Prediction of backwater profiles due to bridges in a compound channel using CFD

Abstract

With the advancements in computing power, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis has emerged as a powerful hydraulics design tool. This study aims to assess the performance of CFD via commercially available software (FLOW-3D) in the prediction of backwater surface profiles for three different types of bridges with or without piers in a compound channel. A standard two-equation turbulence model (k - ε) was used to capture turbulent eddy motion. The numerical model results were compared with the available experimental data and the comparisons indicate that the CFD model provides reasonably good description of backwater surface profiles upstream of the bridges. Notably, the computed and measured afflux values are found to be almost identical. © 2014 Selahattin Kocaman.