One-Way and Two-Way Coupled Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulation of a High-Sided Road Vehicle

Abstract

High-sided road vehicles are more susceptible to stability-related accidents than most other on-road designs due to distinctive design features—large wind-exposed side areas and an elevated center of gravity. Accurate prediction of aerodynamic loads and the resulting vehicle dynamics is essential for developing effective mitigation strategies. In this context, a fluid–structure interaction (FSI) framework is presented for the canonical high-sided Ground Transportation System (GTS) benchmark, specifically aimed at analyzing its behavior under crosswind gusts. The framework couples the CFD solver Code Saturne with a vehicle-dynamics module based on a particle-system formalism, integrated via user routines. Both one-way and two-way coupling approaches are employed. Mesh motion is handled through a twostage strategy that effectively limits cell-quality degradation. The implementation is validated against published data, demonstrating good agreement in both aerodynamic loads and vehicle-dynamics responses. The framework allows for a quantitative assessment of how coupling strength affects lateral-stability metrics under crosswind excitation.