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Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Mississippi

Events

Event Information:

  • Tue
    19
    Mar
    2019

    Colloquium: Three Dimensional Numerical Modeling of Temperature Distribution in a High Dam Reservoir with the Effect of Channel Curvature on Mekong River

    4:00 pmLewis Hall 101

    Xiaobo Chao
    National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering
    University of Mississippi

    Three Dimensional Numerical Modeling of Temperature Distribution in a High Dam Reservoir with the Effect of Channel Curvature on Mekong River

    A three dimensional numerical model has been developed to simulate the flow circulation as well as temperature distribution in a high dam reservoir with the effect of channel curvature. In the model, the density induced buoyant force on the turbulent flow is considered. This “buoyancy-extended version of k-ε model” is used for turbulence closure, and the flow velocity and temperature distribution are simulated simultaneously. The model was first validated using a laboratory case of turbulent buoyant flow in a curved open channel. The secondary flow circulation in the curved channel was simulated and the temperature distribution in the channel was validated using experimental data. The model was then applied to simulate the flow and temperature distribution in Xiaowan Reservoir, a high dam reservoir on Mekong River, with deep water depth and curvature affect. The numerical results are generally in good agreement with field observations. The thermal stratification, temperature distribution in the reservoir and the effect of channel curvature on the temperature distribution are discussed.