ISPH simulation of solitary waves propagating over a bottom-mounted barrier With k–ε turbulence model

Solitary wave propagating over a bottom-mounted barrier is simulated using the Incompressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (ISPH) method in order to study the generation and transport of turbulence associated with flow separation around submerged structures. For an accurate capture of turbulence characteristics during the wave propagation, rather than employing the standard sub-particle scale (SPS) model, the k-ε turbulence model is coupled with the numerical scheme. The results of the numerical model are compared with experimental data, and good agreement is observed in terms of mean velocity, free surface elevation, vorticity fields and turbulent kinetic energy. The numerical model is then employed to investigate the effects of wave non-linearity and geometrical size of the submerged barrier on the flow separation; and calculate the reflection, dissipation and transmission coefficients to evaluate the importance of energy dissipation due to the generation of vortices. The results of this study show that the developed ISPH method with the k-ε turbulence closure model is capable of reproducing the velocity fields and the turbulence characteristics accurately, and thus can be used to perform predictions of comprehensive hydrodynamics of flow-structure interactions in the urban hydro-environment systems.