Turbulence modeling of compound open-channel flows with and without vegetation on the floodplain using the Reynolds stress model

A Reynolds stress model for the numerical simulation of compound open-channel flows with vegetation on the floodplain is described. The Reynolds stress model consists of various sub-models such as Speziale et al.’s model, Mellor and Herring’s model, and Rotta’s model for the pressure–strain correlation term, the turbulent diffusion term, and the dissipation term, respectively. For validation of the model, plain compound open-channel flows are simulated. The computed results were compared with measured data by [Tominaga A, Nezu I. Turbulent structure in compound open-channel flows. J Hydraul Eng, ASCE 1991;117(1):21–41] and the results show that the Reynolds stress model successfully simulates the mean flow and turbulence structure of plain compound channel flows. The model was then applied to compound open-channel flows with vegetated floodplains. Good agreement between the simulated results and data from an algebraic stress model by [Naot D, Nezu I, Nakagawa H. Hydrodynamic behavior of partly vegetated open channels. J Hydraul Eng, ASCE 1996;122(11):625–33] was found. However, it was shown that the RSM is capable of predicting the velocity dip and lateral shift in the maximum streamwise velocity, which were not observed in the data from algebraic stress modeling. Finally, a depth-averaged analysis of the streamwise momentum equation was performed to investigate the lateral momentum transfer in compound channel flows with vegetated floodplains. Compared with components by the secondary currents and Reynolds stress, the drag force due to the presence of vegetation appears to be a factor in reducing the bottom shear stress in both main channel and floodplain.     

Determining drag coefficients and their application in modelling of turbulent flow with submerged vegetation

Vegetation is a key aspect of water resources and ecology in natural rivers, floodplains and irrigation channels. The hydraulic resistance of the water flow is greatly changed when submerged vegetation is present. Three kinds of drag coefficients, i.e., the drag coefficient for an isolated cylinder, the bulk drag coefficient of an array of cylinders and the vertically distributed or local drag coefficient, have been commonly used as parameters to represent the vegetation drag force. In this paper, a comprehensive experimental study of submerged stems in an open channel flow is presented. Empirical formulae for the three drag coefficients were obtained based on our experimental results and on data from previous studies. A two-layer model was developed to solve the mean momentum equation, which was used to evaluate the vertical mean velocity profile with each of the drag coefficients. By comparing the velocity distribution model predictions and the measurement results, we found that the model with the drag coefficient for an isolated cylinder and the local drag coefficient was good fit. In addition, the model with the bulk drag coefficient gave much larger velocity values than measurements, but it could be improved by adding the bed friction effect and making choice of the depth-averaged velocity within the canopy layer.     

Effects of vegetation on flow and sediment transport: comparative analyses and validation of predicting models

The presence of vegetation modifies flow and sediment transport in alluvial channels and hence the morphological evolution of river systems. Plants increase the local roughness, modify flow patterns and provide additional drag, decreasing the bed‐shear stress and enhancing local sediment deposition. For this, it is important to take into account the presence of vegetation in morphodynamic modelling. Models describing the effects of vegetation on water flow and sediment transport already exist, but comparative analyses and validations on extensive datasets are still lacking. In order to provide practical information for modelling purposes, we analysed the performance of a large number of models on flow resistance, vegetation drag, vertical velocity profiles and bed‐shear stresses in vegetated channels. Their assessments and applicability ranges are derived by comparing their predictions with measured values from a large dataset for different types of submerged and emergent vegetation gathered from the literature. The work includes assessing the performance of the sediment transport capacity formulae of Engelund and Hansen and van Rijn in the case of vegetated beds, as well as the value of the drag coefficient to be used for different types of vegetation and hydraulic conditions. The results provide a unique comparative overview of existing models for the assessment of the effects of vegetation on morphodynamics, highlighting their performances and applicability ranges. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An improved formula for incipient sediment motion in vegetated open channel flows

Quantifying incipient sediment motion in vegetated open channel flow is pivotal for estimating bed load transport and the aquatic ecological environment in rivers.A new formula is developed to predict the critical flow velocity for incipient sediment motion in the presence of emergent vegetation,by incorporating the influence of vegetation drag that characterizes the effects of mean flow and turbulence on sediment movement.The proposed formula is shown to agree with existing experimental data.Mo...     

