An adaptive multi-resolution SPH approach for three-dimensional free-surface flow with fluid impacting

A decoupled finite particle method for modeling incompressible flows with free surfaces

A coupled smoothed particle hydrodynamic and finite particle method: An efficient approach for fluid-solid interaction problems involving free-surface flow and solid failure

Numerical solution of the PTT constitutive equation for unsteady three-dimensional free surface flows

A numerical method for solving three‐dimensional free surface flows is presented. The technique is an extension of the GENSMAC code for calculating free surface flows in two dimensions. As in GENSMAC, the full Navier–Stokes equations are solved by a finite difference method; the fluid surface is represented by a piecewise linear surface composed of quadrilaterals and triangles containing marker particles on their vertices; the stress conditions on the free surface are accurately imposed; the conjugate gradient method is employed for solving the discrete Poisson equation arising from a velocity update; and an automatic time step routine is used for calculating the time step at every cycle. A program implementing these features has been interfaced with a solid modelling routine defining the flow domain. A user‐friendly input data file is employed to allow almost any arbitrary three‐dimensional shape to be described. The visualization of the results is performed using computer graphic structures such as phong shade, flat and parallel surfaces. Results demonstrating the applicability of this new technique for solving complex free surface flows, such as cavity filling and jet buckling, are presented. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Liquid sloshing is a common phenomenon in the transporting of liquid tanks. Liquid waves lead to fluctuating forces on the tank wall. If these fluctuations are not predicted or controlled, they can lead to large forces and momentum. Baffles can control liquid sloshing fluctuations. One numerical method, widely used to model the liquid sloshing phenomena is Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). Because of its Lagrangian nature, SPH is suitable for simulating free surface flow. In the present study, a relatively accurate Incompressible SPH (ISPH) method improved by kernel gradient correction tensors, particle shifting algorithms, turbulence viscosity calculations, and free surface particle detectors is applied for the free surface flow modeling. In comparison to the other SPH Simulations and experimental data, these results show that the present algorithm is effective for simulating free surface problems. The present algorithm has been applied to simulate liquid sloshing phenomena, while the aim of this study is the investigation of vertical and horizontal baffle effects on the control and damping of liquid sloshing. Results show that for vertical baffles, baffle size has a major role in sloshing fluctuation damping. For horizontal baffles, also including size, the baffle base position has a significant role in liquid sloshing fluctuation damping. When horizontal baffle is near the free surface, sloshing fluctuation-damping increases.

Towards non-intrusive reduced order 3D free surface flow modelling

The smoothed particle hydrodynamics method has been applied in modeling violent flows with the free surface. Much effort has been made in reducing the computational costs in simulating the three-dimensional two-phase flows with the violently deformed free surface and breaking waves. Although the adaptive particle refinement approach has been developed to concentrate fine resolution only in the region of interest, its efficiency still hardly meets the demand of large-scale numerical simulation. In order to improve its efficiency further, a multi-cell linked list algorithm coupling with the adaptive particle refinement for the smoothed particle hydrodynamics model is implemented in the graphic processing unit-based code. Particles are identified not only by its position but also by its resolution and trait. The accuracy of the numerical model for solving two-phase flows with the free surface is validated through computing a two-dimensional dam-break flow and the hydrodynamic flows of spheres vertically entering the water from the air. The numerical results agree well with the experimental data available. For the cases of water entry of a sphere of different densities, the development of open cavity and cavity sealing is discussed in terms of the pinch-off depth and the corresponding sphere depth. Simulations show that the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method with the adaptive particle refinement possesses the characteristics of good accuracy, time-saving, and high efficiency in simulating three-dimensional two-phase flows.

Coupled finite particle method for simulations of wave and structure interaction

Enhancing smoothed particle hydrodynamics for shallow water equations on small scales by using the finite particle method

Incompressible SPH for free surface flows

A mathematical model of three-dimensional (3D) free surface flows has been applied to simulate the curved channel flows and mass transport. In the horizontal plane, a channel-fitted curvilinear coordinate system is used, whereas in the vertical plane, the σ-transformation is adopted to track the free surface and variable bed topography. To reduce the numerical diffusion, the second-order upwind scheme of Roe is incorporated to discretize the convection terms. The standard k-ε model has been modified to take account of some anisotropic effects appearing in shallow curved channels, i.e., streamline curvature and the damping effects of free surface and solid walls. The governing equations are solved in a collocated grid system by a fractional three-step implicit algorithm. Two test cases from curved flumes have been studied: (1) A 270° channel bend with a sloped outer bank; and (2) a meandering channel with mass transport. The results are compared with the available data, which shows generally good agreement.

