Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics: Applications within DSTO

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is a computational technique for the numerical simulation of the equations of fluid dynamics without the use of an underlying numerical mesh. Although originally developed for use in astrophysical gas dynamics, SPH has recently been applied to many other areas of numerical fluid dynamics and materials modelling, several of which have particular relevance to defence problems of interest to the DSTO. In this report we review the basics of the method and then describe a simple two-dimensional SPH code for the simulation of incompressible fluid flow. The code is then applied to simple problems such as a dam break, the sloshing of water and wave breaking over ships. These examples illustrate both the capabilities of the technique and the relative ease with which the method can treat problems which have previously been considered difficult to solve using traditional methods such as finite difference, finite volume or finite element grid based methods. Further applications of the method are then reviewed, concentrating in particular on the utility of the technique in solid mechanics modelling, and then current applications of SPH within Maritime Platforms Division are described.