Multi-Dimensional Modeling of Flow and Sediment Transport

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Erosion and Sediment Transport".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 15990

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Technical Service Center, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO, USA
Interests: river hydraulics; sediment transport; scour and erosion; watershed modeling; estuary processes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Flow and sediment transport are becoming increasingly important, yet complex, disciplines in civil engineering due to population growth and climate changes. Most water projects need to consider hydraulic, hydrological, and sedimentation processes that may impact project design. Numerical modeling has been widely used for understanding various physical processes and providing the data needed to make the project decisions. For project impact studies, numerical modeling is probably the only mean to gain an understanding of the altered state. In the past, one-dimensional (1D) flow and sediment models have been widely used, which made various simplifying assumptions. In recent years, multi-dimensional (MD) models, primarily two-dimension (2D) and three-dimension (3D), are gaining popularity in simulating flows and sediment transport processes. MD models are more reliable and accurate than the 1D ones; their use, however, is hampered by various factors. In particular, guidelines are lacking regarding model input parameters and when to use MD modeling. This Special Issue, therefore, aims to gather high-quality papers that contribute to the current state-of-the-art in using MD flow and sediment models.

Proposed topics may refer but are not limited to the following: the development of MD models, the application of MD models to shed light on model accuracy and reliability, and MD modeling guidelines in comparison with 1D models. The spatial scale of MD modeling may range from small-scale streams to large-scale watersheds, and temporal scale may be either constant-flow, event-based, or long-term. 

Submitted contributions will go through a peer review process performed by independent reviewers. Original studies of model development and/or improvement, case studies, and review papers are invited for publication in this Special Issue.

Dr. Yong G. Lai
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hydraulic flow
  • sediment transport
  • hydraulic modeling
  • scour modeling
  • watershed model
  • hydrological model
  • soil erosion
  • 2D model, 3D CFD

