A Lagrangian gradient smoothing method for solid‐flow problems using simplicial mesh

A novel Lagrangian gradient smoothing method (L‐GSM) is developed to solve “solid‐flow” (flow media with material strength) problems governed by Lagrangian form of Navier‐Stokes equations. It is a particle‐like method, similar to the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method but without the so‐called tensile instability that exists in the SPH since its birth. The L‐GSM uses gradient smoothing technique to approximate the gradient of the field variables, based on the standard GSM that was found working well with Euler grids for general fluids. The Delaunay triangulation algorithm is adopted to update the connectivity of the particles, so that supporting neighboring particles can be determined for accurate gradient approximations. Special techniques are also devised for treatments of 3 types of boundaries: no‐slip solid boundary, free‐surface boundary, and periodical boundary. An advanced GSM operation for better consistency condition is then developed. Tensile stability condition of L‐GSM is investigated through the von Neumann stability analysis as well as numerical tests. The proposed L‐GSM is validated by using benchmarking examples of incompressible flows, including the Couette flow, Poiseuille flow, and 2D shear‐driven cavity. It is then applied to solve a practical problem of solid flows: the natural failure process of soil and the resultant soil flows. The numerical results are compared with theoretical solutions, experimental data, and other numerical results by SPH and FDM to evaluate further L‐GSM performance. It shows that the L‐GSM scheme can give a very accurate result for all these examples. Both the theoretical analysis and the numerical testing results demonstrate that the proposed L‐GSM approach restores first‐order accuracy unconditionally and does not suffer from the tensile instability. It is also shown that the L‐GSM is much more computational efficient compared with SPH, especially when a large number of particles are employed in simulation.     

SPH and FEM Investigation of Hydrodynamic Impact Problems

Simulation of hydrodynamic impact problems and its effect on surrounding structures, can be considered as a fluid structure coupling problem. The application is mainly used in automotive and aerospace engineering and also in civil engineering. Classical FEM and Finite Volume methods were the main formulations used by engineers to solve these problems. For the last decades, new formulations have been developed for fluid structure coupling applications using mesh free methods as SPH method, (Smooth Particle Hydrodynamic) and DEM (Discrete Element Method). Up to these days very little has been done to compare different methods and assess which one would be more suitable. In this paper the mathematical and numerical implementation of the FEM and SPH formulations for hydrodynamic problem are described. From different simulations, it has been observed that for the SPH method to provide similar results as FEM Lagrangian formulations, the SPH meshing, or SPH particle spacing needs to be finer than FEM mesh. To validate the statement, we perform a simulation of a hydrodynamic impact on an elasto-plastic plate structure. For this simple, the particle spacing of SPH method needs to be at least two times finer than FEM mesh. A contact algorithm is performed at the fluid structure interface for both SPH and FEM formulations. In the paper the efficiency and usefulness of two methods, often used in numerical simulations, are compared.     

A robust weakly compressible SPH method and its comparison with an incompressible SPH

This paper presents a comparative study for the weakly compressible (WCSPH) and incompressible (ISPH) smoothed particle hydrodynamics methods by providing numerical solutions for fluid flows over an airfoil and a square obstacle. Improved WCSPH and ISPH techniques are used to solve these two bluff body flow problems. It is shown that both approaches can handle complex geometries using the multiple boundary tangents (MBT) method, and eliminate particle clustering‐induced instabilities with the implementation of a particle fracture repair procedure as well as the corrected SPH discretization scheme. WCSPH and ISPH simulation results are compared and validated with those of a finite element method (FEM). The quantitative comparisons of WCSPH, ISPH and FEM results in terms of Strouhal number for the square obstacle test case, and the pressure envelope, surface traction forces, and velocity gradients on the airfoil boundaries as well as the lift and drag values for the airfoil geometry indicate that the WCSPH method with the suggested implementation produces numerical results as accurate and reliable as those of the ISPH and FEM methods. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Smoothed particle hydrodynamics for numerical simulation of underwater explosion

