Numerical Investigation of the Stress on a Cylinder Exerted by a Stratified Current Flowing on Uneven Ground

Abstract

In this study, a three-dimensional internal wave (IW)—cylinder—terrain coupled numerical model is established. Based on the large-eddy simulation (LES) method, the IW mechanical characteristics of the cylinder and the flow field evolution around the cylinder over different types of terrains are explored. The similarities and differences in the mechanical characteristics of the cylinders in the environments with and without terrains are compared. The research results show that, when the IWs propagate over terrain, the waveform structures are prone to continuous changes. The intense reverse alternating flow of the upper and the lower water, bounded by the pycnocline, results in huge IWs forces differences between the case without terrains and the cases with terrains. In the case without terrains, the maximum horizontal resultant force on the cylinder is positive, while the resultant forces are negative in the cases with terrain. Compared with the case without terrain, the shallow-water effect caused by the combined action of the terrain and the IWs enhances the flow field strength, making the lower parts of the cylinder suffer larger horizontal forces in the opposite direction to the IW direction. Moreover, the additional vortices produced by the interaction between the IWs and the terrain causes a more complex flow field around the cylinder and the greater forces on the cylinder.