Three-dimensional numerical modelling of reservoir flushing in a prototype scale

A fully three-dimensional numerical model for reservoir flushing has been tested against field measurements for the Angostura reservoir in Costa Rica. The numerical program solves the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations in three-dimensions and uses for discretization the finite-volume method together with a second-order upwind scheme. The used grid is unstructured and non-orthogonal, made of a mixture of hexahedral and tetrahedral cells. In addition to the bathymetry data of the prototype, the model uses grain size distributions of the bed, discharge rates and water levels during the flushing. Simulated bed level changes during the flushing are presented in this study as well as the computed amount of eroded sediments. Where the amount of flushed out sediments show reasonable agreement, differences in the developed flushing channel simulated by the model and compared to the prototype were observed. However, the presented study shows that due to the increasing development of three-dimensional RANS models, the simulation of a reservoir flushing in a prototype becomes feasible.