Comparison of Numerical and Physical Hydraulic Models, Masonboro Inlet, North Carolina.
Abstract
Four models of Masonboro Inlet, North Carolina, have been developed in a program for assessing the value of models in investigating coastal inlet hydraulics problems. A distorted scale, fixed-bed physical model, a lumped parameter numerical model, and two two-dimensional numerical models were included in the study. Hydrodynamic equations which describe the two-dimensional flow in tidal inlets are developed in an appendix to this report. The Navier-Stokes equations are integrated vertically and time-averaged to form the governing equations for two-dimensional flow. This procedure eliminates a great deal of unnecessary detail about small-scale motions but retains terms descriptive of the interactions between small- and large-scale flow. A comparison of experimental results obtained with a physical model and calculations made with numerical models with the prototype records shows that, in general, the models simulate tidal height more satisfactorily than tidal current. Results obtained with one of the two-dimensional numerical models were much inferior to the results obtained with the other. The basic design of both two-dimensional numerical models was similar, but there were many subtle differences, indicating that a clear understanding of the modeling process is essential to success in modeling tidal flows.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA052795
Entities
People
- B. R. Bodine
- D. Lee Harris
Organizations
- Coastal Engineering Research Center