Rather than warping a grid to match a curved spillway or a jagged structural crack, the method embeds the solid geometry into a simple rectangular grid. It calculates the exact volume and area fractions restricted by the solid within each cell. This allows modelers to import complex CAD or GIS files and resolve sub-grid features efficiently without sacrificing computational speed. 2. Hydrodynamics Over Fractures and Open Joints
The solver accounts for the dynamic interaction between moving fluids and solid structures, which is critical for understanding how water entering a crack at the top of a dam might lead to further propagation. Hydrostatic Pressure Initialization: flow 3d hydro crack top
allow for a detailed 3D mesh at the crack or dam location combined with a simpler 2D mesh for the broader downstream area to save on computing power. Tangential Viscous Force Rather than warping a grid to match a
[ Coarse Global Mesh ] ──> [ Graded Mesh Transition ] ──> [ Ultra-Fine Grid at Crack Top ] Grid Embedding Tangential Viscous Force [ Coarse Global Mesh ]
Evaluating the potential of a "crack top" to expand under extreme loading, such as during a 100-year flood event 1.2.4 .
When velocity exceeds 12-15 m/s over a crack top, the local pressure drops below vapor pressure. Flow-3D Hydro includes a physics-based cavitation model that predicts bubble formation and implosion. More importantly, it models —the process where the turbulent top layer sucks air into the water, creating a protective "white water" layer that mitigates cavitation damage. Predicting where this happens is key to designing aeration slots.
Water & Environmental Models | FLOW-3D | Hydraulics & Municipal