Three-dimensional Numerical Model Research Articles

Three-Dimensional Numerical Modeling of Freezing Construction of Underpass Tunnels Considering Orthotropic Anisotropy of Frozen Soil

Three-Dimensional Numerical Modeling of Freezing Construction of Underpass Tunnels Considering Orthotropic Anisotropy of Frozen Soil

Numerical analysis of catalytic reaction kinetics in methanol steam reformer with variable cross-sectional channel

ABSTRACT Methanol steam reforming (MSR) is a hydrogen production method recognized for its low harmful emissions and high cost-effectiveness. In this study, a three-dimensional numerical model of MSR within channels of variable cross-section. A quantitative relationship between local equilibrium constants and channel structural parameters was established based on the partial pressures of the components. Additionally, the mechanisms by which variable cross-sectional channel structural parameters regulate MSR reaction performance were quantitatively analyzed, considering fluid dynamics, hydrogen production efficiency, and chemical kinetics rates. The results indicate that the kinetic rate of MSR and local equilibrium constants are significantly influenced by the modulation of variable cross-sectional channel structural parameters, with a maximum variation of 50.6%. A positive correlation between methanol conversion rate and the local equilibrium constant of MSR was observed. Utilizing channel structural parameters to enhance MSR led to an 8.75% increase in methanol conversion rate within the same reaction volume. These conclusions may provide theoretical support for regulating volumetric reactions through variable cross-sectional channel structural parameters.

Numerical study on seismic performance of a prefabricated subway station considering the influence of construction process

In previous seismic analyses of cast-in-place stations, the importance of the construction process was typically not emphasized. Unlike cast-in-place stations, prefabricated subway stations feature innovative construction methods. The effect of ignoring the complete construction process on the seismic performance of prefabricated subway stations remains unclear, and this study aims to address this issue. In this research, a three-dimensional nonlinear numerical model considering soil-structure interaction (SSI) was established. First, the complete construction process of the station, including excavation of the foundation pit and structural assembly, was replicated. The initial state before dynamic loading was clearly defined. Subsequently, the seismic response mechanisms of the station, including deformation, SSI, acceleration, and internal forces, were thoroughly investigated, revealing the impact of structural type and construction method on seismic performance. The results indicate that neglecting the complete construction process leads to differences in the initial state before dynamic loading, resulting in variations in seismic response. Specifically, ignoring the assembly process causes an average bending moment error of 59 % and an axial force error of 35 % for each component. By comprehensively analyzing these findings, a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between assembly techniques, structural behavior, and construction processes in seismic contexts can be attained, thereby informing more robust engineering practices.

Performance Analysis of Pile Group Installation in Saturated Clay

In offshore pile engineering, the installation of jacked piles generates compaction effects within soil, thus further affecting previously installed adjacent piles. This study proposes a three-dimensional numerical model for pile group installation, soil consolidation, and loading analysis. Subsequently, the effect of pile spacing and pile length-to-diameter ratio on the deformation, internal forces, and vertical bearing capacity of adjacent piles are investigated. The results indicate that with an increase in pile center distance, the peak lateral displacement of the adjacent piles decreases, whereas the peak vertical displacement increases. As the pile length-to-diameter ratio increases, the peak vertical and lateral displacements of the adjacent piles are enhanced. In addition, the peak axial force of the adjacent piles initially decreases and then increases with the penetration depth of the subsequent pile, whereas the peak bending moment initially increases and then decreases. The vertical bearing capacity of the subsequent pile is significantly superior to that of the adjacent piles. Therefore, the effects of pile installation on adjacent piles should be included in pile engineering. The impact of the subsequent pile installation on the bearing capacity of adjacent piles can be significantly reduced by increasing the pile center distance and pile length-to-diameter ratio. The findings provide useful guidance for pile group engineering.

