39 research outputs found
Experimental Study and Numerical Simulation of Sediment Transport in a Shallow Reservoir
The prediction of sedimentation is an important aspect of reservoir planning and design. Such prediction can be
supported by detailed analyses of flow patterns and sediment transport inside reservoirs, usually conducted through
numerical simulation. This research compares laboratorial sedimentation experiments in a shallow reservoir and
predictions using a 2D numerical model with depth-average Navier-Stokes equations and a sediment transport code.
A number of sediment transport equations were tested, among which the Engelund and Fredsøe formulation better
represented the measured data. Flows without sediment transport or without bed dunes could be simulated using
Smagorinski’s turbulence model, while flows with sediment occurring over dunes needed the use of a constant
turbulent viscosity. The similarity obtained between experimental data and numerical results, for both flow pattern
and sediment deposition, confirms that the models and numerical codes used in this work are useful for the analysis
and prediction of reservoir sedimentation