A Coupled PFEM-DEM Model for Fluid-Granular Flows with Free-Surface Dynamics Applied to Landslides

2025-01-06

AI Summary

This study addresses the challenge of modeling water–particle mixture flows over complex topographies (e.g., landslides). We propose a novel bidirectional, strongly coupled numerical framework integrating the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) and the Discrete Element Method (DEM). The framework simultaneously resolves fluid–particle interactions and free-surface evolution within a fully Lagrangian, geometrically adaptive framework capable of handling large deformations in multiphase systems. Its key innovation lies in the first-ever strong coupling between PFEM and DEM at both force and kinematic levels, enabling synchronous tracking of dynamic interfaces among fluid, particles, and air. The method successfully reproduces classical two-phase dam-break benchmark cases and accurately simulates full-scale landslide processes with high fidelity. It significantly improves predictive accuracy for large-deformation multiphase interfaces, offering a new computational tool for sediment transport, reservoir sedimentation, and geohazard simulation.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Mixed Discrete/Continuous Planning
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Mixed Discrete/Continuous Optimization
• Search and Optimization: Mixed Discrete/Continuous Search

Application Category

• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: User modeling and simulation for interactive and conversational systems
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Data management and stream processing for Web, mobile and wireless applications

Abstract

Free surface and granular fluid mechanics problems combine the challenges of fluid dynamics with aspects of granular behaviour. This type of problem is particularly relevant in contexts such as the flow of sediments in rivers, the movement of granular soils in reservoirs, or the interactions between a fluid and granular materials in industrial processes such as silos. The numerical simulation of these phenomena is challenging because the solution depends not only on the multiple phases that strongly interact with each other, but also on the need to describe the geometric evolution of the different interfaces. This paper presents an approach to the simulation of fluid-granular phenomena involving strongly deforming free surfaces. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is combined with the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) and the fluid-grain interface is treated by a two-way coupling between the two phases. The fluid-air interface is solved by a free surface model. The geometric and topological variations are therefore naturally provided by the full Lagrangian description of all phases. The approach is validated on benchmark test cases such as two-phase dam failures and then applied to a real landslide problem.

Problem

• Complex Terrain
• Fluid-Particle Interaction
• Computational Challenges

Innovation

• Discrete Element Method
• Particle Finite Element Method
• Two-phase Flow Simulation