F.W. Platzek, G.S. Stelling, J.A. Jankowski and J.D. Pietrzak

Abstract. Three-dimensional hydrodynamic z-layer models, which are used for simulating the flow in rivers, estuaries, and oceans, suffer from an inaccurate and often discontinuous bottom shear stress representation, due to the staircase bottom. We analyze the governing equations and clearly show the cause of the inaccuracies. Based on the analysis, we present a new method that significantly reduces the errors and the grid dependency of the results. The method consists of a near-bed layer-remapping and a modified near-bed discretization of the k − ε turbulence model. We demonstrate the applicability of the approach for uniform channel flow, using a schematized two-dimensional vertical model and for the flow over a bottom sill using the Delft3D modeling system.

The text is available as a PDF preprint file from the repository site at the TU Delft or from the journal site and locally (password). Copyright 2014 by the American Geophysical Union.

Reference: F.W. Platzek, G.S. Stelling, J.A. Jankowski and J.D. Pietrzak (2014) Accurate vertical profiles of turbulent flow in z-layer models. Water Resources Research, 50(3), 2191-2211, doi:10.1002/2013WR014411.