Shaking-table tests and numerical simulations study of subway stations in loess region

The loess region in China, known for its high seismic activity and the extreme vulnerability of loess to earthquakes, presents a considerable threat to the seismic safety of underground structures, including subway stations. With the Xi'an Aerospace City subway station as the background, a subway station model was designed, and shaking table tests were conducted under various conditions to analyze the seismic damage and dynamic responses in this study. The study reveals the seismic vulnerable areas and dynamic response patterns of the subway station under different spectral earthquake actions. Simultaneously, a three-dimensional numerical modeling analysis accounting for soil-structure interaction, was conducted to explore the displacement response of the structure and soil. Results indicate a noticeable amplification effect on the acceleration of both the structure and the soil under seismic motion. The structure exhibits a suppressive effect on the acceleration amplification of the surrounding soil, diminishing with increasing seismic motion intensity. Different depths show varying differences in acceleration responses between the structure and adjacent soil. Structural strain responses and damage phenomena suggest that the central column is the seismic vulnerable area of the subway station. Additionally, the strain distribution of the structure exhibits a distinct spatial effect. The relative horizontal displacement between the structure and the soil follows certain patterns in the depth direction, with the structure experiencing smaller relative horizontal displacement than the soil under seismic action due to the constraining effect of surrounding soil on its displacement response. The experimental conclusions provide valuable reference points for the seismic design and analysis of subway station structures in loess regions.

Investigation on load-bearing capacity improvement coefficient of CFRP-reinforced CHS KT-joints

This study numerically analyses the load-bearing capacity of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strengthened circular hollow section (CHS) multiplanar KT-joints based on experiments. Compared to unreinforced joints, the load-bearing capacity improvement coefficient k was proposed and investigated. First, the experiments on bare and CFRP-reinforced CHS KT-joints were briefly described. Three-dimensional numerical models were then established for bare and CFRP-strengthened CHS KT-joints. Refined and simplified CFRP models were established. The effectiveness of the simplified CFRP model was validated by comparing it with experimental results. To improve computational efficiency, the contact between CFRP and steel tubes was optimised by the combination of surface-based cohesive behaviour and tie. A parametric study was carried out to analyse the effect of 20 independent parameters on k. We found that k is primarily influenced by non-dimensional geometric parameters, load of brace-T, number of CFRP layers, and CFRP properties. Parametric formulae for k were established through nonlinear regression analysis. The proposed parametric formulae agree well with numerical analysis and experimental results.

Simulation method of heat-mass transfer between hot wind and wet coating in the manufacturing process of pole piece

In order to improve the complex numerical calculation process for wet coating of pole piece, a three-dimensional numerical model of heat-mass transfer characteristics is established between hot wind and wet coating based on multi-field coupling theory of porous media and meshless parallel method, and its reliability is verified through literature data. Meanwhile, the difference calculation method and evaluation process are proposed for heat-mass transfer characteristics to solve this numerical model. The results show that the maximum errors are less than 14.7 % for this model. In addition, a scale modeling method is proposed to improve computational efficiency based on similarity theory. Meanwhile, the influences of different scale factors on temperature and humidity parameters are analyzed for wet coating. The results show that this method is accurate and reliable because the determination coefficient R2 of all parameters is more than 0.99. Meanwhile, compared with the calculation time of original model, the calculation efficiency increases by 44.6 % for the model with scale factor selected as 800. Finally, the variation and distribution of internal parameters are analyzed for wet coating during pore emptying process based on above simulation method. The results show that the variation trends of liquid film thickness, pore emptying rate, water saturation, gas saturation and effective gas diffusion coefficient are corresponding with the accelerated, uniform and decelerated drying processes of porous media. Meanwhile, the location of four-corner edges for wet coating is the weak link in heat-mass transfer process. Therefore, the heat-mass transfer characteristics for wet coating can be improved by increasing its initial thickness or adjust reasonable drying position in engineering.

Numerical Investigation of the Thermal Performance of Air-Cooling System for a Lithium-Ion Battery Module Combined with Epoxy Resin Boards

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have the lead as the most used power source for electric vehicles and grid storage systems, and a battery thermal management system (BTMS) can ensure the efficient and safe operation of lithium-ion batteries. Epoxy resin board (ERB) offers a wide range of applications in LIBs due to its significant advantages such as high dielectric strength, electrical insulation, good mechanical strength, and stiffness. This study proposes an air-cooled battery module comprised of sixteen prismatic batteries incorporating an ERB layer between the batteries. To compare the performance of the ERB-based air-cooling system, two other air-cooling structures are also assessed in this study. Three-dimensional numerical models for the three cases are established in this paper, and the heat dissipation processes of the battery module under varying discharge rates (1C, 2C, and 5C) are simulated and analyzed to comprehensively evaluate the performance of the different cooling systems. Comparative simulations reveal that incorporating ERB into the battery assembly significantly reduces battery surface temperatures and promotes temperature uniformity across individual batteries and the entire pack at various discharge rates. Notably, under 5C discharge conditions, the ERB-based thermal management system achieves a maximum battery surface temperature increase of 16 °C and a maximum temperature difference of 8 °C between batteries. Additionally, this paper also analyzes the impact of battery arrangement on air-cooling system performance. Therefore, further optimization of the structural design or the integration of supplementary cooling media might be necessary for such demanding conditions.

