Numerical study of the flow in the Yellow River with non-monotonous banks

A 2-D depth averaged RNG k – ɛ model is developed to simulate the flow in a typical reach of the Upper Yellow River with non-monotonic banks. In order to take account of the effect of the secondary flow in a bend, the momentum equations are modified by adding an additional source term. A comparison between the numerical simulation and the field measurements indicates that the improved 2-D depth averaged RNG k – ɛ model can improve the accuracy of the numerical simulation. An arc spline interpolation method is developed to interpolate the non-monotonic river banks. The method can also be reasonably applied for the 2-D interpolation of the river bed level. Through a comparison of the water surface gradients simulated in the seven bends of the studied reach, some analytical formulae are improved to reasonably calculate the longitudinal and transverse gradients in meandering river reaches. Furthermore, the positions of the maximum water depth and the maximum velocity in a typical bend are discussed.