 Underwater explosion arising from high explosive detonation consists of a complicated sequence of energetic processes. It is generally very difficult to simulate underwater explosion phenomena by using traditional grid-based numerical methods due to the inherent features such as large deformations, large inhomogeneities, moving interface and so on. In this paper, a meshless, Lagrangian particle method, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is applied to simulate underwater explosion problems. As a free Lagrangian method, SPH can track the moving interface between the gas produced by the explosion and the surrounding water effectively. The meshless nature of SPH overcomes the difficulty resulted from large deformations. Some modifications are made in the SPH code to suit the needs of underwater explosion simulation in evolving the smoothing length, treating solid boundary and material interface. The work is mainly focused on the detonation of the high explosive, the interaction of the explosive gas with the surrounding water, and the propagation of the underwater shock. Comparisons of the numerical results for three examples with those from other sources are quite good. Major features of underwater explosion such as the magnitude and location of the underwater explosion shock can be well captured. Received: 2 April 2002 / Accepted: 20 September 2002     

A Jacobian‐free‐based IIM for incompressible flows involving moving interfaces with Dirichlet boundary conditions

In this paper, a finite difference marker‐and‐cell (MAC) scheme is presented for the steady Stokes equations with moving interfaces and Dirichlet boundary condition. The moving interfaces are represented by Lagrangian control points and their position is updated implicitly using a Jacobian‐free approach within each time step. The forces at the moving interfaces are calculated from the position of the interfaces and interpolated using cubic splines and then applied to the fluid through the related jump conditions. The proposed Jacobian‐free Newton–generalized minimum residual (GMRES) method avoids the need to form and store the matrix explicitly in the computation of the inverse of the Jacobian and betters numerical stability. The Stokes equations are discretized on a MAC grid via a second‐order finite difference scheme with the incorporation of jump contributions and the resulting saddle point system is solved by the conjugate gradient Uzawa‐type method. Numerical results demonstrate very well the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method. The present algorithm has been applied to solve incompressible Navier–Stokes flows with moving interfaces. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

模拟复杂流动的一种隐式直接力浸入边界方法

为避免复杂贴体网格的生成,该文采用一种隐式直接力浸入边界法模拟复杂边界流动问题。借助求解不可压缩N-S方程组的分步投影方法的思想,来求解基于浸入边界法的耦合系统方程。其中固体边界离散点的作用力密度通过强制满足固体边界的无滑移条件导出,进而通过δ光滑函数对固体壁面附近速度场进行二次修正。在空间离散上,对流项采用QUICK迎风格式,扩散项采用中心差分格式,采用二阶显式Adams-Bashforth法离散时间项。以雷诺数为25、40和300的圆柱绕流为基准数值算例,通过与实验结果和其他文献数值结果的对比,验证数值计算方法的可靠性。     

A saturated discrete particle model and characteristic-based SPH method in granular materials

Based on the discrete particle model for solid-phase deformation of granular materials consisting of dry particulate assemblages, a discrete particle–continuum model for modelling the coupled hydro-mechanical behaviour in saturated granular materials is developed. The motion of the interstitial fluid is described by two parallel continuum schemes governed by the averaged incompressible N–S equations and Darcy's law, respectively, where the latter one can be regarded as a degraded case of the former. Owing to the merits in both Lagrangian and mesh-free characters, the characteristic-based smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method is proposed in this paper for modelling pore fluid flows relative to the deformed solid phase that is modelled as packed assemblages of interacting discrete particles. It is assumed that the formulation is Lagrangian with the co-ordinate system transferring with the movement of the solid particles. The assumed continuous fluid field is discretized into a finite set of Lagrangian (material) points with their number equal to that of solid particles situated in the computational domain. An explicit meshless scheme for granular materials with interstitial water is formulated. Numerical results illustrate the capability and performance of the present model in modelling the fluid–solid interaction and deformation in granular materials saturated with water. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The SPH method for simulating a viscoelastic drop impact and spreading on an inclined plate

In the present work, the phenomenon of an Oldroyd-B drop impact and spreading on an inclined rigid plate at low impact angles is simulated numerically using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. In order to remove the unphysical phenomenon of fracture and particle clustering in fluid stretching which is the so-called tensile instability, an artificial stress term is employed which has been successfully proposed in simulations of elastic solids. Particularly, the effects of surface inclination and the different regimes of drop impact and spreading on an inclined surface are investigated. The numerical results show the capability of the proposed scheme in handing the unsteady viscoelastic free surface flows. All numerical results of using the SPH method are in agreement with the available data.     