The role of the interfaces and cross-links on the mechanical behavior of mineralized collagen fibrils. A numerical approach

Mechanical properties of bone tissue are highly dependent on its hierarchical structure. The presence of microcracks and diffuse damage in lamellar bone is correlated with the failure of the collagen-mineral interface in mineralized collagen fibrils (MCF). The main goal of this work is to evaluate the mechanical behavior of the interfaces and quantify the stiffness loss of the MCF associated with different failure mechanisms, under controlled in-plane displacement. Additionally, we aim to study the role of the cross-links on the fibril mechanical response, beyond the interface failure. Inter- and intra-microfibrilar cross-links are analyzed. In order to address the first issue, a detailed representative volume of the MCF is analyzed by means of the finite element method, under the assumption of plane strain and periodic boundary conditions. In this model the interfaces between constituents are modeled with an exponential cohesive law. Enzymatic cross-links, located at the molecular terminals connecting each 4D (D=67nm) staggered molecules, are represented by non-linear springs. Three in-plane controlled deformations are applied. The results of this work provide the anisotropic stiffness loss of the tissue involved in the different failure mechanisms at the nano-scale length. The initiation of microcracks and the presence of damage zones are compatible with the failure mechanisms observed at interfaces. Interface failure entails a progressive stiffness loss, bringing a non-linear behavior of bone. The strength obtained for the longitudinal maximum deformation is more than 20 times the transverse strength and 3.5 times the shear strength. The quantification of the reduction percentage in the elastic moduli and the shear stiffness when the fibril is damaged, has a potential application in improving failure criteria based on degradation of elastic constants. When longitudinal elongation is applied, the mechanical contribution of the cross-links in delaying the failure initiation of the interface is shown. Likewise, results of this work confirm the scarce influence of the cross-links in the strain range analyzed. Additionally, a three-dimensional numerical model of several microfibrils is defined with the aim of analyzing the mechanical relevance of inter- and intra-microfibrilar cross-links, beyond the interface failure. Results confirm that cross-links transfer the load when strain increases, being highlighted the mechanical competence of the trivalent cross-links.

The energy absorption characteristics and structural optimization of titanium/UHMWPE fiber metal laminates under high-speed impact

Fiber-metal laminates (FMLs), known for their lightweight and high strength, are widely used in structural protection in the fields of shipbuilding, military, and aerospace. Experiments were conducted using 12.7 mm hard spherical projectiles at speeds ranging from 915.7 – 1290 6 m per second to study the high-speed impact on FMLs composed of titanium and Ultra-high Molecular Weight Polyethylene(UHMWPE). The primary failure modes of the fibers were tensile failure and compressive shear failure. With increasing impact velocity, the proportion of tensile failures in the fibers gradually decreased, transitioning to shear plug failure as the main failure mode, while the titanium alloy primarily experienced erosive perforation and petal-shaped tearing. At a speed of 1290 6 m/s, the titanium alloy began to exhibit significant adiabatic shear tearing in four directions. Further, a three-dimensional numerical model was established, which, through theoretical analysis and experimental validation, proved to be highly reliable. Using this theoretical model, a deeper analysis of the dynamic response and penetration mechanism of the structure was conducted, explaining the energy distribution mechanism and dynamic response mechanisms of various parts. Based on this model, improvements and optimizations were made to the laminar structure of the UHMWPE/titanium alloy FML. Placing metal at the back maximized energy absorption but led to more pronounced bulging.

