Numerical modeling of dam-break flow impacting on flexible structures using an improved SPH–EBG method

Abstract

An improved coupling method of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) and element bending group (EBG) is developed for modeling the interaction of viscous flows with free surface and flexible structures with free and fixed ends. SPH and EBG are both particle methods which are appealing in modeling problems with free surfaces, moving interfaces and large deformations. SPH is used to model viscous fluid, while EBG is used to model flexible structure. Structure particles are also used as moving boundary for SPH, and the interaction of flexible structure with fluid is therefore modeled through the interaction of structure particles and fluid particles. A fixed-end treatment is introduced for flexible structures. A free surface treatment and a surface tension model are used for free surface flow. The improved SPH-EBG method is applied to simulate problems of dam break flow on flexible structures. The good agreement of presented numerical results with existing experimental and numerical results clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the SPH and EBG coupling approach in modeling fluid-flexible structure interactions.

Bending modes and transition criteria for a flexible fiber in viscous flows

“…An EBG is made of two adjacent line segments connecting three neighboring particles. The bending moments on the segments are transformed to pairs of forces acting on particles [11,13,14,17] . According to Newton's second law of motion, the equation for a flexible fiber particle can be written as follows…”

“…SPH particles are used to model the viscous fluid flow governed by NavierStokes equations, and EBG particles are used to model the dynamic movement and deformation of flexible fibers. The interaction of the neighboring fluid (SPH) and fiber (EBG) particles renders the interaction of fluid and flexible fiber [11,14] . In numerical simulation, the flexible fiber is immersed in a fluid and is tethered at its center point, while the two ends of the fiber are free to move.…”

“…A coupled method [11,13,14] of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) [15,16] and element bending group (EBG) [17] is used to model the interaction of viscous fluids with flexible fiber. SPH particles are used to model the viscous fluid flow governed by NavierStokes equations, and EBG particles are used to model the dynamic movement and deformation of flexible fibers.…”

Particle-Based Modeling of Asymmetric Flexible Fibers in Viscous Flows

“…As such, a numerical approach which can well treat moving interfaces and deformable boundaries would be appealing in modeling fluid-flexible fiber interaction. Yang et al [12,14] developed a SPH-EBG coupling method to model the interaction of a flexible fiber interacting with viscous fluids. The SPH method is used to model fluid motion, while the EBG method is used to model fiber motion.…”

“…The SPH-EBG coupling method was first used to model red blood cell (RBC) deformation in a shear flow [17]. Later it was extended to model a flexible fiber in a viscous flow [12,13] and dam-break flows impacting on flexible structures [14].…”