An implicit corrected SPH formulation for thermal diffusion with linear free surface boundary conditions

The smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method has proven useful for modeling large deformation of fluids including fluids with stress‐free surfaces. Because of the Lagrangian nature of the method, it is well suited to address the thermal evolution of these free surface flows. Boundary conditions at the interface of the fluid with a solid wall are usually enforced through the use of boundary particles. However, applying conditions at free surfaces, in particular gradient boundary conditions, can be problematic with traditional SPH formulations due to the degradation of the gradient approximation in these regions. Compounding this difficulty is that traditional approximations of the Laplacian operator suffer a similar degradation near free surfaces. A new SPH formulation of the Laplacian operator is presented, which improves the accuracy near free surface boundaries. This new form is based on a gradient approximation commonly used in thermal, viscous, and pressure projection problems, but includes higher‐order terms in the appropriate Taylor series. Comparisons with other approximations of second‐order derivatives are given. The discretization is tested by solving steady‐state and transient problems of thermal diffusion using the Backward Euler method with a GMRES solver. Boundary conditions are imposed through an augmented matrix. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

弹性力学静力问题的SPH方法

光滑质点流体动力学方法(Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics,SPH)是纯Lagrangian方法,可用于模拟流体或固体的静动力学问题。不需网格系统即可进行空间导数计算,可避免Lagrangian网格在处理结构变形计算时的缠结和扭曲问题。但经典SPH方法计算二阶以上导数时易引起计算失败。该文提出一种改进的SPH方法,既可避免二阶导数的计算失败,又可提高二阶导数的精度。据此计算了均布荷载作用下两端固结梁的变形问题。经与ANSYS计算结果比较,该方法的计算足够精确。虽以弹性力学小变形问题为例,但结论可推广到大变形情形。     

Development of computationally efficient augmented Lagrangian SPH for incompressible flows and its quantitative comparison with WCSPH simulating flow past a circular cylinder

In Lagrangian particle-based methods such as smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), computing totally divergence-free velocity field in a flow domain with the smallest error possible is the most critical issue, which might be achieved through solving pressure Poisson equation implicitly with higher particle resolutions. However, implicit solutions are computationally expensive and may be particularly challenging in the solution of multiphase flows with highly nonlinear deformations as well as fluid-structure interaction problems. Augmented Lagrangian SPH (ALSPH) method is a new alternative algorithm as a prevalent pressure solver where the divergence-free velocity field is achieved by iterative calculation of velocity and pressure fields. This study investigates the performance of the ALSPH technique by solving a challenging flow problem such as two-dimensional flow around a cylinder within the Reynolds number range of 50 to 500 in terms of improved robustness, accuracy, and computational efficiency. The same flow conditions are also simulated using the conventional weakly compressible SPH (WCSPH) method. The results of ALSPH and WCSPH solutions are not only compared in terms of numerical validation/ verification studies, but also rigorous investigations are performed for all related physical flow characteristics, namely, hydrodynamic coefficients, frequency domain analyses, and velocity divergence fields.     

A 3D Lagrangian gradient smoothing method framework with an adaptable gradient smoothing domain-constructing algorithm for simulating large deformation free surface flows

A novel smoothing particle hydrodynamics (SPH)-like Lagrangian meshfree method, named as Lagrangian gradient smoothing method (L-GSM), has been proposed to avoid the “tensile instability” issue in SPH simulation by replacing the SPH particle-summation gradient approximation technique with a local grid-based GSM gradient smoothing operator. The L-GSM model has been proven effective and efficient when applied to a wide range of large deformation problems for fluids and flowing solids in two-dimensional case. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) L-GSM numerical framework is proposed for simulating large deformation problems with the existence of free surfaces through developing a widely adaptable 3D gradient smoothing domain (GSD) constructing algorithm. It includes three key novel ingredients: (i) the localized GSD based on an efficient distance-oriented particle-searching algorithm enabling both easy implementation and efficient computation; (ii) a novel algorithm for constructing 3D GSD to guarantee the effectiveness of the 3D GSM gradient operator adaptable to any extreme cases; (iii) a robust normalized 3D GSM gradient operator formulation that can restore the accuracy of gradient approximation even on boundary interface. The effectiveness of the proposed 3D GSD-constructing algorithm is first verified under various distribution conditions of particles. The accuracy of the proposed adaptable 3D GSM gradient algorithm is then examined through conducting a series of numerical experiments with different spacing ratios. Finally, the 3D L-GSM numerical framework is applied to solve a practical problem of free surface flows with large deformation: collapse of a soil column. The results reveal that the present adaptable 3D L-GSM numerical framework can effectively handle the large deformation problems, like flowing solids, with a constantly changing arbitrary free surface profile.     

