurations that these devices may acquire under different flow conditions can be carried out using numerical modeling tools. This paper presents the implementation of a Discrete Element Method (DEM) coupled with a Finite Volume Method (FVM) to represent the bi-directional dynamic interaction of flexible elastic systems with fluids, and its application to loaded fishnets as they are dragged through water.