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Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods

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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydraulics and Hydrodynamics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2024) | Viewed by 24982

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Charles R. Ortloff

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Guest Editor

1. Research Associate, Anthropology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
2. Director, CFD Consultants International, Ltd., Los Gatos, CA, USA
Interests: modern fluid dynamics; CFD; thermodynamics; ancient water engineering; old and new world archaeology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Of the many methods currently available to analyze problems in fluid dynamics, the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software based on finite element and finite difference solution methodologies has proven important for investigating and solving problems in industrial and manufacturing engineering, water supply to cities and agricultural systems, water purity studies for urban and agricultural use, medical-biological research, historical archaeological studies of ancient water engineering, current environmental global warming change studies affecting agriculture and urban environments, as well as for many other basic study areas in new research fields of present-day importance. The intent of the new Special Issue ‘Hydraulic Engineering of Water Flow by Application of CFD Methods’ is to encourage the submission of manuscripts for publication using commercially available CFD software as well as newly originated CFD software designed to extend the current reach and applicability of existing CFD software programs originated to investigate a wide variety of currently important fluid dynamics problems. As many of Water’s Special categories utilize many different analytical techniques specific to topics of interest, the present Special Issue is intended to focus mainly on the use of CFD methodologies to solve problems of importance to Water’s readership.

Dr. Charles R. Ortloff
Guest Editor

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Keywords

computational fluid dynamics
water engineering
flow patterns
industrial problems
physics
mathematics

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

3 pages, 124 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Engineering and Modeling of Water Flow via Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods

by Charles R. Ortloff

Water 2024, 16(21), 3086; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16213086 - 28 Oct 2024

Viewed by 1788

Abstract

The manuscripts presented in this Special Issue will both present engineering analyses of problems of contemporary importance in fluid mechanics and hydrodynamics and describe historical water systems and the technologies used to design and operate them by ancient Old and New World water [...] Read more.

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

19 pages, 14070 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Summary of 25 Years of Research on Water Supplies of the Ancestral Pueblo People

by Kenneth R. Wright

Water 2024, 16(17), 2462; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172462 - 30 Aug 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1255

Abstract

Six ancestral Pueblo community water supply sources were investigated by a team of engineers, scientists, archeologists, and other specialists affiliated with Wright Water Engineers, Inc. (WWE), and the Wright Paleohydrological Institute (WPI) from 1996 to 2021. The team members applied their various technical backgrounds and research methods to gain more insight into the water available to the ancestral Pueblo people living in the Four Corners area of the United States between 750 and 1280 CE, and how these indigenous people managed the water. Using lab analyses, field research, surveys, and analyses of sediment layers, the WWE/WPI team determined that four mounded areas discovered at Mesa Verde National Park had been ancestral Pueblo reservoirs. Through climate research, lab analyses, and investigations at these and two other sites, the team learned that water in this region was limited, and the community had to work diligently to harvest this water and maintain access to it. In the case of the four reservoirs studied, for example, the runoff used as water supply carried a high volume of sediment that required the water storage basins to be frequently dredged to maintain adequate capacity. These and other examples indicate that the ancestral Pueblo people were resourceful, hardworking, and organized water harvesters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods)

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23 pages, 17505 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of Improved Energy Dissipation in Stepped Spillways Applying Bubble Image Velocimetry

by Lars Marius Mikalsen, Kasper Haugaard Thorsen, Aslı Bor and Leif Lia

Water 2024, 16(17), 2432; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172432 - 28 Aug 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1102

Abstract

This study investigates skimming flow regimes, two-phase air–water flow conditions, and simple measures to improve energy dissipation in stepped spillways. Experiments were conducted using two different scale physical models, 1:50 and 1:17, within separate rectangular flumes to define scale effects. Flow patterns were analyzed using the Bubble Image Velocimetry (BIV) technique, which tracks air bubbles. The introduction of splitters resulted in a 7% increase in relative energy dissipation. Additionally, the length of inception was reduced to

