Three-dimensional numerical modeling of flow field in rectangular shallow reservoirs

Flow field in shallow waters, which is characterized by its complex mixing process and inherent dynamic nature, is interesting mainly due to its practical importance (e. g. in free flushing operation and sedimentation in large reservoirs). 3D numerical models make it possible to track two-dimensional large turbulence coherent structures, which are the dominant phenomenon in shallow reservoirs flow field. In the present study a fully three-dimensional numerical model SSIIM that employs the Finite Volume Approach (FVM) was utilized to reproduce the 3D flow field. Various shallow reservoir geometries with fixed and deformed equilibrium bed were considered. The measurements by Large-Scale Particle Image Velocimetry techniques (LSPIV) and Ultrasonic Doppler Velocity Profiler (UVP) over the flow depth were used for model validation. Outcomes revealed reasonable agreement between the simulated and measured flow velocity field even when an asymmetric flow pattern exists in the reservoir

Modelling spatial distributions of Ceratium hirundnella and Mycrocystis in a small productive British lake

The short-term relationships between the spatial distributions of phytoplankton and the environmental conditions of Esthwaite Water, a small eutrophic lake in the English Lake District, UK, were examined using a hydrodynamic model. Spatial distributions of phytoplankton were simulated on two occasions the first, when the population was dominated by dinoflagellates; and the second, when the population was dominated by cyanobacteria.Vertical motility of the dinoflagellate Ceratium hirundinellaand buoyancy of the cyanobacteria Microcystis ssprm.were estimated as functions of irradiance. Water velocity fields were estimated through solving the 3-D Navier–Stokes equations on a finite-volume, unstructured non-orthogonal grid. Simulated circulation patterns of water and phytoplankton were similar to those obtained through field observations. Near-surface drift currents were initiated by wind stress, which then generated return currents along the seasonal thermocline. Aggregations of motile Ceratiumthat existed near the thermocline were pushed upwind by the deep return currents and accumulated at upwelling areas. In contrast, near-surface aggregations of Microcystiswere pushed downwind by the surface currents and accumulated at downwelling areas. Horizontal and vertical phytoplankton distributions resulted from the interaction between the vertical motility of the phytoplankton (dependent upon the light environment) and the velocity vectors at the depths at which the phytoplankton accumulated (dependent upon wind stress and morphometry). Modelling showed that phytoplankton motility and buoyancy greatly affect phytoplankton spatial distributions.<br/