Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

MDPI, Water, 1(16), p. 85, 2023

DOI: 10.3390/w16010085

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Numerical Simulation of Confluence Flow in a Degraded Bed

Journal article published in 2023 by Ehsan Behzad ORCID, Abdolmajid Mohammadian ORCID, Colin D. Rennie, Qingcheng Yu ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

The fluid dynamics of channel confluences are highly complex due to flow separation and secondary currents. Although numerous studies in the past few decades have focused on the numerical simulation of confluence flow, deformed beds were rarely used. This study attempts to address this issue through numerical simulation of the flow behavior in an open-channel confluence flume with an equilibrium degraded bed in OpenFOAM (version 6.0) to compare the results with a flatbed. In the present study, different turbulence models, including Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS), large-eddy simulation (LES), and detached eddy simulation (DES) models were performed using rigid-lid and volume-of-fluid (VoF) methods. The accuracy of the models was statistically analyzed by comparing them with observation data. The results demonstrated that the LES model had the best performance, with a minimum average normalized root-mean-square error (NRMSE) of 3% under the VoF assumption. The investigation also further illuminated the intricate interplay of vortical structures within the confluence zone. Notably, the number and behavior of vortices were found to be influenced by channel geometry and size, as well as interactions between separated shear layers. Circulation within the separation zone near the inner bank differed in rotation between the degraded and flatbed cases.