Experimental and Numerical Investigation of a Highly Meandering Channel

Abstract

Research on various aspects of velocity distribution, boundary shear stress etc. has been carried out on curved and meandering channels. But no systematic effort has been made to investigate the experimental and numerical simulation on a highly sinuous meandering channel along its meandering path. In this research work, detailed investigation of velocity distribution and boundary shear distribution along the depth and width of a highly sinuous channel (Sr 4.11) has been carried out. The analysis is performed at thirteen different sections along a meander path, i.e. from one bend apex to another. The study includes longitudinal velocity distribution, depth-averaged velocity and boundary shear stress analysis at each section. The results iterate that the higher longitudinal velocity always remains towards the inner bank and as the channel changes its curvature, so does the movement of higher velocity which moves from one bank towards the other. The experimental results are then validated through numerical modelling by using Ansys-Fluent which takes large eddy simulation model to solve the turbulence equations. The numerical results are found to be well complimenting with the experimental results. The experimental results are also analysed with another researcher’s work having the same geometrical parameters, having a different aspect ratio.