On the numerical modelling of the Jet Erosion Test

Abstract

International audienceEvaluating the erodibility of a soil, both in terms of erosion threshold (initiation) and erosion rate (progression), is critical for the evaluation of the safety of water retaining structures. Indeed different soils can erode at different rates. However, the relationship between the erosion parameters and the geotechnical and chemical properties of soils remains largely unknown. The jet erosion test appears to be an efficient and simple means for quantifying the two erosion parameters involved. The first parameter is the critical stress while the second parameter is the erosion coefficient. A simplified model of this test has been drawn up by G. Hanson et al. to interpret the experimental curves. Few attempts have been made so far to model the whole process, however. The aim of this study is to simulate the impinging jet and to take into account the erosion of the soil by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical modelling. The key point was the time dependence of the problem, due to erosion processes, however the turbulent flow could be considered as steady because of the assumption of low kinetics erosion assumption. The results of the present modelling study are compared to the simplified model and to experimental data. This comparison is a first confirmation of the validity of the simplified model as a means of assessing the critical stress and the erosion coefficient with jet erosion tests