Author(s): J. Balmes; M. Oertel
Linked Author(s): Mario Oertel
Keywords: Groins; Flow velocity; Vorticity; Turbulent structure; FLOW-3D simulation
Abstract: The present study investigates the results of a three-dimensional numerical simulation and shows flow velocities and turbulent structures in the flow path of a special location in the river Ruhr which is located in the western part of Germany and discharges at Duisburg in the river Rhine. More than 40 gauges are installed in the Ruhr catchment area. One gauge is located in Hattingen at flow kilometer 56. 0 from the river mouth. The entrance to the gauge flow area is arranged directly downstream a left river turn and includes groins to increase water depths. Resulting scouring processes of the river bed can be monitored due to fully three-dimensional flow patterns. Available 2D simulation will not represent the 3D flow characteristics; hence, 3D simulations are performed to analyze velocities in all flow directions. For 3D numerical simulations the commercial software package FLOW-3D is used. The free surface is calculated via Volume of Fluid (VOF) method and turbulence is included by RNG turbulence model (based on k-ε-model). The flow area is created by topographic data and a mesh block of approximately 1 Mio. cells. This paper primarily shows turbulent structures within the groin fields of selected top (z-layers) and side views (x-layers).
Year: 2014