L_{i} / k_{s}

= 10, thereby decreasing the potential for subsequent cavitation. Beyond the BIV experiments, two experiments were conducted on the large-scale model using Acoustic Doppler Velocimetry (ADV), with and without splitters, to examine the impact of splitters on the velocity profile above the crest. In the experiment with splitters, the vertical velocity vector (v) contributed to turbulence by changing direction, thereby reducing average velocities both in front of and behind the ogee crest. This led to a reduction in energy on the downstream side of the spillway. Although the small-scale model appears unsuitable for studying two-phase flow, the change in relative energy dissipation from the baseline to the splitter configuration was practically identical for both scale models, thereby supporting the findings of the large-scale model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods)

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63 pages, 51940 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Aqueducts of Lugdunum

by Paul M. Kessener

Water 2024, 16(15), 2117; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152117 - 26 Jul 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1293

Abstract

Not long after the Colonia Copia Felix Munatia Lugdunum, in present day Lyon, France, was founded in 43 BCE by Lucius Munantius Plancus on the 300 m high Fourvière hill overlooking the Saone and Rhône rivers and the plains to the north and east, it became the capital of the Gallia provinces, growing to be with some 50,000 inhabitants the largest town in Gaul. In the early days, the colonia on the west valleys surrounded Fourvière hill and depended on local springs, wells, and rain cisterns for its water provision, which soon became insufficient for the growing city. A first aqueduct was constructed in 20 BCE, bringing waters from a spring some 10 km north of the town. In the decades to follow, another three aqueducts were added. All of the aqueducts were equipped with one or more pressure lines and installations of (inverted) siphons, totaling nine, to cross valleys that were thought too deep or too wide for a bridge. Today, the Métropole de Lyon counts over a million inhabitants; it is after Paris and Marseille the third largest town in France. Since 1998, Lyon has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, among others, because of the historic architecture in its urban settlements over 2000 years of age. This manuscript recounts the history and present remains of the four aqueducts and their nine extraordinary siphons, and is dedicated to Dr. Jean Burdy, who, with his team over many years of research of earlier literature and of investigations and discoveries of the physical remains of valley sites, produced a great number of publications saving the Lyon aqueducts from oblivion and leading to restorations in recent times. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods)

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19 pages, 11972 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Three-Dimensional CFD Model to Determination of the Capacity of Existing Tyrolean Intake

by Aslı Bor, Marcell Szabo-Meszaros, Kaspar Vereide and Leif Lia

Water 2024, 16(5), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16050737 - 29 Feb 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1750

Abstract

CFD models of intakes in high-head hydropower systems are rare due to the lack of geometric data and cost of modeling. This study tests two different types of software to see how modeling can be performed in a cost-effective way with scarce input data and still have sufficient accuracy. The volume of fluid (VoF) model simulations are conducted using both ANSYS Fluent and OpenFOAM. The geometry is modelled from Google Earth satellite images, drone scanning data, and design drawings from the construction period and supported by field observations for extra quality control. From the model, both capacity parameters and flow pattern are calculated. For capacity, the

C_{d}

factor is calculated and compared with the literature. The simulations are conducted for a Tyrolean weir with rectangular bars (flat steel) in the rack. Simulated flow patterns through the rack with ANSYS Fluent and OpenFOAM are compared. OpenFOAM simulations yielded 15% to 20% higher water levels compared to the VOF model applied in Ansys Fluent. Also, when the flow rate was high, the water capture capacity calculated with ANSYS Fluent was 10% higher than that obtained with OpenFOAM. However, considering the total simulation times, modeling with OpenFOAM offered approximately 11% faster results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods)

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21 pages, 1447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Paleohydraulics and Complexity Theory: Perspectives on Self Organization of Ancient Societies

by Charles R. Ortloff

Water 2023, 15(11), 2071; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15112071 - 30 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1609

Abstract

Complexity theory provides a path toward understanding the development of ancient Andean societal progress from early settlements to later high population states. The use of modern hydraulic engineering methods to develop an understanding of the technical achievements of ancient societies (paleohydraulics), when combined with complexity theory, provides a path toward understanding the role of hydraulic engineering achievements to guide population increase and societal group cooperation on the path from early kin settlements to later statehood. An example case illustrating the paleohydraulics-complexity theory connection is presented for advancement of the pre-Columbian Bolivian Tiwanaku (600–1100 CE) society through their seasonal control of groundwater levels in urban city areas. This feature provided well water availability for city housing, public fountains, city hygienic and health benefits from the control of habitation dampness levels, water on a year-round basis for intra-city specialty crops, and the structural foundational stability of monumental religious structures. Commensurate with this application, Tiwanaku raised-field systems utilized groundwater control technologies to support multi-cropping agriculture to support growing population demands. Paleohydraulics theory together with complexity theory is applied to other major South American ancient societies (Caral, Tiwanaku, Chimú, Wari, Inka) to illustrate the influence of advanced hydraulic engineering technologies on advances from early origins to statehood. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods)