A new particle method for simulation of incompressible free surface flow problems

A new Lagrangian particle method called the consistent particle method (CPM), which solves the Navier–Stokes equations in a semi‐implicit time stepping scheme, is proposed in this paper. Instead of using kernel function as in some particle methods, partial differential operators are approximated in a way consistent with Taylor series expansion. A boundary particle recognition method is applied to help define the changing liquid domain. The incompressibility condition of free surface particles is enforced by an adjustment scheme. With these improvements, the CPM is shown to be robust and accurate in long time simulation of free surface flow particularly for smooth pressure solution. Two types of free surface flow problems are presented to verify the CPM, that is, two‐dimensional dam break and liquid sloshing in a rectangular tank. In the dam break example, the CPM solutions of pressure and wave elevation are in good agreement with published experimental results. In addition, an experimental study of water sloshing in tank on a shake table was conducted to verify the CPM solutions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On diffusion theory in turbulence

The Fokker-Planck equation for the probability density of fluid particle position in inhomogeneous unsteady turbulent flow is derived. The equation is obtained starting from the general kinematic relationship between velocity and displacement of a fluid particle and applying exact asymptotic analysis. For (almost) incompressible flow the equation reduces to the convection diffusion equation and the equation pertaining to the scalar gradient hypothesis. In this way the connection is established with eddy diffusivity models, widely used in numerical codes of computational fluid dynamics. It is further shown that within the accuracy of the approximation scheme of the diffusion limit, diffusion constants can equally be based on coarse-grained Lagrangian statistics as defined by Kolmogorov or on Eulerian statistics in a frame that moves with the mean Eulerian velocity as proposed by Burgers. The results presented for diffusion theory are the leading terms of asymptotic expansions. Truncated terms are higher-order spatial derivatives of the probability density or of the scalar mean value with coefficients based on cumulants higher than second order of fluid velocities and their derivatives. The magnitude of these terms has been assessed by employing scaling rules of turbulent flows in pipes and channels, turbulent boundary layers, turbulent jets, wakes and mixing layers, grid turbulence, convective layers and canopy turbulence. It reveals that a true diffusion limit does not exist. Although truncated terms can be of limited magnitude, a limit process by which these terms become vanishingly small and by which the diffusion approximation would become exact does not occur for any of the cases of turbulent flow considered. Applying the concepts of diffusion theory resorts to employing approximate methods of analysis.     

Numerical analysis of the impact of two droplets with a liquid film using an incompressible SPH method

In this study, a truly incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) algorithm combined with an effective surface tension model is extended to simulate the dynamic process of multiple droplets impacting on a liquid film in 2D and 3D. This approach uses a pressure Poisson equation to satisfy the incompressibility constraints, and the Navier–Stokes equations are solved in a Lagrangian form using a fractional-step projection method. The mathematical model is first validated by the simulations of several fluid impact phenomena in comparison with those obtained by other numerical methods. Then the interesting phenomena of two 2D droplets impacting successively on a rigid solid/liquid film are numerically predicted and compared with the corresponding experimental results. Next, the fluid mechanics of two 2D droplets impinging simultaneously on a thin liquid film are numerically investigated. The effects of the impact velocity and the two droplets’ horizontal spacing on the collision behavior are discussed in detail. Lastly, the splashing phenomenon of a 3D droplet impacting on a thin liquid film is simulated. All numerical results obtained are in agreement with the available data.     

