Experimental and Numerical Modeling of the Impulsive Dynamics of an Underwater non-Cohesive Sediment Deposit subjected to a Gaseous Jet

This paper shows an advanced application of the SPHERA code, an SPH-based numerical model, to simulate the impulsive dynamics of a cold CO2 jet injected from the bottom of a 2D laboratory tank containing water and a sand bed at initial rest conditions. Since the gas induces sediment motion and resuspension in the water column, this study aims at investigating an innovative technique that could be applied to increase the effectiveness of sediment removal at the bottom of an artificial reservoir by means of the combined use of explosions and flushing maneuvers. The experimental tests were simulated by introducing some severe approximations in order to handle heterogeneous materials. Even if some improvements of the model are required, the results show good qualitative agreement with the experimental frames; the SPH model can therefore lead to a first evaluation of the scouring effect when gas injection and flushing maneuvers are combined