Researchers in our group recently published an article in the Journal of Computational Physics on material point method (MPM). The work is led by our affiliated researcher, Nanda Chandra, who was also a recent graduate from the group. The article entitled “Mixed material point method formulation, stabilization, and validation for a unified analysis of free-surface and seepage flow” proposed an extension work of the previous published article in CMAME published earlier this year. Here, they propose an extension of mixed MPM to simulate a stable and accurate simulation of coupled free-surface and seepage flows. The approach departs from the traditional Eulerian CFD method, which typically solves the velocity and pressure fields as the primary variables. Instead, the proposed method adopts a monolithic displacement-pressure formulation. This shift enables a more robust framework suitable for updated-Lagrangian formulation typically considered in MPM. Reinforced by a stabilization strategy based on the variational multiscale method (VMS), the approach ensures compliance with the discrete inf-sup stability condition. One standout feature of this method is the use of blurred interfaces, which allow for a smooth and stable transition between free-flow and porous regions, as well as across different types of porous media. This formulation has been rigorously tested and validated through multiple benchmark scenarios across 1D, 2D, and 3D cases. The results consistently show superior accuracy and stability when compared to analytical, experimental, and existing numerical solutions.
