Numerical study on the effect of the spur dikes on sedimentation pattern

Abstract

Abstract The spur dikes are structures that usually used for flow diversion from erodible wall and they usually create a appropriate path for directing the flow, flood control, protection of external walls, and some other cases. Through modifying the hydraulic conditions and creation of smooth flow, spur dikes can decrease water erosion force and power of sediment transport. In this study, the channel and spur dike related to the Heltz Laboratory model have been simulated using Flow-3D numerical model. The RNG turbulence model has been applied for turbulence modeling. The turbulent flow field around inclined spur dike and the effect of such parameters as angle, hydraulic conditions and sedimentation pattern have been investigated. The results showed that increasing the angle of spur dike affects the length and width of sedimentation area. When angle of spur dike increases from 90 to 120 deg, the width and length of the sedimentation area will increase up to about 71 and 92 percent, respectively.