Water flow

The basis for the FINEL2D modelling package is the water flow according to the depth-integrated shallow water equations. For an overview on shallow water equations see Vreugdenhil (1994). A robust explicit Riemann solver according to Roe is used with triangular grids. Due to the triangular grids efficient grids can be used with local grid refinement in zones where extra detail is needed. Nesting of different grids with all associated issues is not needed. Efficient routines to create a grid from Google Earth in a couple of hours are available. An automatic time step guarantees numerical stability. Drying and flooding of grid cells is treated robustly and accurately. The model is one of the fastest models in this field and runs fully in parallel.

Sub-grid features as weirs and barriers can be prescribed on grid edges. The primary wave induced by a moving ship can be simulated accurately by FINEL2D. Meteo influences as air pressure and wind can be taken into account as well as wave-driven currents. Multiple formulations of bottom friction are implemented: Chezy, Manning and Nikuradse. The bottom friction can be variable in space. Water level, velocity, discharge or Riemann boundaries can be prescribed by Fourier-series, TPXO-series, time-series or constant over time.

Examples

Some examples of FINEL2D can be found in the right hand panel.