Experimental and CFD Analysis of Hydrodynamic Flow over a Barge in a Narrow Channel

Abstract

The objective of this work is to validate the numerical simulation of the flow generated by a vessel’s movement, comparing the results with an experimental physical simulation based on Froude Number similarity, using a 1/60 scale model of a barge from the Paraná RiverWaterway. The experiment was conducted in an open and narrow channel at the hydraulics laboratory of FICH. These simulations will help adjust the numerical models to replicate the real-scale navigation of a bulk carrier in the Punta Indio channel, aiming to understand the hydrodynamics of the flow and assess potential erosive effects on the bed, potentially revealing self-dredging phenomena. The relationship between the channel width and depth (Width/Depth <5) generates a flow characteristic of a narrow channel, complicating validation through CFD codes. Two cases with identical characteristics were simulated, varying only the under-keel clearance. This work presents the challenges and results of the numerical simulations in pursuit of the proposed objective.