Large-scale solitary wave simulation with implicit incompressible SPH

Abstract

Simultaneously tackling a large-scale simulation domain, high resolution, and a high level of incompressibility presents a computational challenge for smoothed-particle hydrodynamics. We present a method involving a combination of a recently developed implicit incompressible SPH scheme, a fluid-rigid boundary handling technique, and a data structure for neighborhood search to address the problem. We implemented the method on multi-core CPUs and performed simulations of tsunami wave impacts on coastal nuclear facilities to advance the state of the practice in probabilistic risk analysis modeling. Preliminary validation was conducted on a dam break problem test and a solitary wave past a conical island test. In addition to reduced memory consumption and the ability to handle arbitrarily large simulation domains, the technique exhibits fast simulation times. Performance of the method is evaluated for different parameter values related to time-stepping and neighborhood search, and several levels of resolution and incompressiblity enforcement. The results demonstrate its applicability for large-scale simulations relevant to ocean and coastal engineering, and, thereby, as a valuable tool for risk-informed decision-making related to external flooding events.