Resolution refinement technique in a smoothed particle hydrodynamics numerical flume for coastal engineering applications

Abstract

Numerical modeling of the wave interaction with coastal structures is a challenging issue due to the multi-nonlinear phenomena involved, such as, wave propagation, wave transformation, interaction among incident and reflected waves, run-up / run-down, wave breaking and wave overtopping. Numerical models based on a Lagrangian formulation, like SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics), allow simulating complex free surface flows. This work presents the new developments on a SPH numerical model for studies on wave-structure interaction made at the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LNEC). A new semiautomatic refinement technique of particles was applied to reduce the CPU time. Simulations with a specific geometry, a wave flume with a water chamber, were made regarding the application of this technique. An analysis was made on (i) convergence with resolution, i.e. particle dimension and (ii) semi-automatic refinement. Results were compared with the solution obtained with the finer resolution.