2D numerical simulation of shallow water and bedload transport in channel confluences by considering the non-hydrostatic pressure

<p>Channel confluence is one of the important sections of channel networks which is also common encountered in nature. Six different zones exist at a channel confluence: 1) stagnation zone, 2) flow deflection zone, 3) flow separation zone, 4) maximum velocity zone, 5) flow recovery zone and 6) shear layers between combining flows zone. Due to the complexity of flow pattern at channel confluence, this location is always interesting among researchers. Although there are a number of studies on the flow and sediment pattern at confluences, there are still some gaps to be studied. Hence, a calibrated numerical model should be a good tool for evaluating the various effective parameters on flow and sediment patterns. The numerical 2D shallow-water model used in this paper is SFLOW which was developed by NTNU. Besides, the model calibration part of the current study is done by using a set of data from laboratory experiments.</p><p>This study attempt to simulate bed changes at channel confluences with a 2D shallow-water modeling under non-hydrostatic pressure, and show the applicability of the SFLOW model for this complex flow pattern. SFLOW solving the depth-averaged Navier-Stokes equations which is equipped with cutting-edge solvers. Besides, SFLOW modeled turbulency with depth-averaged two-equation RANS. In comparison with other codes, one of the interesting features of SFLOW is solving the non-hydrostatic pressure besides of hydrostatic part. This leads to a more realistic representation of the complex flow and sediment patterns of channel confluences, and consider less computational power than full 3D models.</p>

Locomotion of juvenile silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) near the separation zone at the channel confluence

<p>Knowledge of locomotion of fish with significant rheotaxis at river confluences is critical for prediction of fish distribution at a river network. Recently, less silver carps observed in the Poyang Lake should be related to the hydrodynamic change at the confluence of the lake outlet and the Yangtze River. The operation of the Three Gorges Dam has largely changed the hydrodynamics at this confluence. Silver carp is one of the four major Chinese carps, and has significant rheotaxis. In this study, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted to figure out the behavioral responses of juvenile silver carps to hydrodynamics near the separation zone at the channel confluence. The separation zone at a river confluence is one of the main zones for carp habitat and feeding. The locomotion and trajectory of juvenile silver carps were recorded through infrared thermal imaging at the confluence flume. Flow velocity field near the separation zone was measured by a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system. A total of 40 juvenile silver carps were released from the separation zone and swam to the upstream, among which 24 carps swam to the tributary and the other to the main channel. Almost all 24 carps moved along the beginning of the boundary of the separation zone near the corner where the flow shear was strong. It seems that instead of avoiding places with great vorticity, they preferentially chose the trajectory where the flow vorticity was large continuously. They increased the tail-beat frequency and decreased the tail-beat amplitude to maintain body stability when they encountered the flow with large vorticity. These results are beneficial for the regulation of upstream dams to adjust the hydrodynamics at the confluence and improve local ecology.</p>

Study of pollution transport through the river confluences by derivation of an analytical model

Due to the entrance of pollutants in different branches of the river network, it is essential to study contaminant transport at the river confluences. In the present study, it was attempted to investigate the conservative pollution transport at channel confluence by operating a series of experiments in the laboratory flume. In the designed laboratory model, two branches, with different widths of 45, 25 cm, were intersected and a channel confluence was created. Five entrance discharges and three initial contaminant concentrations, introduced using a linear feeder, were chosen as experimental variables. Conservative tracer of sodium chloride solution was used, and the electrical conductivities were measured at eight locations of the main channel and upstream branches with 2 seconds interval. Junction zone was assumed as a control volume, and by applying mass equilibrium to it, a new mathematical model was extracted. It was observed that there is concentration fluctuation in the falling limbs of the experimental breakthrough curves of the junction zone; however, it was diminished by downstream motion. Moreover, the observed pollution graphs had double peak points which changed to a single point with an increase of distance from the confluence position. Operation of the presented model was investigated by variation of its parameters. It was found that the contaminant residence time parameters of the confluence zone have the most significant influence in the simulation of the analytical model. Additionally, it was observed that the values of Gaussian distribution of the upstream branches could displace the position of pulses of resultant breakthrough curves or can overlap them. Moreover, the model performance was examined using statistical goodness of fit parameters like Nash–Sutcliffe, R2, and mean absolute error (MAE). Their values were calculated as 0.88, 0.91, 66.88 (ppm), respectively.