Strip integral method application to flow prediction in sedimentation basins

A steady, two-dimensional numerical model is created to study the hydrodynamics of a rectangular sedimentation basin under turbulent conditions. In this simulation, the Strip Integral Method (SIM) is used to solve the flow equations, using what is essentially a forward marching scheme for solving the governing partial differential equations. In this way the flow equations are converted to a set of ordinary differential equations in terms of the key physical parameters. These parameters, along with a set of shape functions, describe flow variables such as the flow velocity, the concentration of suspended sediments, as well as both the kinetic energy and its dissipation rate. Four Gaussian distributions are studied, corresponding to each flow parameter. In order to calculate the turbulent shear stresses, a two-equation turbulence model is used. A 4th order Runge-Kutta method is used to numerically integrate the set of ordinary differential equations. Finally, the numerical results are shown to agree closely with the experimental data reported by others. (author)