Title of MSc.

Thesis: Numerical simulation of wind – induced hydrodynamic flow

in an elongated open channel of rectangular cross section.

This dissertation concerns the numerical study of wind – induced turbulent free surface flow developed
in an elongated, rectilinear channel of rectangular cross section. The three – dimensional numerical
simulations of the problem were performed with the use of the MIKE 3 Flow Model F.M. software
(Hydrodynamic Module) by DHI.
The purpose of the thesis is to study the characteristics of the fully developed flow, which is created
in an elongated channel downstream of the development area near the channel entrance and also the
elementary factors that influence the creation of the fully developed flow, as well as the way which they
influence it.
The dissertation consists of the introduction and six chapters.
The introduction presents the significance of the study of wind – induced flow for the water quality
processes and refers to series of important publications related to the wind – induced flows created in
channels of laboratory or geophysical scale.
The first chapter presents the theoretical mathematical background for the problem of the thesis and
especially the Navier – Stokes equations.
In the second chapter we analyse the generalized, turbulent Couette flow. The analytical solution of
Eifler et al. of the Couette flow in a water body is described in detail.
In the third chapter we have an in depth description of the MIKE 3 Flow Model F.M. arithmetic code,
used for our numerical simulations.
Chapter 4 clearly describes the geometry of the problem and the boundary conditions. The basic
characteristic quantities of the flow, such as horizontal current velocity, vertical turbulent viscosity, and
turbulent kinetic energy are calculated and presented in diagrams. From the results derived we
concluded that, although boundary conditions impose an equal depth of flow at the inlet and outlet of
the channel, the free surface does not remain flat but appears to have a gradient (slope). The fine
arithmetic mesh is then investigated in order to show that in successively thinner meshes the inclination
of the free surface tends to a value that is independent of the horizontal mesh discretization. Then we
have a comparison of the vertical numerical velocity profiles along the flow depth with the analytical
profiles obtained from the analytical solution of Eifler et al.
In Chapter 5 the same parameters as in Chapter 4 are examined, but with a variation in the
computational grid used to discretize depth very close to the boundary layers, the surface and the
bottom. This discretization is that forms the characteristics of the simulated flow rather than the number
of vertical layers of depth. Comparison with the analytical solution is very satisfactory.
In Chapter 6 flow simulations were performed by defining different values of the turbulent
parameters, k, ε (turbulent kinetic energy and its consumption) in the open water boundaries of the
channel, in combination with different depth discretizations. Values of k and ε in the fully developed state
were applied, as well as their null gradient conditions throughout the depth of the cross-section, at the
inlet and outlet of the channel. The results were compared with the ones resulting from the previous
simulations with very low values of k and ε parameters.
It was concluded that the determination of the above conditions only at the entrance greatly
differentiates the flow rate, flow velocity and the shear stress of the bottom in the channel. The boundary
conditions of the turbulence quantities significantly influence and determine the type of Couette flow in
the full flow area. From these simulations it can be deduced that if zero boundary conditions are used
at the entrance of the channel for k and ε quantities, then the free surface remains horizontal so that the
wind – induced flow in the channel is identified as a Couette turbulent flow.