Numerical simulation of the interactions between a ferrofluid and an immersed permanent magnet

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Lutz Tobiska
• Subject Area: Mathematics
• Term: from 2007 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 36698793

This project is devoted to the numerical modelling of interactions between a ferrofluid with a free surface and a permanent magnet immersed in this ferrofluid. It is a highly nonlinear problem involving the numerical simulation of magnetic fields, incompressible fluid flow and rigid body motion. All these components influence each other and both the position of the rigid bodies and the form of the domain occupied by the ferrofluid are generally not known in advance. The goal is to develop robust, accurate and efficient solvers for problems of the mentioned type. This will include research on linearization strategies, time stepping techniques, discretization concepts and efficient solvers for the arising large sparse systems of linear equations. In addition, appropriate tools for handling the moving boundaries have to be developed. The project has applications in spacecraft technologies where devices containing ferrofluid with an immersed magnet are used to damp oscillations of satellites.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Czech Republic
• Participating Person: Dr. Petr Knobloch