Development of the DRowning hUman Model (DRUM) Toward Evaluation of Performance of Lifejackets in Tsunamis

Abstract

We developed a new numerical simulation model considering both unsteady water currents and unsteady movement of a human body toward evaluation of lifejackets as a measure against drowning in tsunamis. A combination of a multiphase fluid solution: CIP-CUP method and a method to represent a human body: link segment model enabled to simulate interactions between fluid and human bodies in the developed model. To validate performance of the developed model, we reproduced an experiment by Kurisu et al. (2018) where a manikin was swept down and caught by water currents assuming tsunamis. Consequently, the developed model represented both water currents and movement of a human body well.