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22 pages, 8043 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Modelling on Physical Model of Ringlet Reservoir, Cameron Highland, Malaysia: How Flow Conditions Affect the Hydrodynamics

by Safari Mat Desa, Mohamad Hidayat Jamal, Mohd Syazwan Faisal Mohd, Mohd Kamarul Huda Samion, Nor Suhaila Rahim, Rahsidi Sabri Muda, Radzuan Sa’ari, Erwan Hafizi Kasiman, Mushairry Mustaffar, Daeng Siti Maimunah Ishak and Muhamad Zulhasif Mokhtar

Water 2023, 15(10), 1883; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15101883 - 16 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2609

Abstract

The relative impacts of changes in the storage capacity of a reservoir are strongly influenced by its hydrodynamics. This study focused mainly on predicting the flow velocities and assessing the effectiveness of groynes as control mitigation structures in changes in the water depth and velocity distributions in Ringlet Reservoir. Initially, the physical model of the Habu River (the main part of Ringlet Reservoir) was fabricated, and flow velocities were measured. Then, a two-dimensional HEC-RAS was adapted to numerically simulate the hydrodynamics of the annual recurrence intervals of 1, 5, and 100 years in the Ringlet Reservoir. Experimental data acquired at the Hydraulic and Instrumentation Laboratory of the National Water Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM) was used to calibrate and validate the numerical models. The comparison of simulation and experimental results revealed that the water levels in all simulations were consistent. As for the velocity, the results show a comparable trend but with a slight variation of results compared to the experiments due to a few restrictions found in both simulations. These simulation results are deemed significant in predicting future sediment transport control based on hydrodynamics in this reservoir and can be of future reference. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods)

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58 pages, 25726 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CFD Investigations of Water Supply and Distribution Systems of Ancient Old and New World Archaeological Sites to Recover Ancient Water Engineering Technologies

by Charles R. Ortloff

Water 2023, 15(7), 1363; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15071363 - 1 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3308

Abstract

New to archaeological studies is the field of paleohydrology characterized by the use of modern hydraulic engineering and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of ancient urban and agricultural water supply and distribution systems. Examples are presented in nine chapters of CFD investigations of old and new world archaeological sites (several of which are World Heritage sites) using FLOW-3D CFD software to bring forward new discoveries revealing the depth of ancient water engineers’ knowledge and creativity not previously noted in the archaeological literature. As modern analysis methods reveal technical details of ancient water systems, equivalent ancient technologies exist that were used in the design and operation of ancient water systems, albeit in formats, texts, and origins yet to be discovered. The nine chapters to follow present brief summaries of ancient sites’ water systems and the use of CFD and modern hydraulic engineering methods to discover the water engineering knowledge base used by ancient water engineers. Results are new revelations unknown in the current literature of ancient sites. Paleohydrology studies presented serve to add a further dimension to the history of ancient new and old world archaeological sites by bringing forward added details of water engineering projects accomplished by ancient engineers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods)

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20 pages, 4628 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Pipeline Arrangement on Velocity Field and Scouring Process

by Fereshteh Kolahdouzan, Hossein Afzalimehr, Seyed Mostafa Siadatmousavi, Asal Jourabloo and Sajjad Ahmad

Water 2023, 15(7), 1321; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15071321 - 28 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2260

Abstract

This experimental study investigates the effect of changes in the arrangement of horizontal pipelines on changes in the velocity pattern in three dimensions and the scouring process around these submarine pipelines. Experiments have been carried out in four cases: single pipe, two pipes with a distance of 0.5 D, two pipes with a distance of D, and three pipes with a distance of 0.5 D (D is the diameter of the pipes). The velocity upstream, downstream, and on the pipes have been measured by the Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV). The results show that a single pipe’s scouring depth in the first case is more significant than in the other cases. In the second case, the presence of the second pipe at a distance of 0.5 D from the first pipe significantly reduced the scour depth (28.6%) compared to the single pipe condition by changing the velocity pattern around the pipelines. By increasing the number of pipes to 3 with a distance of 0.5 D, this reduction in scouring depth has reached 47.6% compared to the single pipe condition. However, in the case of two pipes with a distance of D, the reduction of scouring depth was 21.4% compared to the case of a single pipe, and compared to the case of two pipes with a distance of 0.5 D, it increased by 10%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods)

