On the Validation of the Particle Finite Elements Method (pfem) for Complex Engineering Fluid Flow Problems

The simulation of complex fluid flows involving large variations of the computational domain, constitutes an open challenge using most numerical techniques. The Particle Finite Element Method allows to merge the advantages of the “standard” FEM with the ones of meshless methods and it is naturally well suited to address this category of phenomena [3], [6]. At the current stage it still remains open the aspect of its validation in application to real problems. Current work aims to fill this gap by providing some experimental comparison to real flow cases. First of all the behavior of a jet after a flip bucket is analyzed both for a 2D and a 3D case. The parameters compared are in this case the trajectory and the values of pressure on the “invert”. It follows the analysis of the opposite phenomenon: the under seal flow under a planar sluice gate. Finally the flux over a stepped spillway is briefly analyzed.