Depth-averaged turbulent heat and fluid flow in a vegetated porous medium

In this article, the latest developments of porous media science are used in order to simulate heat and fluid flow in a non-flexible vegetated porous media. Vegetation porosity and density at the domain interior are redefined. The same strategy is then applied in order to define the boundary porosity near the bed and water surface. Regarding the vegetation arrangement in natural streams and flumes, three different models are suggested for calculating the porosity near other boundaries. The microscopic time-mean secondary force in momentum equations is modified for a vegetated porous media and its macroscopic form is derived. A dissipation source term is derived and, it is added to vorticity equation in order to take account of vegetation damping effect on secondary flows. The effect of this dissipation source term on the absolute magnitude of vorticity and velocity field is then investigated. Application of a high Reynolds number turbulence model to turbulent flow in partially vegetated open channels is numerically examined. A model is suggested for taking account of vegetation material on heat flux through walls in a vegetated porous media. The thermal diffusion due to the porosity gradient is modeled and, the contribution of this porosity-induced heat flux on temperature field is investigated. The effect of laminar thermal dispersion on temperature field is also investigated at low stem Reynolds number. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.