The paper describes a 3D numerical model of the spherical particle saltation. Two stages of particle saltation were distinguished - the particle free motion in water and the particle-bed collision. The particle motion consists of the translational and rotational particle motion. A stochastic method of calculation of the particle-bed collision was developed. The collision height and the contact point were defined as random variables. Impulse equations were used and the translational and angular velocity components of the moving particle immediately after the collision were expressed as functions of the velocity components just before the collision. The dimensionless coefficients of the drag force and drag torque were determined as functions of both translational and rotational Reynolds numbers. The model is in good agreement with known experimental data. Examples of calculation of the particles’ lateral dispersion and the mean absolute values of the deviation angle of the particle trajectory are presented. and Studie popisuje 3D numerický model saltačního pohybu kulovité částice, v němž jsou uvažována dvě fáze saltačního pohybu - volný pohyb částice v proudící vodě a kolise částice se dnem. Model počítá s translačním i rotačním pohybem částice. Byla vyvinuta stochastická metoda výpočtu kolise částice se dnem. Kolizní výška a kontaktní bod byly definovány jako náhodné proměnné. Byla použita soustava momentových rovnic a složky translační a rotační rychlosti pohybující se částice po kolizi byly vyjádřeny jako funkce složek rychlosti těsně před kolizí. Bezrozměrné koeficienty odporu částice a odporu rotující částice byly určeny jako funkce translačního i rotačního Reynoldsova čísla částice. Výsledky modelu jsou v dobré shodě se známými experimentálními daty. Studie presentuje příklady výpočtu příčné disperze částice a střední absolutní hodnoty deviačního úhlu trajektorie částice.
In the marine ecological system, the prime role of water management and durability of an ecosystem is being played by the vegetation patches. The vegetation patches in open channels can significantly affect the flow velocity, discharge capacity and hinder energy fluxes, which ultimately helps in controlling catastrophic floods. In this study, the numerical simulation for turbulent flow properties, i.e. velocity distribution, Reynolds stresses and Turbulent Intensities (TI) near the circular vegetation patches with progressively increasing density, were performed using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code ANSYS FLUENT. For examination of the turbulent flow features in the presence of circular patches with variable densities, Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations, and Reynolds stress model (RSM) were employed. The numerical investigation was performed in the presence of in-line emergent and submerged patches having variable vegetation density in the downstream direction. Two of the cases were investigated with three circular patches having a clear gap to patch diameter ratio of La/D = 1 (where La is the clear spacing between the vegetation patches and D is the diameter of the circular patch), and the other two cases were analyzed with two patches having a clear gap ratio of La/D = 3. The case with a clear gap ratio (La/D = 3) showed 10.6% and 153% inflation in the magnitude of longitudinal velocity at the downstream of the sparse patch (aD = 0.8) and upstream of the dense patch (aD = 3.54), respectively (where aD is the flow blockage, in which “a” represents the patch frontal area and “D” represents the patch diameter). The velocity was reduced to 94% for emergent and 99% for submerged vegetation due to successive increase in vegetation density made by introducing a middle patch which reduced the clear gap ratio (La/D = 1). For La/D = 1, the longitudinal velocities at depth z = 15cm were increased by 319% than at depth z = 6cm at the downstream of the dense patch (aD = 3.54). Whereas it was observed to 365% higher in the case of La/D = 3. The magnitude of turbulent characteristics was observed 36% higher for submerged vegetation cases having a clear gap ratio of La/D = 1. The successive increase in the patch density reduced the Reynolds stresses, turbulent kinetic energy and turbulent intensities significantly within the gap region. The major reduction in the flow velocities and turbulent properties in the gaps provides a stable environment for aquatic ecosystems nourishment and fosters sediment deposition, and supports further vegetation growth.