Author(s): Samantha Mahaffey; Yan Xiong; Mohamed Rouainia; Qiuhua Liang; Gang Wang

Linked Author(s): Qiuhua Liang

Keywords: Coupled model; Discrete element model; Extreme hydraulic conditions; Floating debris; Godunov-type finite volume method; Shallow water equations

Abstract: The effect of floating objects has so far rarely been considered in flood modelling and risk assessment, despite having significant implications for structural design in flood-prone and coastal areas. In this work, a novel two-way method is proposed to fully couple a discrete element model to a hydrodynamic model to simulate complex debris-enriched flow hydrodynamics. The adopted hydrodynamic model solves the nonlinear shallow water equations (SWEs) using a finite volume shock-capturing numerical method. After being validated against an idealized analytical test, the new coupled model is used to reproduce flume experiments of floating debris driven by dam-break waves. The numerical results agree well with the experimental measurements, demonstrating the model’s capability in simulating the complex fluid–debris interactions induced by violent shallow flows.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2019.1671513

Year: 2020