Free Surface Flow in a Trench Channel Using 3-D Finite Volume Method

Abstract

In order to simulate a free surface flow in a trench channel, a three-dimensional incompressible unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are closed with the <TEX>${\kappa}-{\epsilon}$</TEX> model. The artificial compressibility (AC) method is used. Because the pressure fields can be coupled directly with the velocity fields, the incompressible Navier-Stokes (INS) equations can be solved for the unknown variables such as velocity components and pressure. The governing equations are discretized in a conservation form using a second order accurate finite volume method on non-staggered grids. In order to prevent the oscillatory behavior of computed solutions known as odd-even decoupling, an artificial dissipation using the flux-difference splitting upwind scheme is applied. To enhance the efficiency and robustness of the numerical algorithm, the implicit method of the Beam and Warming method is employed. The treatment of the free surface, so-called interface-tracking method, is proposed using the free surface evolution equation and the kinematic free surface boundary conditions at the free surface instead of the dynamic free surface boundary condition. AC method in this paper can be applied only to the hydrodynamic pressure using the decomposition into hydrostatic pressure and hydrodynamic pressure components. In this study, the boundary-fitted grids are used and advanced each time the free surface moved. The accuracy of our RANS solver is compared with the laboratory experimental and numerical data for a fully turbulent shallow-water trench flow. The algorithm yields practically identical velocity profiles that are in good overall agreement with the laboratory experimental measurement for the turbulent flow.