Drag Modeling Effects on Simulations of Supersonic Jet-Induced Cratering in a Soil

Abstract

The impact of the drag model in the simulation of turbulent granular flows is studied using databases here created through simulations of supersonic jet-induced cratering in granular soil. The simulations are based on a previously developed model, which was shown to be hyperbolic, thus permitting the unhindered propagation of pressure waves critical to craters produced by supersonic plumes. The goal is to identify predicted quantities from these simulations that show sufficient differences among simulations performed with different drag models; these quantities would warrant future experimental investigations determining which model is correct. Among all drag models examined, only two models are found applicable to the regime of investigation. Examination of the databases is conducted from the viewpoint of global quantities and detailed quantities. The results show that isocontours and characteristic length scales are minimally affected by the employed drag law. In contrast, azimuthally averaged and root mean square ejecta-related quantities are more sensitive to the drag model employed, but only in the central part of the crater. This sensitivity is much larger for shallow craters having a parabolic cross section than for deep craters having a conical cross section, thus indicating the experimental configuration best suited to experimentally evaluating drag models.