Flow Analysis of a Compound Meandering Channel

Abstract

Despite substantial research on various aspects of velocity distribution in meandering rivers no systematic effort has been made to investigate the experimental and numerical simulation on a meandering channel at the bend apex section for overbank flow conditions. In this research work, detailed investigations of longitudinal velocity distribution, Depth averaged velocity distribution, velocity contours, boundary shear distribution has been carried out. The analysis is performed at bend apex that is at the point of maximum curvature and the fluid flow behaviour has been studied. The results iterate that the higher longitudinal velocity always remains towards the inner bank that is at the convex side of the meandering curve and lower velocity lies at the inner side or at the concave side of the curve. The experimental results are then validated through numerical modelling by using 3 dimensional numerical software ANSYS (FLUENT) by taking large Eddy Simulation (LES) turbulence model .The numerical results are found to be well complimenting with the experimental results.