A review of studies on estimating the discharge coefficient of flow control structures based on the soft computing models

Abstract

The discharge coefficient (Cd) plays a vital role in the accurate design and safety of weirs, spillways, and dams. In the last decade, Soft Computing(SC) models, which showed excellent capabilities for non-linear mapping between parameters, were widely used to estimate the discharge coefficient of flow control structures. This study provides a comprehensive review of the application of SC models for estimating Cd of different flow control structures such as ogee spillways, orifices, side weirs, etc. In addition, the most common empirical relations which are obtained from laboratory experiments are discussed briefly. The findings revealed that weir length/flow depth ratio, weir length/channel width ratio, weir height/flow depth, and Froude number are widely used to estimate Cd in the side weirs. Besides, the ratio of orifice crest height to height of side orifice, the ratio of main channel width to length of side orifice, ratio of main channel width to height of side orifice, and ratio of the height of side orifice to upstream flow depth were extensively employed to calculate Cd of orifice structures. The common parameters for measuring Cd of labyrinth weirs are, discharge over a labyrinth cycle, weir height, channel width, apex constant, upstream head, discharge over the weir, effective length, convergence constant, sidewall angle, and Froude number. In the weir-gate structure, some factors such as contraction coefficient of the gate, head loss, and weir height are key parameters for the accurate evaluation of Cd. The trends of SC models, features of popular models, and the background of models are discussed briefly in this paper. Also, research gaps and possible directions for new studies are suggested.