Assessment of Turbulence Modelling of Density Currents Developing Three Dimensionally on a Slope
A.G. Venetsanos, G.M. Horsch, and G.C. Christodoulou
The performance of four turbulence models is assessed in predicting the lateral spreading of density currents on a slope. Model behavior is compared against two experiments at different initial Richardson numbers (Ri0 = 0.014 and 0.28). In case of the low Ri0, the models predict, a quasilinear lateral spreading; current width is underestimated close to the source and overestimated at larger distances. For the higher Ri0 the predicted width variation with axial distance departs from quasi-linearity, tending towards the experimental, but although acceptable agreement is found close to the source, lateral spreading is overestimated at larger distances. Only the Launder-Sharma model, predicts complete laminarization of the flow in both cases in contrast to the experimental behavior.