Bed Topography Effect on Flow in a Meander

Abstract

Stabilized bed topography in a meandering channel with fixed walls and movable bed was measured at various width-depth ratios and Froude numbers. Velocity and bed-shear distributions were measured in a fixed-bed model whose configuration conformed to the stabilized topography of the movable-bed model. An approximate theoretical analysis of the bed configuration under fully developed flow conditions shows that the transverse bed slope is directly proportional to a parameter characterizing the relative importance of fluid inertia compared with the gravity acting on a particle. Good agreement has been observed between the theoretical and experimental results in the downstream half of the model channel. The effects of formation of the bed topography on the flow characteristics are considered.