Localized roughness effects in non-uniform hydraulic waterways

Hydropower tunnels are generally subject to a degree of rock falls. Studies explaining this are scarce and the current industrial standards offer little insight. To simulate tunnel conditions, high Reynolds number flow inside a channel with a rectangular cross-section is investigated using particle image velocimetry and pressure measurements. For validation, the flow is modelled using large-eddy simulation (LES) and a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach with thek-epsilon turbulence model. One wall of the channel has been replaced with a rough surface captured using laser scanning. The results indicate flow-roughness effects deviating from the standard non-asymmetric channel flow, and hence cannot be properly predicted using spatially averaged relations. These effects manifest as localized bursts of velocity connected to individual roughness elements. The bursts are large enough to affect both temporally and spatially averaged quantities. Both turbulence models show satisfactory agreement for the overall flow behaviour, where LES also provided information for in-depth analysis.