Yong Zhang

Bio: Yong Zhang is an academic researcher from Tsinghua University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Turbulence. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 4 citations.

Numerical and experimental analysis of shallow turbulent flow over complex roughness beds

Abstract: A set of shallow-water equations (SWEs) based on a k^−e^ Reynold stress model is established to simulate the turbulent flows over a complex roughness bed. The fundamental equations are discretized ...

Turbulence in open-channel flows

Abstract: Part I presents the statistical theory of turbulence, and Part 2 the coherent structures in open-channel flows and boundary layers. The book is intended for advanced students and researchers in hydraulic research, fluid mechanics, environmental sciences and related disciplines. References Index.

Advances in Modelling and Prediction on the Impact of Human Activities and Extreme Events on Environments

Abstract: Fast urbanization and industrialization have progressively caused severe impacts on mountainous, river, and coastal environments, and have increased the risks for people living in these areas Human activities have changed ecosystems hence it is important to determine ways to predict these consequences to enable the preservation and restoration of these key areas Furthermore, extreme events attributed to climate change are becoming more frequent, aggravating the entire scenario and introducing ulterior uncertainties on the accurate and efficient management of these areas to protect the environment as well as the health and safety of people In actual fact, climate change is altering rain patterns and causing extreme heat, as well as inducing other weather mutations All these lead to more frequent natural disasters such as flood events, erosions, and the contamination and spreading of pollutants Therefore, efforts need to be devoted to investigate the underlying causes, and to identify feasible mitigation and adaptation strategies to reduce negative impacts on both the environment and citizens To contribute towards this aim, the selected papers in this Special Issue covered a wide range of issues that are mainly relevant to: (i) the numerical and experimental characterization of complex flow conditions under specific circumstances induced by the natural hazards; (ii) the effect of climate change on the hydrological processes in mountainous, river, and coastal environments, (iii) the protection of ecosystems and the restoration of areas damaged by the effects of climate change and human activities

Protecting Coastlines from Flooding in a Changing Climate: A Preliminary Experimental Study to Investigate a Sustainable Approach

Abstract: Rising sea levels are causing more frequent flooding events in coastal areas and generate many issues for coastal communities such as loss of property or damages to infrastructures. To address this issue, this paper reviews measures currently in place and identifies possible control measures that can be implemented to aid preservation of coastlines in the future. Breakwaters present a unique opportunity to proactively address the impact of coastal flooding. However, there is currently a lack of research into combined hard and soft engineering techniques. To address the global need for developing sustainable solutions, three specific breakwater configurations were designed and experimentally compared in the hydraulic laboratory at Coventry University to assess their performance in reducing overtopping and the impact of waves, quantifying the effectiveness of each. The investigation confirmed that stepped configurations work effectively in high amplitudes waves, especially with the presence of a slope angle to aid wave reflection. These results provide a very valuable preliminary investigation into novel sustainable solutions incorporating both artificial and natural based strategies that could be considered by local and national authorities for the planning of future mitigation strategies to defend coastal areas from flooding and erosion.

An Experimental Investigation of Turbulence Features Induced by Typical Artificial M-Shaped Unit Reefs

Abstract: Artificial reefs are considered to have the function of repairing and improving the coastal habitat and increasing the fishery production, which are mainly achieved by changing the regional hydrodynamic conditions. The characteristics of flow turbulence structure are an important part of the regional hydrodynamic characteristics. Different methods are used to evaluate the performance of artificial reefs according to their shape and the purpose for which the reef was built. For this study, the M-shaped unit reefs, which are to be put into the area of Liaodong Bay, were selected as the research object and have never been fully investigated before. Experimental tests were conducted to assess the effect of these M-shaped artificial reefs on the vertical and longitudinal turbulent intensity under different hydraulic conditions and geometries, and datasets were collected by using the Particle Image Velocimetry technique implemented within the experimental facility. The distribution and variation characteristics of the turbulence intensity were analyzed, and the main results obtained can confirm that in the artificial reef area, there was an extremely clear turbulent boundary. Furthermore, the area of influence of the longitudinal turbulence was identified to be larger than that of the vertical turbulence, and the position where the maximum turbulence intensity appeared was close to where the maximum velocity was measured. Finally, results demonstrate that low turbulence conditions are typically located in front of the unit reef, the general turbulence area is located within the upwelling zone, and the more intense turbulence area is located between the two M-shaped monocases. These results are extremely important, because they provide the local authorities with specific knowledge about what could be the effect of these M-shaped reefs within the area where they will be implemented, and therefore, specific actions can be taken in consideration with the geometrical setup suggested as an optimal solution within this study.