SPH Simulation of Solitary Wave Generation and Impact on a Vertical Wall

The weakly compressible and strictly incompressible formulations of the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method have been used to simulate the generation of solitary waves and the subsequent impact on a fixed vertical wall. Two wave generation methods, namely Scott Russell's wave generator and piston-type wave maker, have been compared. The aim is to verify and validate the SPH models for reproducing the desired waveforms and pressure profiles. The predicted run-up height and hydrodynamic load are compared with analytical solutions. The study concludes that both SPH models are able to reproduce the desired wave profiles satisfactorily. There exist some slight discrepancies in the water height at the upward and downward slopes immediately away from the crest for the incompressible SPH model. The subsequent maximum run-up height on a vertical boundary agrees well with the published experimental and numerical data. The incompressible SPH model has demonstrated a good consistency in reproducing stable and accurate pressure field for both wave generation methods considered. Large pressure fluctuations have been observed in the weakly-compressible SPH results, especially for the Scott Russell's wave generator case. As a result, the incompressible SPH model is capable of reproducing the instantaneous wall force that agrees well with published numerical force profile. The weakly-compressible model tends to significantly over-estimate the force on the solid wall after the maximum run-up height at large wave amplitudes. This research offers insights into the best practice of establishing numerical wave tanks, and is a prelude to the more challenging applications of the SPH method.