Environmental Fluid Mechanics Lab (EFML)

Cross-shore sediment transport models are an important tool in coastal engineering for estimating nearshore hydrodynamics and morphodynamics. For example, beach profile behaviour and coastal set-back lines. Current models such as XBeach integrate mesh based, Eulerian techniques that require simplification of complex processes such as wave breaking. This arises from motions such as overturning of the air-water interface, hence requiring simplifications for efficiency and feasibility of wave transformations in the coastal zone. My research is aimed at reproducing a cross-shore sediment transport model using the mesh-free, Lagrangian technique known as Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). SPH is advantageous due to its purely Lagrangian, particle nature, which is better at “naturally” simulating multiphase flows and free surfaces with large deformations. My current focus is centred around sediment resuspension and bed load transport as well as the initiation process behind sediment transport involving bed formations. Through comparisons with existing models, improvements may be possible to how cross-shore sediment transport processes are parametrised.

Shown below is a snapshot of a 2D wave tank example with waves being generated by a paddle using PySPH.