Reynolds number and settling velocity influence for finite-release particle-laden gravity currents in a basin
File(s)
Accepted version
Published version
Author(s)
Francisco, EP
Espath, LFR
Laizet, S
Silvestrini, JH
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Three-dimensional highly resolved Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of particle-laden gravity currents are presented for the lock-exchange problem in an original basin configuration, similar to delta formation in lakes. For this numerical study, we focus on gravity currents over a flat bed for which density differences are small enough for the Boussinesq approximation to be valid. The concentration of particles is described in an Eulerian fashion by using a transport equation combined with the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, with the possibility of particles deposition but no erosion nor re-suspension. The focus of this study is on the influence of the Reynolds number and settling velocity on the development of the current which can freely evolve in the streamwise and spanwise direction. It is shown that the settling velocity has a strong influence on the spatial extent of the current, the sedimentation rate, the suspended mass and the shape of the lobe-and-cleft structures while the Reynolds number is mainly affecting the size and number of vortical structures at the front of the current, and the energy budget.
Date Issued
2017-09-22
Date Acceptance
2017-09-15
Citation
Computers and Geosciences, 2017, 110, pp.1-9
ISSN
0098-3004
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
1
End Page
9
Journal / Book Title
Computers and Geosciences
Volume
110
Copyright Statement
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Subjects
04 Earth Sciences
08 Information And Computing Sciences
09 Engineering
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Publication Status
Published