The Chrono::preCICE module lets a Chrono solver take part in a partitioned multi-physics simulation driven by preCICE, an open-source coupling library. Each solver runs as its own process, and preCICE takes care of process discovery, data mapping between non-matching meshes, and advancing the coupled time stepping.
The module provides adapters for three Chrono solvers:
| Adapter | Chrono solver | Typical role |
|---|---|---|
| ChPreciceAdapterMbs | Chrono multibody system | solid phase |
| ChPreciceAdapterSph | Chrono::FSI-SPH fluid solver | fluid phase |
| ChPreciceAdapterTdpf | Chrono::FSI-TDPF fluid solver | fluid phase |
The partner participant need not be a Chrono solver: a Chrono multibody system can equally be coupled to an external CFD code, which is the point of using preCICE rather than the monolithic Chrono::FSI framework.
- Install and build Chrono::preCICE
- Chrono::preCICE overview
- The Chrono preCICE adapters
- Coupling schemes and time stepping
Relation to Chrono::FSI
Chrono::FSI and Chrono::preCICE solve overlapping problems by different means, and the choice between them is usually straightforward:
- Chrono::FSI couples a Chrono multibody system to a Chrono fluid solver inside a single process. The two phases share one executable, exchange data through in-memory structures, and are advanced by a single
ChFsiSystem. This is the simpler and faster option whenever both phases are Chrono solvers. - Chrono::preCICE couples a Chrono solver to any other preCICE-enabled solver, each in its own process. Use it when the other phase is not a Chrono solver, when the two phases must run on different machines or with different parallel decompositions, or when you want to swap fluid solvers without rebuilding the solid participant.
The sphere_drop example distributed with the module illustrates the second point: the same Chrono multibody participant is coupled, unchanged, to a Chrono::FSI-SPH solver, to a Chrono::FSI-TDPF solver, or to a small mock-up fluid solver, by changing only the preCICE configuration and launching a different fluid participant.
