On the reliability of the 3D steady RANS approach in predicting microscale wind conditions in seaport areas: The case of the IJmuiden sea lock

Coastal areas and seaport areas are exposed to high wind speeds which may involve risks for the ships and people working in the area. Therefore, knowledge of the microscale wind conditions is essential for safe maneuvering and mooring of ships and optimizing harbor design. In the present study, 3D steady RANS CFD simulations with the realizable k-ε turbulence model are performed for the new configuration of the “IJmuiden sea lock” in Amsterdam, the largest sea lock in the world at the time of writing this article. The computed wind speed and turbulence intensity amplification factors and the local wind directions are validated with on-site measurements for the old configuration of the sea lock. For the wind speed amplification factor and local wind direction, a satisfactory agreement is obtained with 90% of CFD data within ±30% from the measured data. Conversely, for the turbulence intensity amplification factor, less satisfactory agreement is found with 74% of CFD data within ±30% from the measured data. Overall, the 3D steady RANS approach shows a sufficiently high reliability for predicting the wind conditions in the seaport area under neutral atmospheric conditions.