Advances of the in-house developed SWLBM framework in simulating large-scale three-dimensional violent free surface flow with intense splashing

The method of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) has been recently developed to study the coupled flow-deformation problems in porous material and considerable success has been achieved comparing to traditional mesh-based method, especially for treating large deformation and post-failure. However, computational challenges remain for the hydro-mechanical boundary treatment as well as the accuracy and stability of the numerical scheme. It is shown that the use of conventional SPH operator for the solution of the coupled problem can lead to several issues including numerical instabilities, inaccuracies and unphysical particle clumping as well as particle disorders near the boundary. To address these issues, a general SPH scheme with enhanced accuracy for saturated/unsaturated porous material is proposed in this paper. An improved SPH formulation for seepage analysis is proposed to allow an accurate prediction of liquid flow in porous material. A new stabilisation technique that combines the use of a density diffusion term, a modified particle shifting algorithm, and a new viscous damping term is developed to further improve the accuracy, stability and robustness of the proposed method. The implementations of stress boundary conditions and hydraulic boundary conditions in SPH, such as confining stress, hydraulic head, infiltration/evaporation, and potential seepage face, using either wall boundary particles or free-surface domain particles, are discussed in detail. A range of benchmark examples is adopted to verify the validity of the present coupled framework. The proposed model is finally applied to simulate the failure process of embankment dam due to rapid drawdown. Results indicate that the methodology proposed herein can be a promising tool for the analysis of the coupled hydro-mechanical process in porous material involving large deformations.

Wave impact load occurring in a liquid storage tank during a sloshing motion is numerically simulated. Due to a violent sloshing, an excessive impact load can cause a critical damage to the tank structure. Recently this type of the accidents are reported and the problem becomes an important research topic in LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) Tanker and FPSO (Floating Production Storage Offloading) design. To predict the sloshing impact load, Morison’s formula could be used for a practical reason. But using the Morison formula may provide directly an inaccurate estimation for the impact load because this formula is based on the linear model in the present nonlinear dominating phenomena. In this study, the wave impact load on the structure is obtained by imposing the exact nonlinear free surface conditions numerically and compared with that predicted by Morison’s formula. As a numerical method, a three-dimensional free surface flow in a tank is formulated in the scope of potential flow theory with the nonlinear free-surface conditions. A finite-element method based on Hamilton’s principle is employed as a numerical scheme. The problem is treated as an initial-value problem. The nonlinear problem is numerically solved through an iterative method at each time step.

In this paper some novel Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) concepts are presented towards a feasibility study into the use of SPH for some aero-engine applications, e.g. for internal oil or fuel applications. A first challenge is to develop a capability to model complex wall geometries, associated with two-phase flows in gear boxes and bearing chambers for example. A demonstration is made of how such complex (for SPH) geometries can be built together with an outline of some of the wall boundary condition concepts used, including moving walls. This is an important feature for the application of SPH to engineering. Other boundary conditions are needed such as inlets, outlets and pressure boundaries, and a proper treatment of the free surface. These are outlined in the context of the proposed application. From an SPH flow simulation viewpoint, one of the challenges is to reduce the non-physical density variations arising from boundary conditions (at wall, free surface and interface), which are responsible for non-physical pressure variations and particle dynamics. The flow regimes found in the engineering systems outlined above involve droplets, filaments and films. It is therefore important to be able to handle the merging of fluids, as it is to model their interaction with another phase, which calls for appropriate multi-fluid and surface tension models. This paper introduces SPH, outlines a number of concepts listed above and presents some preliminary results towards the modeling of the KIT bearing chamber, as described by Kurz et al. [1]. This work builds on a number of numerical modeling communications made by the Nottingham team to SPHERIC, the ERCOFTAC Special Interest Group (SIG) for SPH.