Analysis of Two Phase Flows on Stepped Spillways

Abstract

cavitation damages (Gomes, 2006;Olinger, 2001). The obtained results presented in this chapter are still approximate, but already show that the problem is treatable using numerical tools. The main problems, as shown in this chapter, are related to the behavior of the free surface. This study considers the skimmimg flow regime, which generally occurs for large specific water discharges (Chanson, 2000). It is expected that the bed profile of the inlet structure affects the position of the inception point of the aeration (Boes & Hager, 2003a;Chanson, 2001). This study presents results of computational analyses for two inlet conditions of a stepped chute with an ogee crest. The aeration of the flows was investigated for an entry profile containing 1) steps with the same size, and 2)"transition steps" (steps with sizes increasing between the smooth bed and the stepped bed). In the last few decades, the computational fluid dynamics, CFD, has imposed itself as one of the best tools for the prediction of flow fields with accuracy and detail (Versteeg & Malalasekera, 1995). But even considering its success, complex flows still need many efforts to be completely understood. The description of the physical processes of a two phase flow involves a broad variety of computational methodologies to predict the quantities of the constituent components and the behavior of the interface. In the present study, the numerical procedures for the stepped channel flow simulations were conducted using the open softwares Salome and OpenFoam® (Open Source Field Operation and Manipulation), for mesh generation and CFD, respectively. In a general way, it may be commented that the implementation of CFD modeling is still limited, due, in part, to the relatively high costs of the commercial softwares. OpenFoam® is an open CFD software that helps to fill this gap. For the purposes of this chapter, the particularly relevant characteristic of the mentioned software is its ability to simulate flows interacting with hydraulic structures. The skimming flows along stepped chutes are inherently turbulent (Lima, 2003, Chamani, 2000, and their "turbulent characteristics" were investigated here using the "k-ε" model of turbulence, and adequate wall functions for the wall boundaries. The VOF method (Volume Of Fluid), was used for the interface-capturing procedures in the two-fluid model. Further, the PISO method (Pressure-Implicit with Splitting of Operators) was used as the pressurevelocity coupling scheme. In the calculations performed for this chapter, the rasInterFoam solver was chosen because, traditionally, the flow along spillways is considered incompressible (its velocity is much lower than the speed of the sound in water). The main purposes of this chapter were to show the implementation of the mentioned open softwares for the problem of aerated flows over stepped chutes, and to compare some calculated hydrodynamics characteristics with the literature, like the pressure distribution on the steps. The literature addresses the position of the incept...

Experimental study and numerical modeling of mixing by air injection in yield stress fluids using the OpenFOAM software

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Numerical Modeling of Flow Over a Rectangular Broad-Crested Weir with a Sloped Upstream Face

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