Coupling codes including deformation exchange suitable for non conforming and unstructured large meshes

Highlights: ► A function of deformation transfer on meshes is proposed. ► Large meshes sharing a common geometry or common borders are treated. ► We show the deformation transfer impact on simulation results. - Abstract: The paper proposes a method to couple computation codes and focuses on the transfer of mesh deformations between these codes. The deformations can concern a single object or different objects in contact along common boundaries. The method is designed to allow a wide range of mesh types and to manage large volumes of data. To reach these objectives, a mesh simplification step is first achieved and is followed by the deformation characterisation through a continuous function defined by a network of compact support radial basis functions (RBFs). A test case featuring adjacent geometries in a material testing reactor (MTR) is presented to assess the method. Two solids close together are subject to a deformation by a thermal dilatation, and are cooled by a liquid flowing between them. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method and show how the deformation transfer modifies the thermalhydraulic solution.