Effect of Parameters of Ditch Geometry on the Uniformity of Water Filling in Ship Lock Chambers

Abstract

The design of ditch structures in ship locks has an important influence on reducing water flow energy, improving the uniformity of water filling in lock chambers, and reducing the force acting on mooring ships. Existing studies on the mechanisms of flow fields and mooring conditions under the influence of geometric structural changes in ditches are insufficient, and research is limited by the complexity of the problem. Based on OpenFOAM v8, a numerical simulation of the flow structure in a lock chamber was carried out. Taking into account the ditch width, ditch depth, and sill height of the side wall as the research variables, the influence of structural changes in four single ditches on the uniformity of water filling in the lock chamber is systematically discussed. The results show that under a complex boundary constraint, the flow is diffuse in the ditch and the lock chamber, and the filling of the lock chamber is not uniform. The uniformity of water filling is closely related to the arrangement of the ditch geometry. Through the comprehensive analysis of multiple factors, some parameter thresholds were obtained to provide theoretical guidance for ditch design. It is hoped that through improved design, allowing an increase in the uniformity of water filling, the lock chamber will reach a relatively optimal state.