A general model of lateral depth-averaged velocity distributions for open channel flows

This paper reviews a model, developed by Shiono and Knight [Shiono K, Knight DW. Two-dimensional analytical solution for a compound channel. In: Proceedings of the 3rd international symposium on refined flow modelling and turbulence measurements, Tokyo, Japan, July 1988. p. 503–10; Shiono K, Knight DW. Turbulent open channel flows with variable depth across the channel. J Fluid Mech 1991;222:617–46 [231:693]], which yields analytical solutions to the depth-integrated Navier–Stokes equations, and includes the effects of bed friction, lateral turbulence and secondary flows. Some issues about the original model developed by Shiono and Knight (1988, 1991) are highlighted and discussed. Based on the experimental data concerning the secondary flow, two assumptions are proposed to describe the contribution of the streamwise vorticity to the flow. Two new analytical solutions are compared with the conventional solution for three simple channel shapes and one trapezoidal compound channel to highlight their differences and the importance of the secondary flow and planform vorticity term. Comparison of the analytical results with the experimental data shows that the general SKM predicts the lateral distributions of depth-averaged velocity well.     

A 3-D phase-averaged model for shallow-water flow with waves in vegetated water

A 3-D shallow-water flow model has been developed to simulate the flow in coastal vegetated waters with short waves. The model adopts the 3-D phase-averaged shallow-water flow equations with radiation stresses induced by short waves. It solves the governing equations using an implicit finite volume method based on quadtree rectangular mesh in the horizontal plane and stretching mesh in the vertical direction. The flow model is coupled with a spectral wave deformation model called CMS-Wave. The wave model solves the spectral wave-action balance equation and provides wave characteristics to the flow model. The model considers the effects of vegetation on currents and waves by including the drag and inertia forces of vegetation in the momentum equations and the wave energy loss due to vegetation resistance in the wave-action balance equation. The model has been tested using several sets of laboratory experiments, including steady flows in a straight channel with submerged vegetation and in a compound channel with vegetated floodplain and random waves through a vegetated channel and on a vegetated beach slope. The calculated water levels, current velocities, and wave heights are in general good agreement with the measured data.     

Numerical simulation of dam-break flow and bed change considering the vegetation effects

Existing numerical investigations of dam-break flows rarely consider the effects of vegetation.This paper presents a depth-averaged two-dimensional model for dam-break flows over mobile and vegetated beds.In the model,both the consequences of reducing space for storing mass and momentum by the existence of vegetation and dragging the flow are considered:the former is considered by introducing a factor (1-c) to the flow depth,where c is the vegetation density;the later is considered by including an additional sink term in the momentum equations.The new governing equations are discretized by the finite volume method;and an existing second-order central-upwind scheme embedded with the hydrostatic reconstruction method for water depth,is used to estimate the fluxes;the source terms are estimated by either explicit or semi-explicit methods fulfilling the stability requirement.Laboratory experiments of dam-break flows or quasi-steady flows with/without vegetation effects/sediment transport are simulated.The good agreements between the measurements and the numerical simulations demonstrate a satisfactory performance of the model in reproducing the flow depth,velocity and bed deformation depth.Numerical case studies of six scenarios of dam-break flows over a mobile and vegetated bed are conducted.It is shown that when the area of the vegetation zone,the vegetation density,and the pattern of the vegetation distribution are varied,the resulted bed morphological change differs greatly,suggesting a great influence of vegetation on the dam-break flow evolution.Specifically,the vegetation may divert the direction of the main flow,hindering the flow and thus result in increased deposition upstream of the vegetation.     

Studies on emergent flow over vegetative channel bed with downward seepage

Experimental observations in a tilting flume having a bed covered with rice plants (Oryza sativa) are used to analyse the flow characteristics of flexible emergent vegetation with downward seepage. The flow velocity for no-seepage and with seepage is reduced by, on average, 52% and 33%, respectively, as the flow reaches the downstream end with vegetation. Higher Reynolds stress occurs at the start of the vegetation zone; hence, bed material transport occurs in this region. The results indicate that the bed is no longer the primary source of turbulence generation in vegetated flow; rather it is dominated by turbulence generated by the vegetation stems. The local effect of the presence of vegetation causes variations in the hydrodynamic characteristics along the vegetated portion of the channel, which leads to erosion and deposition in the vegetation zone. The experiments show that vegetation can provide considerable stability to channels by reducing channel erosion even with downward seepage.     

Flow analysis in a channel with flexible vegetation using double-averaging method

The paper addresses the problem of the resistance due to vegetation in an open channel flow, characterized by partially and fully submerged vegetation formed by colonies of bushes. The flow is characterized by significant spatial variations of velocity between vertical profiles that make the traditional approach based on time averaging of turbulent fluctuations inconvenient. A more useful procedure, based on time and spatial averaging (Double-Averaging Method) is applied for the flow field analysis and characterization. The vertical distribution of mean velocity and turbulent stresses at different spatial locations has been measured with a 3D Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) for two different vegetation densities where fully submerged real bushes (salix pentandra) have been used. Velocity measurements were completed together with the measurements of drag exerted on the flow by bushes at different flow depths. The analysis of velocity measurements allows depicting the fundamental characteristics of both the mean flow field and turbulence. The experimental data show that the contribution of form-induced stresses to the momentum balance cannot be neglected. The mean velocity profiles and the spatially averaged turbulent intensity profiles allow inferring that the vegetation density is a driving parameter for the development of a mixing layer at the canopy top in the case of submerged vegetation. Moreover, the net upward turbulent momentum flux, evaluated with the methodology proposed by Lu and Willmarth (1973), appears to be damped for increased vegetation density; this finding can rationally explain the reduction of the suspended sediment transport capacity typically observed in free surface flows over a vegetated bed.     

