Origin and evolution of immersed boundary methods in computational fluid dynamics

This article presents the evolutionary history of immersed boundary methods (IBMs), tracing their origins to the very beginning of computational fluid dynamics in the late 1950s all the way to the present day. The article highlights the advancements in this simulation methodology over the last 50 years and explores the interplay between IBMs and body conformal grid methods during this time. Drawing upon the authors' combined experience of more than 40 years in this arena, the perspective offered is personal and subjective. By employing a critical and comparative approach through the chronological lens, we hope that this article empowers the reader to understand both the capabilities and limitations of these methods, and to pursue advancements that fill the key gaps and break new ground.

Automated summary

This article presents the evolutionary history of immersed boundary methods, tracing their origins to the beginning of computational fluid dynamics in the late 1950s. It highlights the advancements in this simulation methodology over the last 50 years and explores the interplay between immersed boundary methods and body conformal grid methods. Drawing upon the authors' combined experience of over 40 years, the article provides a personal and subjective perspective. Through a critical and comparative approach, the article aims to empower readers to understand the capabilities and limitations of these methods and to pursue advancements that fill key gaps and break new ground.