In Lopez et al. (2011) we study the flow evolution over the spillway surface when the lateral walls are removed from it. In this case the best solution is to employ a stepped spillway in order to reduce the flow energy as the water goes down over its surface. Despite the flow being governed by a strong interaction of air-water, SPH is especially useful since its Lagrangian nature allows to track fluid particles and obtain movement patterns of water as it develops along the spillway. Results are consistent with similar experimental studies which indicate the suitability of SPH for reproducing such complex cases. Thanks to SPH it is possible to obtain velocity profiles from the steps.
Roberto Marivela, Ph.D. 