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Large wood transport modelling by a coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian approach

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Abstract

The paper discusses a model which predicts the trajectory of floating rigid bodies and may be applied to compute the motion of woody “debris” mobilized during floods. The model couples a Discrete Element (DE) Lagrangian approach for the calculation of motion of rigid bodies with the Eulerian solution of the shallow water equations (SWE), in order to simulate the transport of a cylinder in a two-dimensional stream. It differs from existing models since it is based on a dynamic approach, adapting the Basset–Boussinesq–Oseen equation. In a first step, forces are computed from flow and log velocities; then, the equations of dynamics are solved to model the planar roto-translation of the body. Model results and physical reliability are clearly affected by the values of the drag and side coefficients, especially since logs, modelled as cylinders, are able to change their orientation towards the flow. Experimental studies to evaluate drag and side coefficients can be found in the literature for a submerged cylinder, with various orientations. To extend such results to the case of a floating log, the authors performed a series of laboratory tests on partially submerged cylinders, implementing the outcomes in the proposed DE-SWE model. The coupled model is validated against existing laboratory data concerning spheres and wooden cylinder transport.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the CINECA award under the ISCRA initiative, for the availability of high-performance computing resources and support. Part of the work was realized within the project HPCEFM16—High Performance Computing for Environmental Fluid Mechanics 2016 (Italian National HPC Research Project); instrumental funding based on competitive calls (ISCRA-C project at CINECA, Italy); 2016; Amicarelli A. (Principal Investigator), G. Agate, G. Curci, S. Falasca, E. Ferrero, A. Bisignano, G. Leuzzi, P. Monti, F. Catalano, S. Sibilla, E. Persi, G. Petaccia. The authors are grateful to Prof. Pilar Garcia-Navarro and Prof. Pilar Brufau for the important contribution given to the mathematical formulation, and to Dr. Virginia Ruiz-Villanueva for sharing data and knowledges on wood transport. Thanks to Prof. Paolo Ghilardi, Dr. Sauro Manenti and Dr. Andrea Fenocchi for their useful commentaries, to Maria Giovanna Balzi and Stella Cogliandro for their precious work, and to the reviewers for their accurate observations.

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  1. Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    Elisabetta Persi, Gabriella Petaccia & Stefano Sibilla

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  1. Elisabetta Persi
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Correspondence to Elisabetta Persi.

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Persi, E., Petaccia, G. & Sibilla, S. Large wood transport modelling by a coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian approach. Nat Hazards 91 (Suppl 1), 59–74 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-2891-6

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