Numerical modeling of the impact of a large scale waterfall on a solid plate

Recent hydroelectric power plant safety developments have necessitated detailed studies on dam spillway operations, especially during emergency water discharge scenarios such as overtopping. This paper presents a numerical investigation of a 10-meter high waterfall impinging on a solid plate using two-phase flow models. Our approach integrates a coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian Spray Atomization (ELSA) model with an Interface Capturing Method (ICM) to simulate the complex multiphase flow and atomization processes. Our model proficiently mapped the velocity and turbulence within the pre-impact region. To refine the accuracy of the impact pressures, we isolated this zone and implemented the Injection–Reinjection strategy, a novel numerical procedure for this type of configuration. The study reveals significant insights into the dynamic interactions of water packets with the dam structure, highlighting critical impact pressures that can influence dam stability and integrity. Our results, compared against experimental data, demonstrate the effectiveness of the modeling strategies in predicting the fluid behaviors and the subsequent pressures exerted on structural components. • Modeling and simulation of a large-scale gravity water sheet. • Coupling of solved and unsolved interface methods to capture all the physics. • Development of a computational strategy to improve impact pressure resolution. • Comparison num. vs exp. : liquid fragmentation, impact pressure PDF.