Work Plan

 

The methodology of AURORA is organised around four main phases:

(i) innovative developments in the DualSPHysics code,

(ii) comprehensive experimental campaigns,

(iii) validation and calibration of the developed models, and

(iv) practical applications and case studies.

WP0: Project coordination and management

Overall coordination of the project, including communication between partners, progress monitoring, budget and risk management, and updating of the Data Management Plan.

WP1: Numerical implementations in DualSPHysics

Development of the main numerical advances required for high-fidelity simulation of breakwater armour unit stability.

• T1.1) Coupling with collision solvers: Development of an efficient SPH-DEM coupling framework for fluid-solid interaction and armour unit collisions.
• T1.2) Boundary conditions: Implementation of improved boundary conditions for accurate wave impact, shear, and near-surface viscous flow representation.
• T1.3) Porous media in the core and filter layers: Incorporation of porous-media formulations to represent filter and core layers more realistically.
• T1.4) Variable resolution (based on domain decomposition): Development of a variable-resolution strategy to improve local accuracy while controlling computational cost.
• T1.5) GPU and multiGPU acceleration: Optimisation of the solver for multi-GPU systems to enable large-scale realistic simulations.

WP2: Experimental campaigns

Small- and large-scale physical experiments to investigate wave-induced forces, block motion, friction effects, and scale effects, providing data for validation and machine-learning applications.

• T2.1) Design and setup of the experimental campaign and friction test (Tests A): Preparation of the experimental campaign, armour unit fabrication, instrumentation, and friction tests.
• T2.2) Physical tests in the small-scale wave flume CIEMito (Tests D, E, F): Preliminary tests to identify critical wave conditions and generate initial datasets.
• T2.3) Physical tests in the large-scale wave flume CIEM (Tests B, C, D, E, F): Large-scale tests to obtain high-quality validation data on wave propagation, forces, and armour stability.
• T2.4) Post-processing of the experimental data and assessment of scale effects: Processing and analysis of the experimental datasets, with emphasis on scale and friction effects.

WP3: Validation and calibration

Validation of the new DualSPHysics version against the datasets produced in WP2 to ensure reliable prediction of wave transformation, hydrodynamic loads, and armour motion.

• T3.1) Definition of numerical model setup and simulation of experimental test: Numerical reproduction of the experimental tests carried out in WP2.
• T3.2) Comparison with experimental data and sensitivity analysis of numerical model settings: Calibration of key numerical parameters through systematic comparison with experiments.

WP4: Application for breakwater maintenance and reinforcement

Application of the validated numerical model to real harbour breakwaters in order to support assessment, maintenance, and reinforcement strategies under extreme sea states.

• T4.1) High-resolution wave spectra for extreme sea state scenarios: Generation of realistic hydrodynamic forcing for the case studies.
• T4.2) Application for Punta Langosteira breakwater, A Coruña (Atlantic coast): Assessment of breakwater stability under severe Atlantic wave conditions.
• T4.3) Application for Punta Lucero breakwater, Bilbao (Cantabrian coast): Site-specific application to a complex breakwater transect under extreme scenarios.

WP5: Bayesian ML-based parametric performance and stability

Development of a Bayesian machine-learning framework for breakwater stability prediction, uncertainty quantification, and derivation of new performance indicators.

• T5.1) Integration of experimental and numerical data: Combination of AURORA datasets with complementary external sources.
• T5.2) Optimisation of design parameters: Identification and optimisation of key parameters affecting armour unit stability.
• T5.3) Sensitivity analysis and performance indicators: Assessment of the influence of friction, scale, and other factors on stability and failure.

WP6: Preparation of deliverables

Release of the main project outputs in reusable form for the scientific and engineering communities.

• T6.1) Software release to the wider scientific community: Open-source release of the enhanced DualSPHysics version with documentation and user tools.
• T6.2) Creation of an open-access platform with the experimental data: Publication of the experimental datasets through an open-access platform.

WP7: Dissemination and outreach activities

Communication, transfer, and outreach activities targeting the scientific community, stakeholders, and the general public.

• T7.1) Dissemination to the scientific community: Publication of results in journals and presentation at international conferences.
• T7.2) Dissemination to industry and local government authorities: Transfer of results to port authorities, industry stakeholders, and technical users.
• T7.3) Dissemination to the general public: Outreach actions to communicate the project’s relevance and societal impact.