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 84958 KiB  
Article
Two-Dimensional Numerical Modeling of Flow in Physical Models of Rock Vane and Bendway Weir Configurations
by Drew C. Baird, Benjamin Abban, S. Michael Scurlock, Steven B. Abt and Christopher I. Thornton
Water 2021, 13(4), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13040458 - 10 Feb 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2465
Abstract
While there are a wide range of design recommendations for using rock vanes and bendway weirs as streambank protection measures, no comprehensive, standard approach is currently available for design engineers to evaluate their hydraulic performance before construction. This study investigates using 2D numerical [...] Read more.
While there are a wide range of design recommendations for using rock vanes and bendway weirs as streambank protection measures, no comprehensive, standard approach is currently available for design engineers to evaluate their hydraulic performance before construction. This study investigates using 2D numerical modeling as an option for predicting the hydraulic performance of rock vane and bendway weir structure designs for streambank protection. We used the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics (SRH)-2D depth-averaged numerical model to simulate flows around rock vane and bendway weir installations that were previously examined as part of a physical model study and that had water surface elevation and velocity observations. Overall, SRH-2D predicted the same general flow patterns as the physical model, but over- and underpredicted the flow velocity in some areas. These over- and underpredictions could be primarily attributed to the assumption of negligible vertical velocities. Nonetheless, the point differences between the predicted and observed velocities generally ranged from 15 to 25%, with some exceptions. The results showed that 2D numerical models could provide adequate insight into the hydraulic performance of rock vanes and bendway weirs. Accordingly, design guidance and implications of the study results are presented for design engineers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Dimensional Modeling of Flow and Sediment Transport)
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76 pages, 43415 KiB  
Article
Use of Multidimensional Models to Investigate Boundary Shear Stress through Meandering River Channels
by Timothy J. Randle
Water 2020, 12(12), 3506; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123506 - 13 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2264
Abstract
Three-dimensional hydraulics were simulated through a wide range of synthetically generated meandering river channels to determine how channel curvature and width would correlate with the maximum boundary shear stress. Multidimensional models were applied, similar to a computational flume to simulate a wide range [...] Read more.
Three-dimensional hydraulics were simulated through a wide range of synthetically generated meandering river channels to determine how channel curvature and width would correlate with the maximum boundary shear stress. Multidimensional models were applied, similar to a computational flume to simulate a wide range of 72 meandering channels, developed from sine-generated curves. Cannel sinuosity ranged from 1.1 to 3.0 and included five consecutive meander bends. Longitudinal slopes of the various channels spanned four orders of magnitude, while bankfull discharges spanned three orders of magnitude. Using results from one-half of the simulation sets, an empirical correlation was found to predict the maximum boundary shear stress as a function of dimensionless ratios of channel curvature and width. The remaining simulation sets were used for verification. Multidimensional models were used to simulate channel hydraulics to efficiently investigate a wide range of channel sinuosity, width/depth ratios, bankfull discharges, and valley slopes. When simulating such a wide range of channel conditions, multidimensional models offer a more efficiency method of generating consistent datasets than either field studies or physical modeling. This paper demonstrates how multidimensional models can be used to identify important hydraulic relationships that are otherwise difficult to determine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Dimensional Modeling of Flow and Sediment Transport)
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14 pages, 10540 KiB  
Article
An Improved Immersed Boundary Method for Simulating Flow Hydrodynamics in Streams with Complex Terrains
by Yalan Song, Yong G. Lai and Xiaofeng Liu
Water 2020, 12(8), 2226; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12082226 - 7 Aug 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3671
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations have gained substantial popularity in recent years for stream flow modelling. The complex terrain in streams is usually represented by a 3D mesh conforming to the terrain geometry. Such terrain-conforming meshes are time-consuming to generate. In [...] Read more.
Three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations have gained substantial popularity in recent years for stream flow modelling. The complex terrain in streams is usually represented by a 3D mesh conforming to the terrain geometry. Such terrain-conforming meshes are time-consuming to generate. In this work, an immersed boundary method is developed in an existing terrain-conforming CFD model named U2RANS as an alternative, in which terrains are represented implicitly in the Cartesian background mesh. An improved two-layer wall function is proposed in the framework of the k-ε turbulence model, with the aim of producing accurate and smooth wall shear stress distribution and paving the way for future model development on sediment transport and scour modeling. The improvement overcomes the inherent discontinuity and nonlinearity of the two-layer velocity profile, which causes error in the estimation of shear velocity. The new algorithm utilizes a distance control on the image point in immersed boundary method and a modification of velocity prediction in the laminar layer. The improved immersed boundary method is tested with 1D, 2D, and 3D cases, and comparisons with flume experiments show promising results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Dimensional Modeling of Flow and Sediment Transport)
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15 pages, 2024 KiB  
Article
Numerical Assessment of Shear Boundary Layer Formation in Sewer Systems with Fluid-Sediment Phases
by Yang Ho Song, Jin Gul Joo, Jung Ho Lee and Do Guen Yoo
Water 2020, 12(5), 1332; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12051332 - 8 May 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2800
Abstract
Numerical and empirical studies of soil slurry transport and deposition in urban stormwater sewers are few, presumably due to the difficulty of direct observation of soil slurry flow in stormwater pipes. Slurry in a sewer system includes both suspended load and bedload, but [...] Read more.
Numerical and empirical studies of soil slurry transport and deposition in urban stormwater sewers are few, presumably due to the difficulty of direct observation of soil slurry flow in stormwater pipes. Slurry in a sewer system includes both suspended load and bedload, but few studies have attempted to demarcate these two components. A boundary layer is a crucial determinant of sediment transport capacity. Stormwater runoff enters the sewer in turbulent flow, mostly mixed with soil slurry generated by rainfall. In this paper, we attempt analysis using ANSYS Fluent commercial CFD software. We describe the development of a numerical analytical methodology capable of predicting the flow of soil slurry in stormwater pipes, and propose a method for estimating the sediment–flow boundary layer. Using this model, we simulated stormwater runoff with a large content of soil slurry during a rainfall event. We investigated soil slurry transport and predict the formation of shear boundary layer by varying the inlet conditions (volume of soil slurry entering the stormwater sewer system) and by analyzing the flow velocity field and soil slurry volume fraction in the pipes under various experimental flow conditions. Based on the shear and settling velocity of sediment particles, we propose criteria for the formation of a shear boundary layer in stormwater pipes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Dimensional Modeling of Flow and Sediment Transport)
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21 pages, 4006 KiB  
Article
A Two-Dimensional Depth-Averaged Sediment Transport Mobile-Bed Model with Polygonal Meshes
by Yong G. Lai
Water 2020, 12(4), 1032; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12041032 - 4 Apr 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4122
Abstract
A polygonal-mesh based numerical method is developed to simulate sediment transport in mobile-bed streams with free surfaces. The flow and sediment transport governing equations are depth-averaged and solved in the two-dimensional (2D) horizontal space. The flow and sediment transport are further coupled to [...] Read more.
A polygonal-mesh based numerical method is developed to simulate sediment transport in mobile-bed streams with free surfaces. The flow and sediment transport governing equations are depth-averaged and solved in the two-dimensional (2D) horizontal space. The flow and sediment transport are further coupled to the stream bed changes so that erosion and deposition processes are simulated together with the mobile bed changes. Multiple subsurface bed layers are allowed so that bed stratigraphy may be taken into consideration. The proposed numerical discretization is valid for the most flexible polygonal mesh type which includes all existing meshes in use such as the quadrilateral-triangle hybrid mesh. The finite-volume method is adopted such that the mass conservations of both water and sediment are satisfied locally and globally. The sediment transport and stream bed processes are formulated in a general way so that the proposed numerical method may be applied to a wide range of streams and suitable for practical stream applications. The technical details of the numerical method are presented; model verification and validation studies are reported using selected cases having physical model or field measured data. The developed model is intended for general-purpose use available to the public. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Dimensional Modeling of Flow and Sediment Transport)
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