Microscopic visualization and understanding of internal erosion of geo-materials: Development of experimental technique and particle based numerical method

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K18146
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Geotechnical engineering
• Research Institution: Nagaoka University of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Fukumoto Yutaka 長岡技術科学大学, 工学研究科, 助教 (60757350)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 内部侵食 / 浸透流 / 混相流 / 可視化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Direct observation methods for the seepage flow and the soil particles were developed in order to deeply understand the mechanisms of the internal erosion of geo-materials. The experimental technique, which is based on the RIMS (Refractive Index Matching Scanning), was developed, and it was found that the two dimensional velocities of the seepage flow inside the soil matrix can be directly obtained from the image analysis. In addition, the 3-D direct numerical simulation method, which is based on the coupled particle-fluid model, was also developed and was improved by comparing with experimental results.

Free Research Field

地盤工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

深刻な地盤災害の引き金となる内部侵食を土粒子とその間隙のスケールで可視化して把握できる方法を確立すれば，その発生・進行メカニズムへの理解を深めることが期待できる．本研究で得られた結果は，内部侵食を微視スケールで摩擦・衝突・流体などが複雑に絡み合ったマルチフィジックス現象として捉えた，新しい切り口を与えるものであると考えられる．