Flexible slender body fluid interaction: Vector-based discrete element method with Eulerian smoothed particle hydrodynamics

•A modified vector-based discrete element model (V-model) is proposed.•The modified V-model is validated for non-linear structural mechanics.•Eulerian SPH chosen as fluid model based on results of previous work.•The modified V-model is coupled to Eulerian SPH for FSI problems.•The coupled FSI model is validated and applied to biomedical applications.