Professional Documents
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3
j
Thorsten Stoesser MSc, PhD
2
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Nils Reidar B. Olsen MSc, PhD
1
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2
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3
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4
j
A three-dimensional numerical model that computes hydrodynamics and morphodynamics is applied to the problem
of calculating local scour around cylinders. A nested grid approach is implemented in the numerical scheme in order
to decrease the overall computational demand but at the same time allow for high spatial resolution around the
cylinder to increase numerical accuracy there. The computational grid consists of two structured blocks a coarse
block that discretises the entire domain and a fine block that only discretises the area around the cylinders. A novel
interpolation technique accomplishes communication between the two blocks. Sediment transport in the morphodynamic model is calculated with a bed load transport formula combined with the sediment continuity equation to
reproduce the unsteady scour hole development while the flow field is recalculated at each time step. Experimental
data of flow and the local clear-water scour around single and multiple circular cylinders in a laboratory channel with
a movable bed are obtained and compared with the results of the model. Flow, the maximum scour hole depth and
the general scour hole geometry are reproduced well in all cases. The time evolution of the scouring is also captured
reasonably well.
Notation
a
D
d
d50
d90
Fr
g
h
k
ks
n
p9
Q
qb
r
S0
TE
u
Ui
u
u c
rs
rw
Water Management
Volume 167 Issue WM5
c
c,S
1.
Introduction
Water Management
Volume 167 Issue WM5
The numerical model presented here solves the 3D RANS equations with a k turbulence closure on a combined grid consisting
of coarse and nested fine grids. The basic idea is to use high
spatial resolution in the area of local scour and much coarser
resolution elsewhere to save computational time. The method can
be highly effective in cases where the size of the structures being
studied is several orders of magnitude smaller than the river.
Similarly, the timescale of the scour process is assumed to be
much larger than that of the turbulence structure causing scour,
so that a quasi-steady treatment of the flow field can be coupled
with an unsteady morphodynamic model. For model verification
purposes, a laboratory experiment was conducted in which
morphological changes around single and double cylindrical piers
were quantified. Different arrangements of the bridge piers
(aligned at various angles relative to the main flow direction) and
their effect on scour development were studied.
Discharge Q: m3 /s
Flow depth h: m
Slope S0
Froude number (Fr)
Sand grain diameter d50 : m
2.
Laboratory experiments
Case A
Case B
Case C
4D
4D
30
45
1
0.057
0.162
0.000364
0.26
0.0011
Water Management
Volume 167 Issue WM5
multiple-pier cases. These experiments are referred to as halfscour experiments, because the observed scour depth magnitude
was approximately half the equilibrium scour depth. To measure
the scour hole profiles along the pier centrelines, the discharge
was reduced gradually to zero over a period of 30 min, either at
the end of the experiment for the equilibrium case or after 1 h of
the experiment for the half-scour experiments, respectively. After
the water had drained off the flume, the scour hole profile was
measured along the pier centrelines with a point gauge having an
uncertainty of 0.5 mm.
algorithm finds the four coarse grid cells closest to s, but outside
the fine grid region. To make sure the cells are outside the fine
grid region, a dot product of n (the vector normal to surface s,
pointing out of the fine grid domain) and ri (the vector from the
centre of surface s to the coarse grid cell, i) is used. When the
dot product is positive, the coarse cell is located on the outside of
the fine grid.
3.
Numerical model
1:
P4
i1 c,i max(0, nsc,i g uc,i )
s P
4
i1 max(0, nsc,i g uc,i )
2:
S p S p r
j f
!
c ap
Water Management
Volume 167 Issue WM5
10
06
y: m
08
04
02
0
15
10
20
25
x: m
(a)
30
35
40
060
y: m
055
050
045
195
200
205
210
x: m
(b)
215
220
225
070
065
055
y: m
060
050
045
040
205
210
215
220
225
230
x: m
(c)
235
240
245
250
263
Water Management
Volume 167 Issue WM5
is finer by weight. Close to the bed, the well-known log law was
used. At the vertical walls, due to the smooth surfaces there, the
wall laws for smooth boundaries were applied.
qb
7:
6:
d 1 5 f(rs rw )g=rw g0 5
nx ux ny uy
:
:
(n2x n2y )0 5 (u2x u2y )0 5
1
1
52
40 1
2
2
3:
0:053
( c )=c 2 1
0:3
d f(rs rw )g=rw 2 g0 1
4.
4:
(1 p9)
@qb,y
@q
@zb
b,x
@t
@x
@y
z: m
Once the bed load is calculated, the bed level changes (zb ) can be
computed using the sediment mass-balance for the bed cells
Results
016
016
014
014
012
012
010
010
008
008
006
006
004
004
002
002
0
0
0
02 04
U1: m/s
(a)
06
Exp.
5:
264
:
:
c
0 745
0 372
0:954 1
1
c,S
00025 00050
k: m2/s2
(b)
CFD
015
010
005
Bed change: m
002 0
0
002
004
006
008
010
012
014
Time: h
10
15
20
25
3D
2D
1D
Max.
scour
Figure 4. Time series of bed changes for case A (20 layers) at the
upstream toe of the pier (Max. scour) and at 1D, 2D and 3D
downstream of the pier respectively (D is pier diameter)
0
005
010
Exp.
CFD 20 layers
CFD 12 layers
195
200
205
210 215
x: m
220
Bed level: m
Water Management
Volume 167 Issue WM5
015
225
Bed change: m
Water Management
Volume 167 Issue WM5
002 18
0
002
004
006
008
010
012
014
x: m
20
22
24
26
28
24
26
28
Bed change: m
(a)
002 18
0
002
004
006
008
010
012
014
x: m
20
22
Exp. 1 h
Exp. eq.
Calc. 1 h
Calc. 24 h
(b)
Bed change: m
Ridge
Ridge
Trough
20
22
001
003
005
007
009
011
24
26
28
24
26
28
(a)
x: m
Ridge z: m
Bed change: m
Trough
002 18
0
002
004
006
008
010
012
014
002
0
002
004
006
008
010
012
014
18
20
22
Exp. 1 h
Exp. eq.
Calc. 1 h
Calc. 24 h
(b)
045
08
0
08
z: m
0
002
004
006
008
010
012
0
006
04
050
4
00 006
08
0
010
y: m
060
055
10
08
266
065
bed elevation changes around the piers for case B (the transparent
grey plane indicates the initial bed level). An individual scour hole
similar in shape and depth to the scour hole formed around a
single pier is formed around each pier. The interaction between
the two piers is apparent from the eroded area observed between
pier 1 and pier 2. Despite the complex bed geometry, the location
(at the upstream toe of the piers) and the magnitude of maximum
scour depth (approximately 0.12 m) is not affected by the contraction but seems to be the same as for the single-pier case.
02
010
040
21
22
23
x: m
24
25
26
Water Management
Volume 167 Issue WM5
Case
Number of
cells
A (12 layers)
A (20 layers)
B
C
200 000
330 000
540 000
730 000
CPU Hardware
time: h
16
40
32
40
5.
Conclusions
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge funding for Dr Baranya from the
Frittek programme of the Research Council of Norway. Computational time on the Njord cluster was made available for the
current project from Notur. We also thank Mr Ben Ioppolo for his
work on the laboratory model study.
REFERENCES
Amini SA, Mohammad TA, Aziz AA, Ghazali AH and Huat BBK
Water Management
Volume 167 Issue WM5
268
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