Multiscale modelling of physical processes along water-soil interface

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Grabe
• Subject Area: Geotechnics, Hydraulic Engineering
• Term: from 2015 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 274844490

This project aims on the extension of the numerical simulation methods to problems that focus on flow phenomena within the soil. A first topic in that context is the simulation of the fluid flow and, as a result, the internal erosion (suffusion) within a soil. As the fluid flow around the particles cannot be resolved in the unresolved CFD-DEM, an extension of the existing method is needed to precisely depict the movement of the particles in a soil bed due to changing hydraulic gradients. A second topic is the depiction of a fluid/air interface within the soil body and the resulting surface tension forces (capillary forces). These two settings come with flow regimes that have not been considered so far, and will require the implementation of new force models. These developments will enable deeper insights in the hydrodynamically induced failure of soil bodies and the modelling of the water-soil interactions in saturated and and the first numerical modelling of unsaturated sandy slopes with unresolved CFD-DEM. To reach the defined objectives a co-operation between Hamburg University of Technology/Germany and DCS Computing Linz/Austria is planned. DCS is developing the code CFDEMÒcoupling, which is used in the research project. This cooperation is covered by the D-A-CH agreement (DFG in Germany and FWF in Austria).

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria
• Partner Organisation: Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF)
• Cooperation Partner: Dr. Christoph Goniva