Modeling of Flow Around Vegetated Meandering River Reaches

Abstract

Models required in a large eddy simulation of natural river flows which are influenced by the complex bed geometry and the vegetation are proposed. First the model and the calculation method have been applied to a laboratory flow in a curved channel with artificial vegetation. The effects of vegetation on the secondary flow are confirmed to be reproduced correctly. The method is then used to simulate the flow around a real meandering river with vegetation along the banks and on the bars. The results appear reasonable and important characteristics around the bends such as varying flow velocity and the bed shear are also reproduced.