Three-dimensional numerical analysis to predict behavior of driftage carried by tsunami

Abstract

This study aims to develop a three-dimensional (3D) numerical analysis code for the prediction of driftage behavior during a tsunami. The main features of this code are as follows: (1) it can simulate the six degree-of-freedom motion of driftage in a 3D flow field; (2) it can consider the interaction between fluid flow and driftage motion; and (3) it can compute the impact of the collision with a wall based on the Lagrangian equation of impulsive motion. In this code, we assume that the fluid pressure and viscosity cause driftage motion and that driftage motion affects fluid flow through deformation of the boundary between the fluid and itself. The code was applied to a hydraulic experiment carried out by subjecting a wooden body to an abrupt flow of water. The obtained numerical solution of driftage motion agreed well with the experimental result. It is concluded that our code can be used to successfully predict the behavior of driftage carried by a tsunami.