Effect of submerged vegetation on solute transport in an open channel using large eddy simulation

Existence of vegetation plays a significant effect on the flow velocity distributions, turbulence structures and solute mixing in an open channel. This paper has implemented a 3D large eddy simulation model for the flow and scalar transport in the open channel with vegetation. The model can produce a typical turbulence characteristics and concentration distribution with vegetation. The scalar transport mechanism is quantitatively explained by the turbulent Schmidt number, Reynolds flux, coherent structures and quadrant conditional analysis. A dominance of ejection-sweeping events occurs in the process of the momentum and scalar flux transport. The spectral analysis is used to identify the Kelvin-Helmholtz frequency. The turbulence characteristics of the length scale of vortexes, Kelvin-Helmholtz frequency and Reynolds stress etc. are analyzed with the vegetation density. The model quantitatively predicts the trend of decreasing in the concentration distribution along the flow direction with the increasing of vegetation density. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.