A CFD-based mixing model for vegetated flows

This paper provides a CFD‐based modelling framework for predicting flow field, turbulence and mixing characteristics within vegetated environments such as ponds and wetlands. The framework has been implemented within a commercial CFD code – ANSYS Fluent 19 – via a set of user‐defined‐functions. Following the approach outlined by King et al. (2012), the standard k‐ε turbulence closure model has been modified to capture the energy transfer at the vegetation/clear flow shear interface and within the vegetation. The implementation assumes that vegetation is vertical, but non‐orthogonal flow in the horizontal plane is accounted for. Values for the drag coefficient and the mixing coefficients are estimated based on the vegetation stem diameter and density. Following Tanino and Nepf (2008), a switch has been incorporated to account for the fact that the relevant length scale changes from stem diameter to stem spacing as stem density increases. A set of model parameters is proposed, based on a re‐evaluation of previously published laboratory data and theoretical analysis. Five different experimental data sets are used to demonstrate that the model is able to predict mixing within fully‐vegetated systems and due to both vertical and horizontal shear layers.

The framework was developed to provide a practical prediction tool for engineering purposes, in particular for the estimation of residence time distributions in real partially‐vegetated stormwater management ponds. Its implementation here within a commercial CFD package potentially facilitates application to complex pond geometries, including patches of different types of vegetation with different bulk stem diameter and density characteristics.