Numerical Modelling of Two-Dimensional Flow Patterns in Shallow Rectangular Basins

Abstract

The present work focuses on the two-dimensional (2D) depth-averaged turbulent flow in shallow rectangular basins. An accurate description of the hydrodynamics is required for further understanding the complex sediment transport processes. This work has practical engineering implication in relation to the rate of sediment deposited in reservoirs. The capability of the open-source TELEMAC modelling system to predict symmetric and non-symmetric recirculation flow patterns is analyzed by comparison with experimental results performed by Kantoush [4] for different geometry parameters and flow conditions. Numerical results are in good qualitative and quantitative agreement with experiments (regarding the number of recirculation cells and intensity of flow velocity) in symmetric and asymmetric situations. Furthermore, the influence of the mesh size, turbulence closure, and friction coefficients is also analyzed. Numerical results show good agreement in predicting 2D symmetric and non-symmetric flow patterns in laboratory conditions.