Large Eddy Simulations of Flow Past Circular Cylinders to Determine Head Loss Coefficients of Circular Bar Trash Racks with Perpendicular Inflow Conditions

Abstract

Trash racks installed at hydropower plants cause head losses that reduce energy output. Previous research has thoroughly investigated head losses through both experimental and field studies. However, only a limited number of numerical studies have been performed, which have shown significant simplifications in terms of model complexity. In this study, the head loss coefficients ξ of circular bar trash racks (CBTRs) were analyzed using 3D Large Eddy Simulation (LES). Specifically, a single submerged bar oriented perpendicular to the flow direction was studied under homogeneous inflow conditions while (i) the blocking ratio P was varied between 0.043 and 0.444, and (ii) the flow velocity U was varied between 0.3 and 1.0 m/s. The model parameters were selected primarily based on the extensive literature on flow past circular cylinders, particularly at a Reynolds bar number Reb of 3900. To ensure the validity of the parameters, systematic independence tests were performed, including simulations with three and five bars in the computational domain. The results confirmed the suitability of 3D LES as an appropriate tool to determine ξ of CBTRs. In general, ξ decreased continuously with decreasing P and increased with increasing U when Reb ≥ 3981, which is consistent with comparable flow parameters observed in previous studies of flow past circular cylinders. Notably, the study found that the empirical formulas used for comparison tended to underestimate ξ when P was relatively low. Finally, the potential of the presented approach for future applications was discussed in detail.