Modeling of Flow and Water Quality Processes of Oil Spills with Finite Volume Method

The movement of oil spill, its diffusion and hydro-environmental effects have been simulated by developing a 2DH numerical model based on non-linear shallow water Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations using Finite Volume Method. The new model deploys the relevant formulations for oil spill processes. Since advection and diffusion of oil pollution play a crucial role in oil spill flow pattern, it is important to choose an appropriate numerical scheme for the transport terms of N-E equations. In this work, a highly-accurate algorithm based on a 4^th degree accurate shape function has been used for the advection terms, which is not present in similar models. The solution method is based on the alternating direction implicit (ADI) scheme. The equations are then solved by a Penta-Diagonal matrix in each half-time-step. Results from the numerical model are compared with measured values. Reasonable agreement is obtained between predicted and experimental nearshore circulation patterns.