The 2Dh Modeling of Turbidity Currents Generated By Wid Dredging
Type:
Presented during:
WODCON XIX: "Dredging makes the World a better place" - 2010, Beijing, China
Authors:
Michel A.J. de Nijs
Abstract: A model was developed which solves the two-dimensional layer averaged shallow water equations with the Boussinesq assumption in conservative form to predict the transport and fate of turbidity currents generated by WID dredging. This hydrodynamic model has been dynamically coupled with the bathymetry through erosion by the WID and by the turbidity current, and by the deposition of suspended sediment from the turbidity current. The proper application of the model is restricted to energetically weak environments and to conditions of small ratio of turbidity current layer height to ambient water depth.
The model achieves good results at high spatial resolution in the horizontal at a low user complexity level, for a relatively small parameter space, at low computational time and at low internal memory usage. Even though, the details of processes in the vertical have been omitted, and that values for the auxiliary closure relationships cannot always be unambiguously represented by physical measures.
Consequently, Van Oord has acquired the knowledge and tool to predict the transport and fate of turbidity currents generated by WID dredging and to optimize working strategies.
Keywords: Gravity currents, layer averaged, axis-symmetric, radial, water injection dredging.