Tire water splash modeling

Abstract

This paper presents the numerically modeled multiphase flow of a splash phenomenon generated by a wheel traveling at relatively low speeds through shallow water depths. The flow of interest is complex and involves effects of free surface dynamics and formation of large-scale droplets. The framework used to model the process is Eulerian, Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and incompressible fluid flow. Topological changes of the interface between the gaseous and liquid phase are predicted by using Volume of Fluid (VOF) method. OpenFOAM, the open source based library-kit, has been used for the flow simulations. The main responsible mechanism for the splash is considered to be the hydraulic jump generated by the tire pressing onto the free surface of the water. In association to this hypothesis the performance of 2 models, linear and parabolic, for the velocity distribution has been conveyed and compared with experimental data of splash-related contamination on a fixed plate. It is found that the parabolic velocity distribution agrees closer to experimental data.