Numerical simulation of a weak breaking tidal bore

Pierre Lubin (1) , Stéphane Glockner (1) , Hubert Chanson (2)

1 TREFLE - Transferts, écoulements, fluides, énergétique
2 School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland

A tidal bore is a natural and fragile phenomenon, which is of great importance for the ecology of an estuary. The bore development is closely linked with the tidal range and the river mouth shape, and its existence is sensitive to any small change in boundary conditions. Despite their ecological and cultural value, little is known on the flow field, turbulent mixing and sediment motion beneath tidal bores. Indeed, some striking features can be highlighted in two-dimensional simulations, such as large velocity fluctuations and flow recirculation structures. Using Large Eddy Simulation method, we present numerical results that show the complicated turbulent structures and their unsteadiness under a tidal bore.

Mots clés: Environmental flows; Navier–Stokes equations; Numerical simulations; Tidal bores

Domaines: Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]; Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]

Pierre Lubin, Stéphane Glockner, Hubert Chanson. Numerical simulation of a weak breaking tidal bore. Mechanics Research Communications, 2010, 37 (1), pp.119-121. ⟨10.1016/j.mechrescom.2009.09.008⟩. ⟨hal-00455192⟩