Investigation and optimization heat and humidity environmental control model in construction tunnels: A multifactorial approach incorporating ventilation parameters and hot water quantity

The high rock temperature and hot water influx in the surrounding area of the tunnel construction cause an excessively humid and environment high temperature inside the excavated area of the tunnel, necessitating urgent investigations into the environmental characteristics coupled with these factors and optimizing the control scheme of the construction environment. The on-site data of the tunnel temperature, humidity fields, and external environmental parameters have been collected, along with statistical analysis of the amount of the heat in the resource at the excavation face during the construction period. Subsequently, a three-dimensional numerical model coupling with high rock temperature, hot water, and ventilation was established. Based on the site monitoring data comparison, it was found that the average errors of temperature and humidity field values in the numerical simulation were 4.7 % and 7.1 %, respectively. By introducing the Heat Index (HI), the tunnel environmental characteristics under different conditions were analyzed, showing a linear relationship between the maximum HI at the excavation face and the two following features which are: the temperature-humidity of the input wind, and the hot water quantity. At the same time the air volume exhibited a quadratic relationship. Furthermore, by utilizing multivariate functions to fit the research results, the results show that the maximum HI under various conditions can be predicted. In addition, ultimately establishing an environmental safety assessment model was effective in incorporating multiple factors like input wind temperature, humidity, air volume, and hot water quantity for construction tunnels.

Heat transfer performance of energy pile and borehole heat exchanger: A comparative study

Geothermal structures are widely utilized to satisfy the heating and cooling demands of buildings, providing a promising alternative to the escalating scarcity of energy. As two types of geothermal heat exchangers, energy piles and borehole heat exchangers exhibit different efficiencies in extracting geothermal energy. This paper examines the thermal performance of an energy pile and a borehole heat exchanger under heating and cooling conditions through field tests, introducing the heat exchange rate per unit pipe length (q0) as a metric. Furthermore, a three-dimensional heat transfer numerical model was developed and validated. The parametric analysis was subsequently conducted to investigate the sensitivity of heat exchange efficiency to five parameters, including flow rate, inlet temperature, pipe diameter, soil thermal conductivity, and soil temperature. The results showed that the heat transfer efficiency of the borehole heat exchanger was 42.2 % and 48.7 % lower than that of the energy pile under the heating and cooling conditions, respectively. Moreover, the heat transfer efficiency of the energy pile and borehole heat exchanger is most sensitive to inlet temperature, with the latter showing greater sensitivity to pipe diameter. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing the design and operation of energy piles and borehole heat exchangers to meet the growing energy demands of buildings.

Improving near-stall performance of axial flow compressors using variable rotor tandem stage. A steady analysis

This paper investigates the idea of substituting the first stage of a conventional axial-flow compressor and its inlet guide vane (IGV) row with a variable rotor tandem (VRT) stage to reduce the size and weight of axial-flow compressors. It is expected that a tandem stage gains higher pressure ratio than a conventional stage, and simultaneously, its variable stagger rotor provides more flexibility in handling unsteady phenomena at low mass flow rates. A three-dimensional numerical model based on Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes equations is developed to conduct this investigation. To validate the numerical model, experimental tests are conducted on a tandem single-stage axial-flow compressor test bench in the Dana laboratory of Amirkabir University of Technology, to compare the performance map with numerical results. The validated numerical model is then employed to simulate the performance of both front and aft variable rotor blades. The proposed tandem stage effectively performs the IGV duty, suppresses instabilities at low mass flow rates, and eventually extends the compressor's stable operational range. This proves that a VRT stage is an efficient active surge-control system tool. The detailed survey of the three-dimensional flow field reveals that the aft tandem rotor blade stagger angle is more effective in increasing the stall margin and decreasing the minimum operational mass flow rate than the front row of blades. It is observed that when the aft blades rotate in the direction of decreasing the tandem blades' gap area, the flow momentum increases and causes the compressor stability at lower mass flow rates.

Study on asymmetric forming and performance strengthening mechanisms of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy joints fabricated by oscillating laser based on keyhole characteristics and molten pool dynamic behaviors

