3D dam break numerical modelling

Dam break flows are an important practical problem in hydraulic engineering and their numerical prediction is now a required element in the design of a dam and its surrounding environment. In the present paper, a 3D, multiphase, CFD-based, numerical model for the simulation of the unsteady hydrodynamics of such flows is proposed and tested against a detailed laboratory experiment, which is available in the literature. The considered experimental test case configuration consists of a tank where initially a lock-gate is positioned. Upstream of the lock-gate, a volume of water is held at rest, while at the downstream empty part of the tank, a solid box is fixed at its bottom. After the sudden removal of the lock-gate, a flood wave is generated and the pressure that is exerted on various points of the box is measured with respect to time. The free water surface level with respect to time is also measured at various positions along the central longitudinal axis of the tank. The quantitative and qualitative comparison of the numerical results with the corresponding experimental data indicates that the predictions of the numerical model, which is proposed in the present paper, are realistic and reliable. Furthermore, the proposed model is further applied for the conduction of a similar numerical experiment that aims to identify the effectiveness of an arbitrary baffle-chute configuration positioned between the wall of the dam and the box, as a kinetic energy reduction mechanism of the flood wave that is generated after the dam break. The overall results of the present investigation demonstrate the capabilities of a 3D, multiphase, numerical approach as a reliable and quite attractive tool for the prediction, study and understanding of the hydrodynamics involved in flood waves that are generated after dam failures.