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18 pages, 8285 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Structure Integrity Analysis Using Fluid–Structure Interaction at Hydropower Bottom Outlet Discharge

by Mohd Rashid Mohd Radzi, Mohd Hafiz Zawawi, Mohamad Aizat Abas, Ahmad Zhafran Ahmad Mazlan, Mohd Remy Rozainy Mohd Arif Zainol, Nurul Husna Hassan, Wan Norsyuhada Che Wan Zanial, Hayana Dullah and Mohamad Anuar Kamaruddin

Water 2023, 15(6), 1039; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15061039 - 9 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3073

Abstract

Dam reliability analysis is performed to determine the structural integrity of dams and, hence, to prevent dam failure. The Chenderoh Dam structure is divided into five parts: the left bank, right bank, spillway, intake section, and bottom outlet, with each element performing standalone functions to maintain the overall Dam’s continuous operation. This study presents a numerical reliability analysis of water dam reservoir banks using fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulation of the bottom outlet structures operated at different discharge conditions. Three-dimensional computer-aided drawings were used to view the overall Chenderoh Dam. Next, a two-way fluid–structure interaction (FSI) model was developed to explore the influence of fluid flow and structural deformation on dam systems. The FSI modeling consists of Ansys Fluent and Ansys Structural modules to consider the boundary conditions separately. The reliability and performance of the reservoir bottom outlet structure was effectively simulated and recognised using FSI. The maximum stress on the bottom outlet section is 18.4 MPa, which is lower than the yield stress of mild steel of 370 MPa. Therefore, there will be no structural failure being observed on the bottom outlet section when the butterfly valve is fully closed. With a few exceptions, the FSI models projected that bottom outlet structures would be able to run under specified conditions without structural collapse or requiring interventions due to having lower stress than the material’s yield strength. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods)

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26 pages, 8642 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

CFD Simulation of a Submersible Passive Rotor at a Pipe Outlet under Time-Varying Water Jet Flux

by Mohamed Farouk, Karim Kriaa and Mohamed Elgamal

Water 2022, 14(18), 2822; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14182822 - 10 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2875

Abstract

During the past two decades, passive rotors have been proposed and introduced to be used in a number of different water sector applications. One of these applications is the use of a passive rotor at the outlets of pipe outfalls to enhance mixing. The main objective of this study is to develop a CFD computational workflow to numerically examine the feasibility of using a passive rotor downstream of the outlet of pipe outfalls to improve the mixing properties of the near flow field. The numerical simulation for a pipe outlet with a passive rotor is a numerical challenge because of the nonlinear water-structure interactions between the water flow and the rotor. This study utilizes a computational workflow based on the ANSYS FLUENT to simulate that water-structure interaction to estimate the variation in time of the angular speed (ω) of a passive rotor initially at rest and then subjected to time-varying water velocity (υ). Two computational techniques were investigated: the six-degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) and the sliding mesh (SM). The 6DOF method was applied first to obtain a mathematical relation of ω as a function of the water velocity (υ). The SM technique was used next (based on the deduced ω-υ relation by the 6DOF) to minimize the calculation time considerably. The study has shown that the 6DOF technique accurately determines both maximum and temporal angular speeds, with discrepancies within 3% of the measured values. A number of numerical runs were conducted to investigate the effect of the gap distance between the passive rotor and the pipe outlet and to examine the effect of using the passive rotor on the near flow field downstream of the rotor. The model results showed that as the gap distance of the pipe outlet to the passive rotor increases, the rotor’s maximum angular speed decreases following a decline power-law trend. The numerical model results also revealed that the passive rotor creates a spiral motion that extends downstream to about 15 times the pipe outlet diameter. The passive rotor significantly increases the turbulence intensity by more than 500% in the near field zone of the pipe outlet; however, this effect rapidly vanishes after four times the pipe diameter. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydraulic Engineering and Modelling of Water Flow by Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Modern Hydraulic Analysis Methods)

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