Patch‐scale representation of vegetation within hydraulic models

Submerged aquatic vegetation affects flow, sediment and ecological processes within rivers. Quantifying these effects is key to effective river management. Despite a wealth of research into vegetated flows, the detailed flow characteristics around real plants in natural channels are still poorly understood. Here we present a new methodology for representing vegetation patches within computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of vegetated channels. Vegetation is represented using a Mass Flux Scaling Algorithm (MFSA) and drag term within the Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes Equations, which account for the mass and momentum effects of the vegetation, respectively. The model is applied using three different grid resolutions (0.2, 0.1 and 0.05 m) using time‐averaged solution methods and compared to field data. The results show that the model reproduces the complex spatial flow heterogeneity within the channel and that increasing the resolution leads to enhanced model accuracy. Future applications of the model to the prediction of channel roughness, sedimentation and key eco‐hydraulic variables are presented, likely to be valuable for informing effective river management. © 2016 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Flow resistance of one-line emergent vegetation along the floodplain edge of a compound open channel

Experiments have been conducted in straight compound channels with and without one-line emergent vegetation along the floodplain edge, in which stream-wise velocities and boundary shear stresses have been measured. The experimental results show that the velocity distribution in the vegetation case is considerably different from that in the no vegetation case and the boundary shear stress is also significantly reduced by the additional flow resistance caused by the vegetation at a similar relative water depth. The apparent shear stress distribution which has been calculated with the boundary shear stress and weight component in the vegetation case is totally different from that in the no-vegetation case. New formulae for friction factors for the with and without vegetation cases are developed using vegetation density and flow parameters. The drag force caused by the vegetation is obtained for two different vegetation density cases and the magnitude of its effect on total flow resistance is then investigated. The force balance method is used to predict discharge and this is compared with the discharge predicted by the new formula. A further analysis of the selection of vegetation spacing is carried out, determining its effect on stage-discharge.     

Investigation of turbulence characteristics in channel with dense vegetation

In this experimental study,the turbulent flow in a channel with vegetation by using sprouts of wheat on channel bed was investigated.Two different aspect ratios of channel were used.An Acoustic Doppler Velocimetry was used to measure parameters of turbulent flow over submerged sprouts of wheat,such as velocity profiles.The log law and the Reynolds shear stress distribution were applied. Results indicate that the position of the maximum turbulence intensity superposes on the inflection point situated over the top of submerged vegetation cover.Quadrant analysis shows that near the vegetation bed,the sweeps and ejections appear to be the most dominant phenomenon,while far from the vegetated bed,the outward is dominant event.Results also show that the aspect ratio plays an important role on the contribution of the different bursting events for Reynolds stress determination.     

Numerical calculation for bed variation in compound-meandering channel using depth integrated model without assumption of shallow water flow

In a compound meandering channel, patterns of flow structures and bed variations change with increasing water depth owing to complex momentum exchange between high-velocity flow in a main channel and low-velocity flows in flood plains. We have developed a new quasi-three-dimensional model without the shallow water assumption, i.e., hydrostatic pressure distribution; our method is known as the general bottom velocity computation (BVC) method. In this method, a set of depth-integrated equations, including depth-integrated momentum and vorticity equations, are prepared for evaluating bottom velocity and vertical velocity distributions. The objective of this study is to develop a bed variation calculation method for both single and compound meandering channels by using the BVC method coupled with a sediment transport model. This paper shows that the BVC method can reproduce the pattern change of bed variation in a compound meandering channel flow with increasing relative depth. The variation in sediment transport rate due to overbank flow is explained by experimental and computational results.     

