A Combined Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and Discrete Element Method Approach for Granular Collapse and Induced Wave Generation: Validations and Performance Test

Abstract

Granular collapse-induced wave generation is a critical process in coastal engineering and natural hazards, yet its rapid and complex fluid–solid coupling mechanism poses significant challenges for numerical modeling. This paper presents a comprehensive validations and performance benchmarking study of non-spherical granular collapse-induced wave generation using a GPU-accelerated resolved SPH-DEM coupling framework. Through three benchmark cases with increasing complexity, the numerical accuracy and robustness of the model are thoroughly verified with respect to free-surface flows, multi-body collisions, and intense fluid–solid interactions. Subsequently, the influence of SPH resolution and particle shape on computational efficiency is quantitatively assessed. It is found that the total runtime is dominated by the number of SPH particles, while the GPU acceleration advantage becomes more pronounced as the number of DEM faces increases. Furthermore, in the granular collapse-induced wave case, the temporal evolution of the leading wave amplitude and the difference in granular runout distance under dry and wet conditions are analyzed, revealing from the particle scale how fluid resistance modulates the coupling between wave generation and granular motion. This study not only validates the capability of the model to capture complex particle–wave interactions, but also provides quantifiable performance benchmarks and physical insights for its engineering applications.