The study intends to unravel the processes behind the particular forming and performance improvement of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy joints by getting a thorough understanding of keyhole features and dynamical characteristics of molten pools during the laser welding with circular oscillation (C-OLW) process. The C-OLW experiments were carried out considering the pivotal parameters, including oscillation frequency (f) and amplitude (A), and their impacts on joint formation, microstructure, and performance were analyzed. Increasing f from 200 Hz to 300 Hz results in a more homogeneous and centered laser energy distribution, reducing weld breadth and the maximum depth. Raising A from 1.2 mm to 1.5 mm concentrated energy along the workpiece surface, increasing weld breadth but decreasing the maximum weld depth. A three-dimensional transient numerical model was established and verified. The simulation results reveal that increasing f considerably improves keyhole stability by virtue of the beam's mixing effect on energy, resulting in a more evenly distributed temperature within the molten pool. The velocity of the beam's motion intensifies, leading to elevated local temperature and subsequently causing an escalation in splattering. When A grows, keyhole stability reduces, as does the intensity of molten pool flow. The major effect of increased frequency is refining the grain size while increasing amplitude primarily promotes the columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET) process. The extracted results of temperature distribution illustrate that an increase in f leads to an increase in the solidification rate (R), and temperature gradient values (G) are similar or higher along the same isotherm. Therefore, the G/R ratio rises, promoting the formation of finer microstructures. Although increasing A diminishes G, the reduced overall temperature and molten pool volume contribute to the rise in R. Consequently, the G/R ratio declines, fostering equiaxed grain growth, in line with experimental observations. A higher G value on the left side corresponds to finer grain structures, corroborating experimental findings via Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). The keyhole stability and microstructure characteristics explain why increasing f or A can enhance joint performance. The research reveals that strategically augmenting both oscillation frequency and amplitude enables the achievement of enhanced performance in 6061-T6 aluminum alloy joints.

Gas Fire Coupling Control of Goaf Based on Numerical Simulation

ABSTRACT In response to the problem that traditional gas control methods such as water injection and inert gas fire extinguishing are not effective and have a high level of risk in goaf, this study uses COMSOL software to establish a three-dimensional numerical simulation model of goaf, and combines air leakage intensity, oxygen concentration, and floating coal thickness to calculate the gas fire hazard area, in order to achieve effective control. The results show that the deviation between the data obtained from the numerical simulation and the actual measurement value is about 7 m, which proves that the given solution is reliable. The gas concentration of the wind lane and the upper corner is controlled below 1%, which proves that this method ensures the safety of the working environment. The above results show that the design method realizes the effective control of gas fire in the goaf, and provides reference for mine safety management and gas disaster control.

Numerical and experimental study on fractal flow field for improving the performance of non-aqueous redox flow battery

The flow field design of the non-aqueous redox flow battery (RFB) decides the electrolyte flow and mass transfer of active species inside porous electrode, which has a significant influence on the operation of RFB. In this work, a fractal tree-like flow channel is proposed to enhance the electrolyte convection and optimize the concentration distribution of active species inside the graphite felt electrode, thus boosting the overall battery performance. Using the finite element simulation method, a three-dimensional numerical model of single cell is established to comparatively study the steady-state discharge process characteristics of deep eutectic solvent (DES) electrolyte-based vanadium‑iron RFBs with fractal and serpentine flow fields, respectively. Moreover, by assembling the single cell of this RFB and building the full cell test system, an experimental study is conducted to compare the discharging output voltage and power of the RFBs with serpentine flow field and fractal flow fields of different fractal dimensions. The numerical results show that the fractal tree-like flow field can improve the discharging power of RFB as well as reduce the pumping loss compared with the conventional serpentine flow field. That is mainly attributed to that fractal flow field is conducive to reducing the polarization loss and strengthening the convection in porous electrode simultaneously. What's more, the role of fractal dimension of flow field is also investigated numerically, thus knowing that large fractal dimension promotes lower pumping loss while small fractal dimension is in favor of higher output voltage. In addition, the experimental results also demonstrate that the fractal flow field could improve the output voltage and maximum discharging power of RFB compared to serpentine flow field. This work provides an optimization method for the flow field design of DES electrolyte-based vanadium‑iron RFB, and is expected to be employed in the other non-aqueous RFBs.

Hydrodynamic Model of the Area of the Żelazny Most Mining Waste Storage Facility to Reconstruct the Migration of Saline Groundwater

This paper presents the construction of a numerical three-dimensional model of the area of the Żelazny Most Mining Waste Storage Facility (MWSF). In the study area, the difficult geological conditions associated with glaciotectonics are accompanied by a complex hydrotechnical system of sediment deposition and sedimentary water drainage. In order to effectively reflect the water flow paths, a detailed schematization was carried out, using 700,000 boreholes and more than 300 hydrogeological cross-sections. In addition, numerous drainage sections, streams, and ditches were included to reliably assess the amount of saline water entering the underlying aquifers. This research was supported by magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) studies of the reservoir’s sediments. The MWSF is currently being expanded, so the work primarily focuses on illustrating changes in the hydrodynamic field resulting from the inclusion of the new southern section. Models of similar facilities have been implemented before, but in the current one, the combination of meticulous analysis of the hydro-structural system, the water balance, a significant amount of data, the size of the facility, and the use of an unstructured discretization grid in the calculations is undoubtedly innovative and will be an important contribution to the development of analogous solutions around the world.

