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A DEM approach for simulating flexible beam elements with the Project Chrono core module in DualSPHysics

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Abstract

This work presents a novel approach for simulating elastic beam elements in DualSPHysics leveraging functions made available by the coupling with the Project Chrono library. Such numerical frameworks, belonging to the Meshfree Particle Methods family, stand out for several features, like complex multiphase phenomena, moving boundaries, and high deformations which are handled with relative ease and reasonable numerical stability and reliability. Based on a co-rotating rigid element structure and lumped elasticity, a cogent mathematical formulation, relying on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory for the structural discretization, is presented and applied to simulating two-dimensional flexible beams with the discrete elements method (DEM) formulation. Three test cases are presented to validate the smoothed particle hydrodynamics-based (SPH) structure model in both accuracy and stability, starting from an equilibrium test, to the dynamic response, and closing with a fluid–structure interaction simulation. This work proves that the developed theory can be used within a Lagrangian framework, using the features provided by a DEM solver, overtaking the initial limitations, and hence applying the results of static theories to complex dynamic problems.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the project SURVIWEC PID2020-113245RB-I00 financed by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the project ED431C 2021/44 “Programa de Consolidación e Estructuración de Unidades de Investigación Competitivas” financed by Xunta de Galicia, Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Universidade. B. Tagliafierro acknowledges funding from Italian Ministry for Education, University and Research (MIUR) as part of the program “Dottorati Innovativi a caratterizzazione industriale” (ID DOT 1328490-3). I. Martínez-Estévez acknowledges funding from Xunta de Galicia under “Programa de axudas á etapa predoutoral da Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Universidades da Xunta de Galicia” (ED481A-2021/337). J.M. Domínguez acknowledges funding from Spanish government under the program “Juan de la Cierva-incorporación 2017” (IJCI-2017-32592).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental and Maritime Hydraulics Laboratory (LIDAM), Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano, (SA), Italy

    Salvatore Capasso & Giacomo Viccione

  2. Department of Civil Engineering (DiCIV), Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy

    Bonaventura Tagliafierro

  3. Environmental Physics Laboratory, CIM-UVIGO, Universidade de Vigo, Ourense, Spain

    Iván Martínez-Estévez, José M. Domínguez & Alejandro J. C. Crespo

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  1. Salvatore Capasso
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  2. Bonaventura Tagliafierro
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  3. Iván Martínez-Estévez
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  4. José M. Domínguez
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  6. Giacomo Viccione
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Correspondence to Salvatore Capasso.

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Capasso, S., Tagliafierro, B., Martínez-Estévez, I. et al. A DEM approach for simulating flexible beam elements with the Project Chrono core module in DualSPHysics. Comp. Part. Mech. 9, 969–985 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40571-021-00451-9

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