Venn diagram describing multiphysical connections between fluid, structure, and erosion (material loss) mechanisms. Variables presented are surface shape, 1D rate of material loss normal to surface, stress, strain, pressure, velocity, and wall shear stress applied by the fluid.
Engineering applications have long sought to both leverage and mitigate material loss mechanisms; while ablative mechanisms have enabled thermal protection for reentry vehicles, mechanisms like corrosion and erosion often lead to premature component failure. Interactions between fluid field, structural response, and material loss forge an important link necessary for understanding degrading structures. The outer mold line of a structure, which is governed by its deformation and surface material processes, critically impacts the resulting fluid field thereby coupling these three physical mechanisms. This work develops tools with which to study the transient response, i.e. shape change, of degrading structures under flow.