Evaluation Method of the Impact of Twin Shield Tunneling Construction on Elevated Bridges: Case Study

In urban metro construction, shield tunneling often needs to pass through building and bridge pile foundations, potentially affecting the stability of existing structures. Therefore, accurately assessing the impact of shield tunneling on bridges and buildings is crucial. This study presents a comprehensive prediction method combining numerical simulation and empirical formulas, taking the underpass project of the Shijiazhuang–Wuhan High-Speed Railway Bridge by Zhengzhou Metro Line 5 as a case study. Three-dimensional numerical model calculations were performed using finite element software to analyze the displacement and stress changes of buildings and tunnel structures at different construction stages, revealing the deformation patterns of buildings adjacent to the tunnel during shield tunneling. In particular, the ground settlement caused by twin-tunnel excavation was compared with Peck’s empirical formula to verify the reliability of the numerical simulation. The results show that twin-tunnel excavation exacerbates the horizontal displacement, uplift, and settlement of the ground, with maximum deformation rates increasing by 7.10%, 20%, and 11.4%, respectively. Comparing the ground deformation results of Peck’s empirical formulas with numerical calculations revealed similar trends in the settlement curves, with a maximum deviation of 6.67%. It can be concluded that using Peck’s empirical formula to calculate ground deformation characteristics complements the limitations of numerical simulations, making the assessment results more reliable. The findings of this study demonstrate that integrating numerical simulation with empirical formulas significantly enhances the reliability of deformation predictions in complex tunneling scenarios. This research not only offers a comprehensive safety assessment method for shield tunneling construction but also provides valuable guidance for the design and construction of similar projects, serving as a theoretical reference for future engineering endeavors.

Mass transfer of bilirubin and bovine serum albumin in hollow fiber membrane module of artificial liver

Understanding the mass transfer behaviors in hollow fiber membrane module of artificial liver is important for improving toxin removal efficiency. A three-dimensional numerical model was established to study the mass transfer of small molecule bilirubin and macromolecule bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the hollow fiber membrane module. Effects of tube-side flow rate, shell-side flow rate, and hollow fiber length on the mass transfer of bilirubin and BSA were discussed. The simulation results showed that the clearance of bilirubin was significantly affected by both convective and diffusive solute transport, while the clearance of macromolecule BSA was dominated by convective solute transport. The clearance rates of bilirubin and BSA increasd with the increase of tube-side flow rate and hollow fiber length. With the increase of shell-side flow rate, the clearance rate of bilirubin first rose rapidly, then slowly rose to an asymptotic value, while the clearance rate of BSA gradually decreased. The results can provide help for designing structures of hollow fiber membrane module and operation parameters of clinical treatment.

3D numerical modelling and laboratory study of flow field induced by a group of submerged vegetations

The three-dimensional (3D) numerical modelling in an open channel flow field of a group of submerged vegetations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) platform of FLOW-3D HYDRO was performed in this study. A set of acoustic Doppler velocimetry (ADV) measurements have been conducted as benchmark to validate the numerical model. A quantitative comparison was performed on several hydrodynamic variables that impacted the vegetated open channel flow, such as flow depth, streamwise water velocity, turbulent intensity, and Reynolds shear stress. In the numerical analysis, the flow turbulence was treated using the RANS approach (within RNG k-ε); while the Volume Of Fluid (VOF) method was used to track the air-water interface. Structured meshes with hexahedral elements were used to discretize the channel geometry. In the findings, the numerical model reasonably reproduced the flow field and presented corresponding agreement with the experimental turbulent structures. This study showed that the differences in results between various analyses were all less than 10% and concludes that the presented numerical approach can be utilised as an efficient tool for simulations of the flow field within a vegetation patch (i.e. by using the simplified RANS approach).