Two-phase SPH simulation of vertical water entry of a two-dimensional structure

Abstract

In view of the fact that the SPH model is easy to handle the flows with the free surface of large deformation, a 2-D flow induced by vertical water entry of a 2-D structure is simulated using the two-phase SPH model. The local pressure of the boundary particles is obtained by pressure of the fluid particles nearby through a modified kernel approximation. To evaluate the accuracy of the method, water entry of a 2-D symmetric wedge with fixed separation point of the free surface on the wedge surface is simulated. The pressure distribution of the wedge at the initial stage agrees well with the analytical results available. Evolution of the free surface and the air flow in the cavity induced by the water entry are obtained. A higher speed air jet is found at the neck of the cavity when the neck of the cavity becomes smaller. For the case of a horizontal cylinder entering the water with an unknown separation point of flow on the model surface, the early stage of the water entry is simulated for the rigid body with different density. Evolution of the free surface deformation of the half-buoyant cylinder and neutrally buoyant cylinder water entry is compared with the experimental data. The effects of the density ratio and Froude number on the pinch-off of the cavity are discussed. It is found that the pinch-off time remains almost constant for different density ratio and Froude number. Meanwhile, for a given Froude number, the dimensionless pinch-off depth and the location of the cylinder at the time of pinch-off increase with the density ratio. Further, for a given density ratio, these two parameters increase with the Froude number and, however, the relative cavity shape appears to be a self-similar shape when Fr ≥ 8.35.