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Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics Ch12: 1 Overview of SPH Method

Overview of SPH method,Overview of DEM method

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4 views2 pages

Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics Ch12: 1 Overview of SPH Method

Overview of SPH method,Overview of DEM method

Uploaded by

Ashitkrnath
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics

Ch12

September 26, 2024

1 Overview of SPH method


Answer: The Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method is a numerical technique used in computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate the behavior of fluid flows. Unlike traditional grid-based methods, SPH is a
meshless approach that represents the fluid as a collection of particles.In SPH, the fluid domain is discretized into
a set of particles, each having certain properties such as position, velocity, and other fluid attributes. The fluid
is treated as a continuous medium, and the properties of each particle are used to approximate the properties of
the fluid at that location. The key idea behind SPH is that the properties of a fluid particle are determined by its
neighbors. The fluid attributes at a given location are calculated by averaging the values of its neighboring particles
using a smoothing kernel function. This kernel function defines the influence of each neighboring particle on the
target particle and is typically a bell-shaped function with a finite support radius.
To simulate fluid dynamics using SPH, the governing equations of fluid motion, such as the Navier-Stokes equations,
are discretized and solved for each particle. The equations are expressed in terms of particle properties, and the
derivatives are approximated using the smoothed values from neighboring particles. This approach allows for the
simulation of complex fluid behavior, including fluid flows, free surfaces, and interactions between different fluids or
solid objects.
1. Kernel Function: The kernel function, denoted as W , determines the influence of neighboring particles on a
target particle. It is typically a symmetric, normalized, and radially symmetric function with a compact support
radius. The most commonly used kernel function in SPH is the cubic spline kernel, given by:

1 − 6(q − q 2 ) if 0 ≤ q < 21
8 
W (r, h) = 2(1 − q)3 if 12 ≤ q < 1
πh3 
0 otherwise

where q = hr represents the normalized distance between particles, r is the particle separation, and h is the
smoothing length.
2. Density Estimation: The density (ρ) of a particle is computed by summing the contributions from its neigh-
boring particles using the kernel function:
X
ρi = mj W (|ri − rj |, h)
j

where ρi is the density of particle i, mj is the mass of particle j, ri and rj are the positions of particles i and j,
respectively, and W represents the kernel function.
3. Pressure Calculation: The pressure (P ) of a particle is obtained using an equation of state (EOS) that relates
the density to the pressure. The most commonly used EOS in SPH is the Tait equation:

P = (ρ − ρ0 ) · B
where P is the pressure, ρ is the density, ρ0 is the reference density (usually set at the rest density of the fluid),
and B is a constant related to the fluid’s bulk modulus.
4. Momentum Equation: The momentum equation describes the motion of particles and is typically derived from
the Navier-Stokes equations. In SPH, it takes the form:
!
dvi 1 X Pi Pj
= mj + 2 ∇i W (|ri − rj |, h)
dt ρi j ρ2i ρj

where dvdt represents the time derivative of the velocity of particle i, Pi and Pj are the pressures of particles i and
i

j, respectively, ∇i W denotes the gradient of the kernel function with respect to particle i, and other terms represent
the acceleration contributions from the pressure gradient.

1
One of the advantages of SPH is its ability to handle large deformations, complex geometries, and free surface flows
more easily compared to traditional grid-based methods. SPH is particularly well-suited for simulating fluid flows
with large-scale motion, such as ocean waves, dam breaks, and fluid-structure interactions.However, SPH also has
some limitations. It can struggle with accurately capturing small-scale features and turbulent flows, and it can be
computationally expensive compared to grid-based methods for certain applications.Overall, the SPH method is a
versatile and widely used numerical technique in CFD, offering advantages in simulating fluid flows with complex
dynamics and deformations.

2 Overview of DEM method


Answer: The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is a numerical technique used to simulate the behavior of systems
consisting of individual particles or discrete elements. It is commonly employed to model granular materials, such
as powders, grains, rocks, and particles in various industries and applications.
In DEM, each particle or discrete element is represented as an individual entity with its own position, velocity,
mass, and other physical properties. The interactions between particles are considered based on contact mechanics
principles, including contact forces, friction, and restitution.
1. Newton’s Second Law: The equations of motion for each particle in the DEM can be described by Newton’s
second law:
dvi X
mi = Fij + Fext
dt
j̸=i

where mi is the mass of particle i, vi is the velocity of particle i, Fij represents the contact forces between
particles i and j, and Fext denotes any external forces acting on particle i.
2. Contact Forces: The contact forces between particles can be determined based on contact mechanics principles,
such as Hertzian contact theory or linear elastic models. The normal contact force, Fnij , and the tangential contact
force, Ftij , can be expressed as:

Fnij = kn δij
n n

nij − γ vij · nij nij

t
 vij
Ftij = min µ Fnij , Ftij t
vij
n
where kn is the normal stiffness, δij is the normal overlap, nij is the unit vector normal to the contact surface,
n t
γ is the damping coefficient, vij and vij are the relative velocities in the normal and tangential directions, µ is the
friction coefficient, and Fnij and Ftij represent the magnitudes of the normal and tangential forces, respectively.
3. Time Integration: The positions and velocities of the particles are updated over time using numerical integra-
tion methods, such as the Verlet algorithm or the Euler method. For example, the position update can be calculated
as:

ri (t + ∆t) = ri (t) + vi (t)∆t


where ri (t) and vi (t) represent the position and velocity of particle i at time t, and ∆t is the time step.
4. Collision Handling: When particles collide, the collision response is determined to update their velocities and
positions. This involves solving equations for velocity changes and energy dissipation based on the collision model
employed. For example, in a simple particle-particle collision, the post-collision velocities can be calculated using
the restitution coefficient:

1 + e Fnij
 
new old
vi = vi −
2 mi
where viold and vinew are the pre- and post-collision velocities of particle i, and e is the coefficient of restitution.

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