Three-dimensional numerical study of submerged spatial hydraulic jumps

Abstract

A three-dimensional numerical model was applied to simulate submerged spatial hydraulic jumps (SSHJ) downstream of a symmetric vent that discharges into a wider channel. Simulations were carried out for different aspect ratios of the vent, expansion ratios of vent width to downstream channel width, tailwater depth, and inlet Froude number. Depending on these factors, simulations indicated the formation of steady asymmetric SSHJ, oscillatory asymmetric SSHJ, and steady symmetric SSHJ, consistent with results of previous experimental studies. The model reproduced observed depth downstream of vent, jump length, and velocity profiles along channel centerline for steady symmetric SSHJ. For oscillatory asymmetric SSHJ, simulated oscillation frequencies had Strouhal numbers that varied with expansion ratio and ranged between 0.003 and 0.015. With piers downstream of the vent, oscillatory SSHJ continued to exhibit jet deflections when pier length was relatively short ( ≲ 0.2 of jump length) but became steady asymmetric for longer piers.