A DEM approach for simulating flexible beam elements with the Project Chrono core module in DualSPHysics

This work presents a novel approach for simulating elastic beam elements in DualSPHysics leveraging functions made available by the coupling with the Project Chrono library. Such numerical frameworks, belonging to the Meshfree Particle Methods family, stand out for several features, like complex multiphase phenomena, moving boundaries, and high deformations which are handled with relative ease and reasonable numerical stability and reliability. Based on a co-rotating rigid element structure and lumped elasticity, a cogent mathematical formulation, relying on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory for the structural discretization, is presented and applied to simulating two-dimensional flexible beams with the discrete elements method (DEM) formulation. Three test cases are presented to validate the smoothed particle hydrodynamics-based (SPH) structure model in both accuracy and stability, starting from an equilibrium test, to the dynamic response, and closing with a fluid–structure interaction simulation. This work proves that the developed theory can be used within a Lagrangian framework, using the features provided by a DEM solver, overtaking the initial limitations, and hence applying the results of static theories to complex dynamic problems.