Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

MPM simulations of dam-break floods

  • Special Column on MPM2017
  • Published:
Journal of Hydrodynamics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Owing to its ability of modelling large deformations and the ease of dealing with moving boundary conditions, the material point method is gaining popularity in geotechnical engineering applications. In this paper, this promising Lagrangian method is applied to hydrodynamic problems to further explore its potential. The collapse of water columns with different initial aspect ratios is simulated by the material point method. In order to test the accuracy and stability of the material point method, simulations are first validated using experimental data and results of mature numerical models. Then, the model is used to ascertain the critical aspect ratio for the widely-used shallow water equations to give satisfactory approximation. From the comparisons between the simulations based on the material point method and the shallow water equations, the critical aspect ratio for the suitable use of the shallow water equations is found to be 1.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Brackbill J. U., Kothe D. B., Ruppel H. M. FLIP: A lowdissipation, particle-in-cell method for fluid flow [J]. Computer Physics Communications, 1988, 48(1): 25–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Sulsky D., Zhou S. J., Schreyer H. L. Application of a particle-in-cell method to solid mechanics [J]. Computer Physics Communications, 1995, 87(1–2): 236–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Sulsky D., Chen Z., Schreyer H. L. A particle method for history-dependent materials [J]. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 1994, 118(1–2): 179–196.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  4. Bardenhagen S. G., Kober E. M. The generalized interpolation material point method [J]. Computer Modeling in Engineering and Sciences, 2004, 5(6): 477–495.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Zhang H. W., Wang K. P., Chen Z. Material point method for dynamic analysis of saturated porous media under external contact/impact of solid bodies [J]. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 2009, 198(17–20): 1456–1472.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Alonso E. E., Zabala F. Progressive failure of Aznalcóllar dam using the material point method [J]. Géotechnique, 2011, 61(9): 795–808.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Jassim I., Stolle D., Vermeer P. Two-phase dynamic analysis by material point method [J]. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, 2013, 37(15): 2502–2522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Abe K., Soga K., Bandara S. Material point method for coupled hydromechanical problems [J]. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 2013, 140(3): 04013033.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Bandara S., Soga K. Coupling of soil deformation and pore fluid flow using material point method [J]. Computers and Geotechnics, 2015, 63: 199–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Zhao X., Liang D. MPM Modelling of seepage flow through embankments [C]. 26th International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference. Rhodes, Greece, 2016, 1161–1165.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ma S., Zhang X., Qiu X. M. Comparison study of MPM and SPH in modeling hypervelocity impact problems [J]. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 2009, 36(2): 272–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Liang D. Evaluating shallow water assumptions in dambreak flows [J]. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Water Management, 2010, 163(5): 227–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Shao S., Lo E. Y. M. Incompressible SPH method for simulating Newtonian and non-Newtonian flows with a free surface [J]. Advances in Water Resources, 2003, 26(7): 787–800.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Liang D., Falconer R. A., Lin B. Improved numerical modelling of estuarine flows [J]. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Maritime Engineering, 2006, 159(1): 25–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Fraccarollo L., Toro E. F. Experimental and numerical assessment of the shallow water model for two-dimensional dam-break type problems [J]. Journal of Hydraulic Research, 1995, 33(6): 843–864.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Liang D., Lin B., Falconer R. A. A boundary-fitted numerical model for flood routing with shock-capturing capability [J]. Journal of Hydrology, 2007, 332(3–4): 477–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Liang D., Lin B., Falconer R. A. Simulation of rapidly varying flow using an efficient TVD-MacCormack scheme [J]. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids, 2007, 53(5): 811–826.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Martin J. C., Moyce W. J. An experimtal study of the collapse of liquid columns on a rigid horizontal plane [J]. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, 1952, 244(88): 312–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Hirt C. W., Nichols B. D. Volume of fluid (VOF) method for the dynamics of free boundaries [J]. Journal of Computational Physics, 1981, 39(1): 201–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Xuanyu Zhao & Dongfang Liang

  2. Deltares, Delft, The Netherlands

    Xuanyu Zhao & Mario Martinelli

Authors
  1. Xuanyu Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dongfang Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mario Martinelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dongfang Liang.

Additional information

Biography: Xuanyu Zhao, Male, Ph. D. Candidate

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhao, X., Liang, D. & Martinelli, M. MPM simulations of dam-break floods. J Hydrodyn 29, 397–404 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-6058(16)60749-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-6058(16)60749-7

Key words

Search

Navigation