Three-dimensional numerical modeling of unconfined and confined wall-jet flow with two different turbulence models

Abstract

Wall-jet flow is an important flow field in hydraulic engineering, and its applications include flow from the bottom outlet of dams and sluice gates. An in-house three-dimensional (3-D) finite-volume Reynolds-averaged-Navier-Stokes (RANS) numerical model predicts the hydrodynamic characteristics of wall jets with square and rectangular source geometry. Either the low-turbulence Reynolds number k–ω or the standard k–ε turbulence closure models are applied. The calculated results for velocity profile and bed shear stress in both longitudinal and vertical directions compare favourably with both the published experimental results and the FLUENT®finite volume model. The two closure models are compared with the k–ω model, displaying 4% greater average accuracy than the k–ε model. Finally, the influence of lateral confinement of the receiving channel on wall-jet hydrodynamics is investigated, with decreased longitudinal deceleration and decreased bed shear stress observed in a confined jet. This has important implications for sediment transport in the receiving channels downstream of sluice gates.