Abstract
The paper reports results of large eddy simulations of lock exchange compositional gravity currents with a low volume of release advancing in a horizontal, long channel. The channel contains an array of spanwise-oriented square cylinders. The cylinders are uniformly distributed within the whole channel. The flow past the individual cylinders is resolved by the numerical simulation. The paper discusses how the structure and evolution of the current change with the main geometrical parameters of the flow (e.g., solid volume fraction, ratio between the initial height of the region containing lock fluid and the channel depth, ratio between the initial length and height of the region containing lock fluid) and the Reynolds number. Though in all cases with a sufficiently large solid volume fraction the current transitions to a drag-dominated regime, the value of the power law coefficient, α, describing the front position’s variation with time (x f ~ t α, where t is the time measured from the removal of the lock gate) is different between full depth cases and partial depth cases. The paper also discusses how large eddy simulation (LES) results compare with findings based on shallow-water equations. In particular, LES results show that the values of α are not always equal to values predicted by shallow water theory for the limiting cases where the current height is comparable, or much smaller, than the channel depth.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Hogg AJ (2015) Personal communication.
References
Akselvoll K, Moiin P (1996) Large eddy simulation of turbulent confined co-annular jets. J Fluid Mech 315:387–411
Azza N, Denny P, van de Koppel J, Kansiime F (2006) Floating mats: their occurrence and influence on shoreline distribution of emergent vegetation. Freshw Biol 51(7):1286–1297
Chang KS, Constantinescu G, Park SO (2006) Analysis of the flow and mass transfer processes for the incompressible flow past an open cavity with a laminar and a fully turbulent incoming boundary layer. J Fluid Mech 561:113–145
Chang KS, Constantinescu G (2015) Numerical investigation of flow and turbulence structure through and around a circular array of rigid cylinders. J Fluid Mech 776:161–199. doi:10.1017/jfm2015.321
Constantinescu G (2014) LE of shallow mixing interfaces: a review. Environ Fluid Mech 14:971–996. doi:10.1007/s10652-013-9303-6
Edwards AM, Wright DG, Platt T (2004) Biological heating effects of a band of phytoplankton. J Marine Systems 49:89–103
Gonzalez-Juez E, Meiburg E, Tokyay T, Constantinescu G (2010) Gravity current flow past a circular cylinder: forces and wall shear stresses and implications for scour. J Fluid Mech 649:69–102
Hacker J, Linden PF, Dalziel SB (1996) Mixing in lock-release gravity currents. Dyn Atmos Oceans 24:183–195
Hartel C, Meiburg E, Necker F (2000) Analysis and direct numerical simulation of the flow at a gravity-current head. Part 1: flow topology and front speed for slip and no-slip boundaries. J Fluid Mech 418:189–212
Hatcher L, Hogg AJ, Woods AW (2000) The effects of drag on turbulent gravity currents. J Fluid Mech 416:297–314
Hopfinger EJ (1983) Snow avalanche motion and related phenomena. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 15:47–76
Huppert H, Woods AW (1995) Gravity-current flows in porous layers. J Fluid Mech 292:55–69
Jamali M, Zhang X, Nepf H (2008) Exchange flow between a canopy and open water. J Fluid Mech 611:237–254
King AT, Tinoco RO, Cowen EA (2012) A κ-ε turbulence model based on the scales of vertical shear and stem wakes valid for emergent and submerged vegetated flows. J Fluid Mech 701:1–39
Lightbody A, Avener M, Nepf H (2008) Observations of short- circuiting flow paths within a free-surface wetland in Augusta, Georgia, USA. Limnol Oceanogr 53(3):1040–1053
Naaim-Bouvet F, Naaim M, Bacher M, Heiligenstein L (2002) Physical modelling of the interaction between powder avalanches and defense structures. Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci 2:193–202
Nepf HM (2012) Flow and transport in regions with aquatic vegetation. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 44:123–142
Oehy CD, Schleiss AJ (2007) Control of turbidity currents in reservoirs by solid and permeable obstacles. J Hydraul Eng 133(6):637–648
Ooi SK, Constantinescu SG, Weber L (2009) Numerical simulations of lock exchange compositional gravity currents. J Fluid Mech 635:361–388
Pierce CD, Moin P (2001) Progress-variable approach for large-eddy simulation of turbulent combustion. Mech Eng Dept Rep. TF-80. Stanford University, California
Rodi W, Constantinescu G, Stoesser, T (2013) Large Eddy Simulation in hydraulics, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. Boca Raton. ISBN-10: 1138000247
Tanino Y, Nepf HM, Kulis PS (2005) Gravity currents in aquatic canopies. Water Resour Res 41:W12402
Tokyay T, Constantinescu G, Meiburg E (2012) Tail structure and bed friction velocity distribution of gravity currents propagating over an array of obstacles. J Fluid Mech 694:252–291
Tokyay T, Constantinescu G (2015) The effects of a submerged non-erodible triangular obstacle on bottom propagating gravity currents. Phys Fluids 27(5):056601. doi:10.1063/1.4919384
Tokyay T, Constantinescu G, Meiburg E (2014) Lock exchange gravity currents with a low volume of release propagating over an array of obstacles. J Geophys Res Oceans 119:2752–2768
Yuksel Ozan A, Constantinescu G, Hogg AJ (2015) Full-depth lock exchange gravity currents with a high volume of release propagating through arrays of cylinders. J Fluid Mech 675:544–575. doi:10.1017/jfm2014.735
Yuksel-Ozan A, Constantinescu G, Nepf H (2016) Free surface gravity currents propagating in an open channel containing a porous layer at the free surface. J Fluid Mech. doi:10.1017/jfm2016.698
Zhang X, Nepf H (2011) Exchange flow between open water and floating vegetation. Env Fluid Mech. doi:10.1007/s10652-011-9213-4
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Transportation Research and Analysis Computing Center (TRACC) at the Argonne National Laboratory and the National High-Performance Computing Center in Taiwan (NHPC) for providing substantial computing time. G. Constantinescu would like to thank Prof. A. Hogg for providing valuable insight related to the possible flow regimes undergone by gravity currents with a small volume of release. Ayse Yuksel Ozan acknowledges financial support through the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) for post-doctoral research fellowship.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yuksel-Ozan, A., Constantinescu, G. Front velocity and structure of bottom gravity currents with a low volume of release propagating in a porous medium. Environ Fluid Mech 18, 241–265 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-016-9490-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-016-9490-z