MMEC Seminar with Prof. Wim van Rees: Immersed Finite Difference Methods for Computational Mechanics

Abstract: In this talk, I will discuss our progress on developing and applying high order immersed finite-difference methods to computational mechanics, with a focus on linear and nonlinear elasticity. The goal of this research is to combine high-order accuracy with the geometric flexibility of immersed methods, avoiding the need for body-fitted mesh generation while providing a framework that can extend to dynamics and complex fluid–solid multiphysics problems. In particular, I will discuss our treatment of boundary and interface conditions, two- and three-dimensional implementations, and preliminary extensions toward an Eulerian formulation as well as topology optimization. I will conclude by placing our method in the broader context of immersed finite-element approaches, discussing some of their relative advantages and limitations. Biography: Wim M. van Rees is Associate Professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received his BSc and MSc from Delft University of Technology in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, and his PhD from ETH Zurich in 2014 in Computational Science and Engineering. In 2015 he joined the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University as postdoctoral fellow. Wim joined the MIT faculty in 2017, where he received Early Career awards from the Department of Energy in 2020, and from the Army Research Office in 2021.