A physically consistent AI-based SPH emulator for computational fluid dynamics

Abstract

Abstract The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has significantly expanded the scope of fluid modeling, allowing enhanced analysis capabilities and improved simulation performance. While Eulerian methods already benefit extensively from AI, notably in reliable weather prediction, the application of AI to Lagrangian methods remains less consolidated. Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is a Lagrangian mesh-less numerical method for CFD with well-established advantages for the simulation of highly dynamic free-surface flows. Here, we explore an application of AI to SPH simulations, utilizing an artificial neural network (ANN) to estimate hydrodynamic forces between particle pairs, learning from SPH-simulated results. A model of this nature, which emulates the mathematical representation of physics, is termed an emulator. We examine the physical significance of the emulator, presenting its applications in benchmark tests, assessing its faithfulness to traditional SPH simulations, and highlighting its ability to generalize and simulate test cases with varying levels of complexity beyond its training data.