Kristoffer Selim successfully defended his PhD
On Friday 20 May, Kristoffer Selim successfully defended his PhD thesis Adaptive Finite Element Methods for Fluid-Structure Interaction and
Incompressible Flow. Computer simulation is an important tool in many disciplines of science
and engineering. Complex mathematical models are solved in large
computer simulations as a complement to experimental techniques and
theoretical studies. Selim's thesis focuses on how the quality of such computationally
expensive simulations can be ensured, while at the same time making efficient use of the available computer resources.
One such example of a computationally expensive problem is fluid-structure interaction (FSI). This type of problem occurs when a fluid interacts with a solid structure in such a way that the solid structure is deformed and the flow of the fluid itself is altered. The FSI category of problems is of great importance and relevance in many applications. In biomedical research, blood flow in arteries and the human respiratory system are typical examples of problems in this category. In industrial applications, such as the design of airplanes, pipelines and fishing lures, the analysis of the FSI problem is an important part of the engineering process.
In his thesis, Selim investigates and designs adaptive numerical methods for FSI and fluid flow. To ensure that a simulation is of high quality, it is crucial that the accuracy of computed solutions can be determined. Selim's investigation is based on so-called goal-oriented adaptive finite element methods, which provide a general framework for the design of methods that ensure the necessary error control, such that accuracy can be determined. Based on the error estimate one may also design adaptive algorithms for efficient use of the computational resources.
Prior to the defence, at 10:15, Selim presented his trial lecture Multiscale problems and techniques.
The adjudication committee
- Harald van Brummelen, Professor, Eindhoven University of Technology
- Thomas Grätsch, Professor, Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg
- Joakim Sundnes, Simula Research Laboratory and the University of Oslo
Supervisors
Anders Logg, Harish Narayanan, Trond Kvamsdal (NTNU), Nils Svanstedt (Chalmers)
