DAM-BREAK Modelling

MethodsDam-break modelling presented in this book are applied to simulate dam-break problems. DamsDam are man-made water reservoirs storing large volumes for the supply of drinking water, irrigation, hydroelectric power generation, navigation and flood control, for example. Historically, dams have been the centre of catastrophic events over the years, usually associated with dam-wall failure, or massive slides of material into the water reservoir. Understanding of the physical phenomena involved in such failures is of fundamental importance in the prevention and management of such events. Numerical simulation of the ensuing water flow downstream of the dam is nowadays a standard practice in environmental and hydraulic engineering. In this Chapter we present two case studies that are relevant to the subject of dam-break mathematical modelling, combining numerical, theoretical and experimental methods. The first case concerns a circular dam (2D) for which a radial reference 1D solution is available for rigorous assessment of the performance of the numerical methods. High-resolution numerical computations using methods from this book capture the physical aspects of wave propagation combining the primary outward travelling circular shock with the inward travelling circular rarefaction wave, that on reflection from the centre generates a complex wave system. The second case is based on the activities of the CADAM European Workshop on Dam-Break Modelling (1996–1999). Here we study preactical, laboratory physical models, which were specifically designed for validating Numerical software numerical software intended for dam-break simulation of real events. A detailed experimental and computational study is presented for a chosen laboratory model.