Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Dam break simulations present a difficult challenge when you want to capture the intricate details of a dam release to get an accurate representation of the flow hydrograph, but have a very large runout extent to consider. In FLOW-3D HYDRO, dam break studies are a great application for its hybrid meshing capabilities. You can create a two-dimensional (2D) depth-averaged mesh for the downstream extents, but also combine that with a detailed three-dimensional (3D) mesh around the dam break location. This can all be done in the same simulation as illustrated by this example video. A 3D mesh is positioned around the initial dam break location, but the upstream and downstream river extents are handled with a 2D mesh, helping you reduce your simulation times and hardware needs. Learn more about FLOW-3D HYDRO's industry-leading CFD modeling solutions at flow3d.com/hydro
Dam break simulations present a difficult challenge when you want to capture the intricate details of a dam release to get an accurate representation of the flow hydrograph, but have a very large runout extent to consider. In FLOW-3D HYDRO, dam break studies are a great application for its hybrid meshing capabilities. You can create a two-dimensional (2D) depth-averaged mesh for the downstream extents, but also combine that with a detailed three-dimensional (3D) mesh around the dam break location. This can all be done in the same simulation as illustrated by this example video. A 3D mesh is positioned around the initial dam break location, but the upstream and downstream river extents are handled with a 2D mesh, helping you reduce your simulation times and hardware needs. Learn more about FLOW-3D HYDRO's industry-leading CFD modeling solutions at flow3d.com/hydro
