EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/A11328/01
Title: AF: DEVELOPMENT OF VEGETATION FLOW RESISTANCE ALOGRITHMS IN THE NUMERICAL MODELLING OF FLOOD FLOWS
Principal Investigator: Wilson, Dr C
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Sch of Engineering
Organisation: Cardiff University
Scheme: Advanced Fellowship (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 September 2001 Ends: 31 August 2006 Value (£): 201,792
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Coastal & Waterway Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Water No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
This proposal facilitates, for the first time, the development of numerical methods in computational fluid dynamics codes, to approximate the flow resistance induced by vegetation in river/floodplain systems. Hitherto available models have employed a crude friction representation whereby the flow resistance imposed by riparian vegetation is lumped into a single coefficient which both prevents the complexity of vegetation in such flows to be modeled and hinders further model development due to unreliable parametreization. The numerical relationships will be based on physical processes and these will be derived from an integrated experimental programme which incorporates both high quality and high resolution techniques of measurement. The applicant will manage and integrate common practice with respect to data collection and for quantifying both measurable plant properties, and flow interaction throughout the collaborative experimental programme. This will be pivotal to the success of this project. The methods for approximating the reduction of flow induced by vegetation will range in complexity from simple resistance formulae whereby the resistance coefficient will be a function of one independent variable to more higher resolution algorithms whereby the vegetation induced turbulence is modeled in addition to the relative reduction in mean flow velocity. The numerical methods will be implemented into two and three dimensional numerical codes and are expected to be generic and be applicable to any code with standard turbulence closure. These methods will undergo rigorous testing against both large-scale laboratory flume data sets and unique river data sets.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.cf.ac.uk