Numerical investigation of free surface flood wave and solitary wave using incompressible SPH method

Abstract

Simulation of free surface flow and sudden wave profile are recognized as the most challenging problem in computational hydraulics. Several Eulerian/Lagrangian approaches and models can be implemented for simulating such phenomena in which the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method (SPH) is categorized as a proper candidate. The incompressible SPH (ISPH) method hires a precise incompressible hydrodynamic formulation to calculate the pressure of fluid, and the numerical solution is obtained by using a two-step semi-implicit scheme. This study presents an ISPH method to simulate three free surface problems; (1) a problem of sudden dam-break flood wave on a dry bed with and obstacle in the downstream, (2) a test case of the gradual collapse of the water column on a wet bed and (3) a case of solitary wave propagation problem. The model has been confirmed based on the results of experiments for the dam-break problems (in which was set up by the authors) as well as the collapse of the water column test case and analytical calculations for the solitary wave simulation. The computational results with a mean relative error less than 10%/4% for the wave height/wave front position, demonstrated that the applied ISPH flow model is an appropriate modeling tool in free surface hydrodynamic applications.

Keywords

• Free-surface flows
• dam-break
• Solitary wave
• Incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics