Author(s): Qiuhua Liang
Linked Author(s): Qiuhua Liang
Keywords: Flood modelling; Adaptive mesh refinement; Shallow water equations; Dam break; Inundation; Flood risk management
Abstract: This work introduces a robust numerical tool for modelling different types of floods, e. g. rapid-varying dam breaks or slow-evolving inundations. Based on a novel adaptive grid system, the model solves the 2D shallow water equations (SWEs) using a Godunov-type scheme to approximate the flood hydrodynamics. The grid dynamically adapts to local topographic features, moving wet-dry interface and other flow features. High-resolution mesh is only generated to those areas of interests. Therefore it facilitates accurate prediction of flood front and routing and meanwhile maintains efficient simulation. Results are presented for a laboratory-scale dam break and a prototypical case of flood inundation in the 36 km2 floodplain at Thamesmead. To produce results with similar resolution, the adaptive grid based model is found to be many times more efficient than its uniform grid based counterpart.
Year: 2010