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Numerical Investigation of Modified Semi-Cylindrical Weirs

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Abstract

In this study, the flow characteristics over modified semi-cylindrical weirs (MSCM) were investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The simulations included the analysis of flow velocity and pressure distribution, turbulence intensity, and streamline patterns. The numerical results were compared to laboratory observations, and a good agreement was observed. Different turbulence models, including renormalized group (RNG) k-ε, standard k-ε, k-ω two-equations, and large eddy simulation (LES), were evaluated, and all showed suitable performance in simulating the flow field and hydraulic characteristics. However, the standard k-ε model outperformed the other models. The analysis of streamline patterns from upstream to downstream of the weirs showed that the curve of the crest provided an opportunity for the flow to harmonize with the surface of the crest. The downstream ramp guided the streamlines, preventing collision with the downstream slab surface and vorticity formation. Additionally, the results indicated that adding the downstream ramp significantly reduced the turbulence intensity of the flow at the toe of the weirs. The analysis of pressure distribution showed that the flow departed from hydrostatic state when reaching the weir, and the maximum deviation occurred at the crest vertex.

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Data Availability

All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the submitted article.

Abbreviations

C S :

Smagorinsky coefficient

d C :

Critical depth

E ij :

Mean rate of deformation of an element of the fluid in a turbulent flow

fs :

Surface tension

g :

Gravitational acceleration

k :

Kinetic energy of the turbulent flow

L :

Length of the crest

L C :

Horizontal distance from the crest initial point to the crest vertex

L E :

Horizontal distance from the crest vertex to the crest endpoint

L S :

Length scale

l :

Turbulent length scale

P:

Pressure

q :

Discharge per unit width

R :

Radius of the weir crest

\(\tilde{S}\) :

Strain rate

\({\tilde{\mathbf{S}}}_{{{\mathbf{ij}}}}\) :

Strain-rate tensor

U :

Velocity vector of the flow

u :

Stream-wise velocity

u c :

Critical velocity

u', v', w' :

Velocity fluctuations in x, y, and z directions, respectively

\(\overline{V}\) :

Average velocity

y :

Flow depth

α * :

A coefficient used to damp the turbulent viscosity

Δ:

3D gradient operator

δx, δy, δz :

Grid cell dimensions in the x, y, and z directions, respectively

ε :

Rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy

θ :

Slope of a downstream ramp of the crest

μ :

Fluid viscosity

μ t :

Turbulent viscosity

μ t0 :

Turbulent viscosity without the swirl modification

ν t :

Kinematic eddy viscosity

ρ :

Density of the fluid

σ :

Surface tension

τ :

Tensor of the viscous stress

Ω:

Characteristic swirl number

ω :

Specific rate of dissipation of the turbulence kinetic energy into internal thermal energy

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Research Council of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz for financial support (SCU.WH1401.72091).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

    Ehsan Afaridegan & Nosratollah Amanian

  2. Department of Water Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Lorestan, Iran

    AmirHamzeh Haghiabi

  3. Faculty of Water and Environmental Engineering, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

    Abbas Parsaie

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum University of Technology, Abadan, Khuzestan, Iran

    Alireza Goodarzi-Mohammadi

Authors
  1. Ehsan Afaridegan
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  2. Nosratollah Amanian
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  3. AmirHamzeh Haghiabi
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  4. Abbas Parsaie
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  5. Alireza Goodarzi-Mohammadi
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Correspondence to Abbas Parsaie.

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Afaridegan, E., Amanian, N., Haghiabi, A. et al. Numerical Investigation of Modified Semi-Cylindrical Weirs. Water Resour Manage 37, 3715–3728 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-023-03523-y

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