FluSI: A novel parallel simulation tool for flapping insect flight using a Fourier method with volume penalization

TL;DR

FluSI is an open-source, parallel simulation tool that models three-dimensional flapping insect flight in viscous flows using a Fourier pseudo-spectral method with volume penalization, suitable for high-performance computing environments.

Contribution

It introduces a fully parallel, open-source simulation framework combining Fourier pseudo-spectral methods with volume penalization for accurate insect flight modeling.

Findings

Validated against benchmarks showing high accuracy

Efficient performance on high-performance computing systems

Successfully simulated turbulent insect flight regimes

Abstract

FluSI, a fully parallel open source software for pseudo-spectral simulations of three-dimensional flapping flight in viscous flows, is presented. It is freely available for non-commercial use under [https://github.com/pseudospectators/FLUSI]. The computational framework runs on high performance computers with distributed memory architectures. The discretization of the three-dimensional incompressible Navier--Stokes equations is based on a Fourier pseudo-spectral method with adaptive time stepping. The complex time varying geometry of insects with rigid flapping wings is handled with the volume penalization method. The modules characterizing the insect geometry, the flight mechanics and the wing kinematics are described. Validation tests for different benchmarks illustrate the efficiency and precision of the approach. Finally, computations of a model insect in the turbulent regime demonstrate the versatility of the software.