| Abstract | Understanding the dynamics of water flow around hydraulic structures is vital for safety, operation and optimization. The use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in design and assessment of hydraulic structures has become popular. However, for efficient use of CFD models, it’s crucial to focus on key aspects of the model setup such as mesh, turbulence models, numerical methods, and boundary conditions. This study investigates the capabilities of an open-source CFD Toolbox, OpenFOAM, in simulating the hydrodynamics of water flow through the flood diversion structure of the Springbank Off-stream Reservoir. The Springbank Off-stream Reservoir was designed for the management of extreme flood risk. The design was previously evaluated through a series physical experiment at National Research Council Canada and the performance of the structure was examined in various condition.
By creating a digital twin of the physical model with OpenFOAM, we examined the model’s performance in replicating measured water levels and velocity. The validated digital twin showed an average error of less than 5% between the model predictions and experimental data for water levels. The results provide insights into the best practices for employing OpenFOAM to assess the hydraulic behavior of flood diversion structures with characteristics similar to the Springbank Off-stream Reservoir. The findings also demonstrate that OpenFOAM can be a reliable and efficient tool for evaluating and optimizing new designs. Moreover, the tool can be utilized for the digital twinning of existing hydraulic structures, thereby informing operational needs, facilitating structural safety assessments, and enabling climate risk assessments and adaptation planning. |
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