Experimental and numerical modelling of sedimentation in a rectangular shallow basin

Numerical simulation of flows in shallow reservoirs has to be checked for its consistency in predicting real flow conditions and sedimentation patterns. Typical flow patterns may exhibit flow separation at the inlet, accompanied by several recirculation and stagnation areas all over the reservoir surface. The aim of the present research project is to study the influence of the geometry of a reservoir on sediment transport and deposition numerically and experimentally, focusing on a prototype reservoir depth between 5 and 15 m as well as suspended sediment transport.A series of numerical simulations is presented and compared with scaled laboratory experiments, with the objective of testing the sensitivity to different flow and sediment parameters and different turbulence closure schemes. Different scenarios are analyzed and a detailed comparison of preliminary laboratory tests and some selected simulations are presented.The laboratory experiments show that suspended sediment transport and deposition are determined by the initial flow pattern and by the upstream and downstream boundary conditions. In the experiments, deposition in the rectangular basin systematically developed along the left bank, although inflow and outflow were positioned symmetrically along the centre of the basin. Three major horizontal eddies developed influencing the sediment deposition pattern. Although asymmetric flow patterns are privileged, a symmetric pattern can appear from time to time.This particular behaviour could also be reproduced by a two-dimensional depth-averaged flow and sediment transport model (CCHE2D). The paper presents numerical simulations using different turbulence closure schemes (k-e and eddy viscosity models). In spite of the symmetric setup, these generally produced an asymmetric flow pattern that can easily switch sides depending on the assumptions made for the initial and boundary conditions. When using the laboratory experiment as a reference, the most reliable numerical results have been obtained with a parabolic depth-averaged eddy viscosity model. This model appeared to be the only one that was able to reproduce the strongly asymmetric flow behaviour observed during the experiments.