IES Seminar Series - Sergio Maldonado Villanueva

Date: 

Friday, March 27, 2015 - 13:00 to 14:00
Speaker: Sergio Maldonado Villanueva

Title: Quasi 2-Layer Morphodynamic model

Abstract:
The most common approach to simulate morphodynamics is based on a coupled system of a hydrodynamic model, a bed-update equation and a sediment-transport empirical formula. However, empirical formulae are numerous and final morphological results following this approach have proven to be very sensitive to the selection of a particular formula. The present model is a physics-based alternative (free from empirical formulations for sediment-transport rates) where the shallow water-sediment-mixture flow is idealised as being divided into two layers with variable densities: the lower layer concerned with bed load transport, and the upper layer representing sediment in suspension. The model has been validated satisfactorily against widely used empirical expressions for bed load transport and then used to carry out insightful case studies. The present physics-based approach represents an alternative tool that can be potentially utilised to investigate sediment-transport phenomena that cannot be studied following the conventional approach; e.g. the influence of bed slope on the bed load transport. 
 
Bio: 
Sergio is a 4th year PhD student in IES. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico, he then received a Master Degree in Hydraulic Engineering at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City. Sergio started his PhD at University College Cork, Ireland, under the supervision of Prof. Alistair Borthwick, with whom he transferred to the University of Edinburgh in 2013 in order to continue with his PhD studies.
Quasi 2-Layer Morphodynamic model
Quasi 2-Layer Morphodynamic model
IES Seminar Series - Supported by EngGradSoc
IES Seminar Series - Supported by EngGradSoc

Event Contact Name: 

Joseph Burchell

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