• Dr. Xiaolin Li
  • Department of Applied Math and Statistics
    State University of New York at Stony Brook
    Stony Brook, NY 11794
  • Holden Auditorium (Room 112)
  • 4:00 p.m.
  • Faculty Host: Dr. Heng Xiao

Abstract:
We use the front tracking platform for a spring-mass system to model the dynamic motion of parachute canopy and risers. The canopy surface is represented by a triangulated surface mesh with preset equilibrium state. The model is shown to be numerically convergent under the constraints that the summation of points masses is constant and that both the tensile stiffness and the angular stiffness of the spring conform with the material's Young modulus and Poisson ratio. This flexible mechanical structure is coupled with the incompressible Navier-Stokes solver through the ``Impulse Method''. Complex validation simulations conclude the effort via drag force comparisons with experiments.

Bio:
Dr. Xiaolin Li obtained his Ph. D. degree from Columbia University and is now a professor at the Applied Mathematics and Statistics Department of the State University of New York, Stony Brook. His research interests include computational fluid dynamics problems with dynamically moving front, interface and boundary. He is the major developer of the front tracking library, a sophisticated software tool to handle interface motion with changing geometry and topology. He has applied the front tracking method to the study of fluid interface instabilities, phase transition problems and fluid structure interactions. He is the PI or co-PI of many research grants from Department of Energy and Department of Defense. He has been the visiting research fellow of Naval Research Lab, Edwards AFB, Los Alamos National Lab and Oak Ridge National Lab. He is also a visiting faculty member of the National Taiwan University and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics of China. His current research project on parachute modelling and simulation has been supported by the US Army Research Office.