Abstract
Density currents occur when fluid of one density propagates along a horizontal boundary into fluid of a different density. The front part of a density current is deeper than the following steady fluid and this raised section of the flow is referred to as the head of the density current. In the present paper, the influence of roughness geometry on the head concentration, velocity and height are investigated experimentally. A total number of 21 experiments were performed using six rough beds as well as a smooth bed. The roughness elements were in cylindrical and conic shape. It was found that the head is influenced by height and project area of roughness elements. In a particular shape of roughness elements, the observed trend is that as the surface roughness increases the head concentration and velocity decrease while the head height increases. It was also found that the aforementioned trends occur at higher rates as the beds get rougher. In a given height of roughness elements, the head velocity and concentration decreases and head height rises when the project area of roughness elements increases. Keywords: Density current, Roughness geometry, Cylindrical roughness, Conic roughness
Highlights
Density currents are produced where gravity acts upon a density difference between one fluid and another and such currents called gravity currents [1]
This paper investigates the effect of roughness elements geometry on head concentration, velocity and height
In a particular shape of roughness elements, as the height of roughness elements increases, the head is of lower concentration, less velocity and more height flowing over roughness elements
Summary
Density currents are produced where gravity acts upon a density difference between one fluid and another and such currents called gravity currents [1]. The density difference can be caused by suspended materials, temperature gradients, dissolved contents or a combination of them. These currents are known as turbidity currents when the main driving mechanism is obtained from suspended sediments. The most common type of a density current is an underflow that is produced when a flow is introduced into an ambient fluid of a less density. Common industrial examples of density currents are oil spillage in oceans, waste water discharge in rivers and propagation of toxic gases in mines. Turbidity currents have the dominant effect on reservoir sedimentation [3]. Turbidity currents decrease reservoir volume by sedimentary deposition, pose the risks of water intake structures blockage and facilitates sediments entrance into power plants [4]
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