3D numerical simulation for water flows and sediment deposition in dam area of the Three Gorges Project

This paper applies a 3D mathematical model for suspended load transport in turbulent flows. Based on Dou's stochastic theory of turbulent flows, numerical schemes of Reynolds stresses for anisotropic turbulent flows are obtained. The equations for 2-D suspended load motion and sorting of bed material are expanded into a 3D case. The numerical results were validated by using measurements from the Gezhouba Project with good agreement. The present method is employed to simulate sediment erosion and deposition in the dam area of the Three Gorges Project, and the following predictions are proposed for the operation of the project: deposition process and patterns in the near-dam area of the reservoir; size distribution of the deposits and bed material; and flow fields and sediment concentration fields at different time and elevations. The calculated results are close to the experimental observations in physical models. The proposed method provides a new way for 3D simulation of sediment motion in dam areas of multi-purpose water projects.