Improving mass conservation in simulation of incompressible flows

We propose a technique for improving mass‐conservation features of fractional step schemes applied to incompressible flows. The method is illustrated by using a Lagrangian fluid formulation, where the mass loss effects are particularly apparent. However, the methodology is general and could be used for fixed grid approaches. The idea consists in reflecting the incompressibility condition already in the intermediate velocity. This is achieved by predicting the end‐of‐step pressure and using this prediction in the fractional momentum equation. The resulting intermediate velocity field is thus much closer to the final incompressible one than that of the standard fractional step scheme. In turn, the predicted pressure can be used as the boundary condition necessary for the solution of the pressure Poisson equation in case a continuous Laplacian matrix is employed. Using this approximation of the end‐of‐step incompressible pressure as the essential boundary condition considerably improves the conservation of mass, specially for the free surface flows of fluids with low viscosity. The pressure prediction does not require the resolution of any additional equations system. The efficiency of the method is shown in two examples. The first one shows the performance of the method with respect to mass conservation. The second one tests the method in a challenging fluid–structure interaction benchmark, which can be naturally resolved by using the presented approach. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

SPH with the multiple boundary tangent method

In this article, we present an improved solid boundary treatment formulation for the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. Benchmark simulations using previously reported boundary treatments can suffer from particle penetration and may produce results that numerically blow up near solid boundaries. As well, current SPH boundary approaches do not properly treat curved boundaries in complicated flow domains. These drawbacks have been remedied in a new boundary treatment method presented in this article, called the multiple boundary tangent (MBT) approach. In this article we present two important benchmark problems to validate the developed algorithm and show that the multiple boundary tangent treatment produces results that agree with known numerical and experimental solutions. The two benchmark problems chosen are the lid‐driven cavity problem, and flow over a cylinder. The SPH solutions using the MBT approach and the results from literature are in very good agreement. These solutions involved solid boundaries, but the approach presented herein should be extendable to time‐evolving, free‐surface boundaries. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulation of complex filling process based on the generalized Newtonian fluid model using a corrected SPH scheme

In this paper, the polymer filling process based on the generalized Newtonian fluid model is investigated by a corrected SPH scheme. The SPH with Diffusive Term and Kernel Gradient Correction (SPH_DTKGC) scheme is proposed by introducing a density diffusive term to smooth the pressure oscillations and deriving a corrected kernel gradient to improve the accuracy and numerical stability of the traditional SPH method. In addition, a new boundary treatment is presented. The validity of the proposed boundary treatment is verified by simulating the spin-down problem. The merits of the SPH_DTKGC are demonstrated by several benchmarks. Then the SPH_DTKGC method is applied to simulate the molding filling process. The filling processes of a Newtonian fluid with different Reynolds number are simulated first in which some special phenomena are observed. Subsequently, we investigate the filling process of the Cross fluid. Numerical results show that the SPH_DTKGC method is valid to simulate the polymer filling process, and the flow pattern is affected by the Reynolds number, the shear-thinning behavior and the location of the core.     

The boundary element method applied to the analysis of two-dimensional nonlinear sloshing problems

This paper deals with an application of the boundary element method to the analysis of nonlinear sloshing problems, namely nonlinear oscillations of a liquid in a container subjected to forced oscillations. First, the problem is formulated mathematically as a nonlinear initial-boundary value problem by the use of a governing differential equation and boundary conditions, assuming the fluid to be inviscid and incompressible and the flow to be irrotational. Next, the governing equation (Laplace equation) and boundary conditions, except the dynamic boundary condition on the free surface, are transformed into an integral equation by employing the Galerkin method. Two dynamic boundary condition is reduced to a weighted residual equation by employing the Galerkin method. Two equations thus obtained are discretized by the use of the finite element method spacewise and the finite difference method timewise. Collocation method is employed for the discretization of the integral equation. Due to the nonlinearity of the problem, the incremental method is used for the numerical analysis. Numerical results obtained by the present boundary element method are compared with those obtained by the conventional finite element method and also with existing analytical solutions of the nonlinear theory. Good agreements are obtained, and this indicates the availability of the boundary element method as a numerical technique for nonlinear free surface fluid problems.