A multilayer shallow model for dry granular flows with the $\mu(I)$ rheology: Application to granular collapse on erodible beds

TL;DR

This paper introduces a multilayer shallow model based on the $(I)$-rheology to simulate dry granular flows, accurately capturing velocity profiles and flow dynamics on erodible beds with low computational cost.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel multilayer shallow model that approximates Navier-Stokes equations with $(I)$-rheology, enabling efficient and accurate simulation of granular flows on erodible beds.

Findings

Model accurately reproduces velocity profiles and flow phases.

Qualitative agreement with experimental data on flow and deposit behavior.

Constant friction coefficient leads to opposite flow behavior.

Abstract

In this work we present a multilayer shallow model to approximate the Navier-Stokes equations with hydrostatic pressure and the $\mu(I)$-rheology. The main advantages of this approximation are (i) the low cost associated with the numerical treatment of the free surface of the modelled flows, (ii) exact conservation of mass and (iii) the ability to compute 3D profiles of the velocities in the directions along and normal to the slope. The derivation of the model follows [14] and introduces a dimensional analysis based on the shallow flow hypothesis. The proposed first order multilayer model fully satisfies a dissipative energy equation. A comparison with an analytical solution with a non-constant normal profile of the downslope velocity demonstrates the accuracy of the numerical model. Finally, by comparing the numerical results with experimental data, we show that the proposed multilayer model with the $\mu(I)$-rheology reproduces qualitatively the effect of the erodible bed on granular flow dynamics and deposits, such as the increase of runout distance with increasing thickness of the erodible bed. We show that the use of a constant friction coefficient in the multilayer model leads to the opposite behaviour. This multilayer model captures the different normal profiles of the downslope velocity during the different phases of the flow (acceleration, stopping, etc.) including the presence of static and flowing zones within the granular column.