Subgrid modeling of salt marsh hydrodynamics with effects of vegetation and vegetation zonation

Vegetation plays a critical role in modifying inundation and flow patterns in salt marshes. In this study, the effects of vegetation are derived and implemented in a high‐resolution, subgrid model recently developed for simulating salt marsh hydrodynamics. Vegetation‐induced drag forces are taken into account as momentum sink terms. The model is then applied to simulate the flooding and draining processes in a meso‐tidal salt marsh, both with and without vegetation effects. Marsh inundation and flow patterns are significantly changed with the presence of vegetation. A smaller area of inundation occurs when vegetation is considered. Tides propagate both on the platform and through the channels when vegetation is absent, whereas flows concentrate mainly in channels when vegetation is present. Local inundation on vegetated platforms is caused mainly by water flux spilled from nearby channels, with a flow direction perpendicular to the channel edges, whereas inundation on bare platforms has contributions from both local spilled‐over water flux and remote advection from adjacent platforms. The flooding characteristics predicted by the model showed a significant difference between higher marsh and lower marsh, which is consistent with the wetlands classification by the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI). The flooding characteristics and spatial distribution of hydroperiod are also highly correlated with the vegetation zonation patterns observed in Google Earth imagery. Regarding the strong interaction between flow, vegetation and geomorphology, the conclusion highlights the importance of including vegetation in the modeling of salt marsh dynamics. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Accuracy of kinematic wave and diffusion wave approximations for space-independent flows on infiltrating surfaces

Error equations for the kinematic wave and diffusion wave approximations were derived under simplified conditions for space-independent flows occurring on infiltrating planes or channels. These equations specify error as a function of time in the flow hydrograph. The kinematic wave, diffusion wave and dynamic wave solutions were parameterized through a dimensionless parameter γ which is dependent on the initial conditions. This parameter reflects the effect of initial flow depth, channel bed slope, lateral inflow and channel roughness when the initial condition is non-vanishing; it reflects the effect of bed slope, channel roughness, lateral inflow and infiltration when the initial condition is vanishing. The error equations were found to be the Riccati equation.     

A three dimensional model for water-sediment movement

A three-dimensional k-ε-Ap two-fluid turbulence model is proposed to study liquid-particle two-phase flow and bed deformation.By solving coupled liquid-phase and solid-phase governing equations in a finite-volume method,the model can calculate the movement of both water and sediment.The model was validated by water-sediment transport in a 180° channel bend with a movable bed.The validation concerns two-phase time-averaged velocities,bed deformation,water depth,depth-averaged streamwise velocity,cross-stream bed profiles,and two-phase secondary flow velocity vectors.The agreement between numerical results and experimental results was generally good.The comparisons of the numerical results of different models show that the three-dimensional k-ε-Ap two-fluid turbulence model has a relatively higher accuracy than one-fluid model.     

Sediment transport under the presence and absence of emergent vegetation in a natural alluvial channel from Brazil

Studies regarding the influence of emergent vegetation on sediment transport are scarce and have mainly focused on flume conditions. To fill this gap and also meet the international need, we aimed to evaluate the influence of emergent vegetation (Echinodorus macrophyllus) on sediment transport of Capibaribe River, Brazil. Bedload and suspended sediment measurements were carried out using the US BLH 84 and US DH 48 samplers, respectively. Measurements of stem diameter, stem spacing and plant density were performed in conjunction with flow and sediment field measurements. Based on our results, 0.45 m s ? 1 was the threshold of mean flow velocity supported by E. macrophyllus under field conditions. This value can be helpful for other rivers with gravel-bed river to armoured layer ratio (AR ? D50-surface)/D50-subsurface ? 12.50) – natural conditions observed in Capibaribe River – or where the vegetation can provide positive effects, such as increase the bed stability, assist water restoration/rehabilitation and decrease water turbidity. Our results can hopefully be used in engineering practice and ecosystem management. In general, both the drag coefficient and drag force varied inversely and directly with the mean flow velocity and vegetation density, respectively. The vegetation resistance force was inversely proportional to the bedload transport owing to the resistance caused by emergent vegetation. This finding was supported by the clear decoupling between nonvegetated and emergent vegetated conditions indicated by cluster analysis. The study results provided a reasonable understanding of the interaction between emergent vegetation, water flow and sediment transport in the Capibaribe River.&2016 International Research and Training Centre on Erosion and Sedimentation/the World Association     

Large-eddy simulation of the turbulent structure in compound open-channel flows

A large-eddy simulation study has been undertaken to investigate the turbulent structure of open-channel flow in an asymmetric compound channel. The dynamic sub-grid scale model has been employed in the model, with the partial cell treatment being implemented using a Cartesian grid structure to deal with the floodplain. The numerical model was used to predict the: primary velocity and secondary currents, boundary shear stress, turbulence intensities, turbulent kinetic energy, and Reynolds stresses. These parameters were compared with experimental measurements published in the literature, with relatively close agreement being obtained between both sets of results. Furthermore, instantaneous flow fields and large-scale vortical structures were predicted and are presented herein. These vortical structures were found to be responsible for the significant lateral exchange of mass and momentum in compound channels.