Comprobación de diseño y simulación hidráulica de un cárcamo para recolección pluvial, mediante el uso de openfoam

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the sensitivity of the mathematical model in OpenFoam, for the simulation of a multiphase flow over a rainwater collection channel. For this reason, a practice is carried out in the hydraulics laboratory of the El Porvenir headquarters of the Universidad Distrital Francisco José De Caldas, where the formation of the profiles S1, M1, S3, and M3 of gradually varied flow is determined, with the estimation of the critical slope, the normal tight and the critical height of the flow. Consequently, representative geometries are constructed for each profile mentioned and the cases (named: M1, M3, S1 and S3) are calibrated with the velocity measurements taken in the experimental practice. Thus, the generation of the computational mesh is evaluated in terms of stability and accuracy in the models, given the Courant number and the Alpha Water term, where, the efficiency of the simulation is demonstrated by using a locally refined mesh. On the other hand, two verification cases are developed for the respective S3 and M3 profiles, using the k-epsilon turbulence model, with significant differences in the streamlines with respect to the base cases. Afterwards, each case was statistically contrasted with the corresponding profile it represents, being the only case that did not represent a statistically significant difference the simulated M1 model, in contrast, with the experimental M1 model, with a certainty of 90%. From this, it is inferred that a further deepening of the terms that compose the configuration in OpenFoam is required, in order to test and propose specific solutions according to these particular cases. In addition, it is mentioned that the uncertainty presented by tools such as the limnimeter, used in the experimental practice, leads to errors in the measurements and, therefore, in the results. Finally, support material for future proposals in the area of computational fluid mechanics is offered, and the potential of OpenFoam software to represent the behavior of multiphase flows is presented.