Hydrodynamics and Length-Scale Distributions of a Random Cylinder Array
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 151, Issue 1
Abstract
In vegetated flows a reliable estimation of flow scales is crucial to understand and model mixing processes. This study presents velocity maps obtained using particle image velocimetry (PIV) within a cylinder array (diameters ) designed to mimic real emergent vegetation. Tests were undertaken over a comprehensive range of stem Reynolds numbers (), intended to characterize time-dependent hydrodynamic features, including their interactions. Time-averaged flow heterogeneities are found to be independent of . Vortex dynamics are seen to dominate turbulent fluxes of momentum, and are the relevant coherent structures driving mass transport. The range of characteristic time- and length-scales from these coherent structures was quantified and shown to be determined by the distribution of spaces between cylinders. This is due to: (1) neighboring cylinders forming clusters, leading to larger flow structures, and (2) the maximum size of the flow structures being constrained by the inter-stem space. It is concluded that the Delaunay criterion provides practitioners with a good approximation to the distribution of flow scales in vegetated flows.
Practical Applications
This study presents the quantification of the scales of flow structures generated in a vegetated flow. These structures play an important role in the quantification of mass transport processes, and estimates of the sizes of these flow structures are necessary to understand the rate of solute transport and therefore provide reliable models for pollutant mixing in vegetated flows. Using state-of-the-art equipment to characterize velocity fields, the present study found that the size of these flow structures is determined by the spacing between cylinders. The authors recommend that for practical applications, engineers quantify the spacing between plant stems using the criteria presented in this paper.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the technical personnel of the Water Laboratory at the University of Sheffield, particularly Mr. Joe Milner for his invaluable help during the setup stage of the experimental system. This work was supported by a University of Sheffield Studentship for the completion of a Ph.D. degree for the first author, and EPSRC (Grant No. EP/P012027/1). For the purposes of open access, the authors have applied a Creative Common Attribution (CC BY) license to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising.
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Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 151 • Issue 1 • January 2025
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Aug 14, 2023
Accepted: Jul 10, 2024
Published online: Oct 8, 2024
Published in print: Jan 1, 2025
Discussion open until: Mar 8, 2025
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