Recent acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP)-measurements in the Scheldt estuary near Antwerp, Belgium, revealed anomalous, i.e. anti-clockwise circulations in a left bend during the major part of the flood period; these circulations were established shortly after the turn of the tide. During ebb, anti-clockwise circulations persisted, as predicted by classical theory. These data were analysed with a 3D and a 1DV-model. The 3D simulations reveal that the anomalous circulations are found when salinity is included in the computations-without salinity "normal" circulations were found. From analytical and 1DV simulations, it is concluded that a longitudinal salinity gradient @S=@x may induce a near-bed maximum in flow velocity reversing the direction of the secondary currents. The 1DV-model was then used to assess the contribution of various processes one by one. It was found that because of a reduction in vertical mixing, the vertical velocity profile is not at equilibrium during the first phase of accelerating tide, further enhancing the effects of @S=@x. A small vertical salinity gradient @S=@z appeared to have a very large effect as the crosscurrents of the secondary circulations induced by @S=@x became an order of larger magnitude. However, at the site under consideration, the effects of transverse salinity gradients, generated by differential advection in the river bend, were dominant: adverse directions of the secondary circulations were found even when the vertical velocity profile became more regular with a more or less logarithmic shape, i.e. when the effects of @S=@x and @S=@z did not play a dominant role anymore. It is argued that data on the secondary velocity structure, which can be measured easily owing to today's developments in ADCP equipment, may serve as an indicator for the accuracy at which the salinity field is computed with 3D numerical models. Moreover, the large effect of the salinity structure on the velocity field must have a large impact on the morphological development of estuaries, which should therefore be accounted for in morphological modelling studies.
In order to estimate the impact on energy production and environment of tidal turbines placed in or near hydraulic structures like discharge sluices or storm surge barriers, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study has been carried out on the relation between (head) loss induced by the turbines and their gross power production. CFD computations have been performed for Tocardo T2 turbines, using STAR-CCM+. Simulations of a single turbine in free flow conditions compare favorably with results of Blade Element Momentum (BEM) computations, in terms of torque and thrust. This BEM method model had been previously validated against both CFD data and field measurements. Then, a series of tests has been performed in a “virtual tow tank”, including the effect of the free surface and the blockage by side and bottom walls. These computations provide a base for a first estimate of the effect of turbines on the discharge capacity of a generic structure. This is considered to be the first step in a more general approach in which ultimately the effect of tidal turbines in the Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier will be assessed.
To estimate the impact on energy production and environment of tidal turbines placed in the Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study has been carried out on the additional head differences induced by the turbines. The CFD model focusses on a single gate opening of the Storm Surge Barrier and includes half of the adjoining gates on either side. In this 40 m wide Gate a 1.2 MW array existing of five Tocardo T2 tidal turbines has been installed as part of a demonstration project in 2015. Transient computations of the barrier with and without the turbine array were carried out for a range of quasi stationary tidal phases. The turbines are resolved in detail as rotating equipment: real-time rotation of the turbine blades (involving the displacement of the mesh nodes in an unsteady setting) is implemented, and torque and thrust for the prescribed speed of rotation is provided as output. The results for velocity, power and thrust are compared with field experiments to validate the model. Based on these computations an estimate of the effect of turbines on the discharge capacity of the storm surge barrier is given. This information will be used to parameterize the tidal turbines in the far-field hydrodynamic model of Eastern Scheldt estuary for the ultimate assessment of the effect of tidal turbines on energy production and on the environment.
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