Abstract
The Lattice-Boltzmann (LB) method is applied here for the first time to
simulate bedform-induced hyporheic exchange flow in a reduced complexity
model. The flexibility of the LB allows surface and hyporheic flows to
be resolved together, in contrast to other approaches for similar model
domains, in which surface flow is usually solved independently, and then
the solution of the surface flow provides the boundary conditions to
model the hyporheic exchange flow. At the same time, the superior
computational efficiency of LB allows the use of Large Eddy Simulations
within transient simulations. Numerical results show a faithful
reproduction of pressure along the bedform surface—especially, the
pressure drop leeward to the dune. Results also show
short-time-dependent phenomena which were previously described only in
the context of DNS studies over reduced-size computational domains.
Short-time-dependent phenomena include pressure oscillations and
time-dependence of hyporheic zone morphology, with the latter eventually
extending beyond the limits of a single bedform element.