Numerical simulations of falling leaves using a pseudo-spectral method with volume penalization
Résumé
The dynamics of falling leaves is studied by means of numerical simulations. The two-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, coupled with the equations governing solid body dynamics, are solved using a Fourier pseudo-spectral method with volume penalization to impose no-slip boundary conditions. Comparison with other numerical methods is made. Simulations performed for different values of the Reynolds number show that its decrease stabilizes the free fall motion.