1D and 2D solvers coupling for free surface flow modelling

In the field of hydraulic engineering, the size of the simulations is one of the current
challenges to model with precision the large areas involved by practical engineers
applications. In this scope, the linking in the same modelization of different solvers, each
one used in the part of the simulation where its fundamental characteristics are most
suitable, open the door to still unreached modelling possibilities. WOLF software
includes a series of numerical tools for simulating a wide range of free surface flows and
transport phenomena. This paper presents the coupling of the 1D and 2D multiblock
finite volume models of WOLF to simulate in a unified way large river reaches (in 1D)
with a very fine computation of local areas (in 2D). An application to the simulation of
the propagation of the waves following the filling and emptying operations of a large
locks system on a several kilometres long reach of the river Meuse (Belgium) is
presented.