A semi-Lagrangian Splitting framework for the simulation of non-hydrostatic free-surface flows

Abstract

Incorporation of the free-surface dynamics plays an important role in the numerical modelling of non-hydrostatic flows. In the present work a novel semi-Lagrangian splitting (SLS) scheme for the free-surface Euler system is proposed.Using the operator splitting technique, the three main components emerge: the multilayer Shallow Water Equations (mSWE) (enforcing the free-surface kinematics), the Vertical Remeshing Operator (VRO) (that blends the Eulerian and Lagrangian techniques) and the Pressure Correction Operator (PCO) (that is a classic elliptic equation used in projection-type pressure coupling schemes). The first two are solved by two separate Finite Volume schemes, while the latter is resolved in a Finite Difference manner.In order to assess the SLS’s performance, numerical simulations of periodic waves and solitons propagating over variable bathymetry are performed. The last case concerns the propagation of waves on top of a shear current, showcasing the use of the SLS on rotational flows. The results are compared with experiments and analytic relations and the method is proven to be robust and efficient.