Continuous and discontinuous gravity currents in open-channel embayments

Embayments, as major storage zones in riverine environments, could be surrounded by gravity currents associated with industrial pollution, heavy impurities, and sewage. The accumulated contaminated matter in embayments significantly impairs aquatic habitats and influences the embayment performance. In this study, the three-dimensional vortical structures of continuous and discontinuous gravity currents in channels connected to an embayment are investigated by solving unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes with algebraic Reynolds stress model (ASM) which has been improved by the buoyancy effects. The lateral embayment with different configurations is simulated to investigate the exchange processes of the dense fluid between the lateral embayment and main stream. The accuracy and consistency of the developed model are checked using the experimental data of continuous and discontinuous gravity currents in the straight channel and mass exchange in the lateral embayment. The findings have revealed that the agreement between measured and simulated flow and concentration fields is reasonable. The current head propagation of the continuous gravity current inside the embayment is similar to the discontinuous gravity current head propagation. At early time, the continuous gravity current leads to rapid diffusion of the concentration in the embayment and main channel downstream. In the discontinuous gravity current with the embayment aspect ratio equal to 1.0, the dense fluid firstly fills the lateral embayment as the most volume of the dense fluid is trapped and then it flushes out into the main channel. The geometric aspect ratio of the lateral cavity slightly affects the exchange coefficient between the main channel and lateral cavity. The time-averaged exchange coefficient is 0.33 in the continuous gravity current.