High-performance numerical methods for modelling of granular flows and sediment dynamics

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Granular materials are made up of macroscopic small particles, of which sediment material is an important example. These materials are ubiquitous in nature and are the second-most manipulated material in industry (water being the first). Flow of granular materials plays a critical role in engineering, geophysical and environmental processes. It may seem confounding that in the today's world of scientific advancements, the flow of this most familiar form of matter remains largely unpredictable. This knowledge gap stems from the complex mechanical behaviour of these materials which may resemble those of solid, liquid (a non-Newtonian fluid) or even gas in different circumstances. The situation is still more complex when the granular material interacts with an ambient fluid like water. Predicting the behaviour of these so-called multiphase granular flows is critical to furthering today’s limited understanding of fluvial and coastal sediment dynamics, submarine landslides, or slurry flow in tailing ponds of mining operations.