Energy Dissipation on Submerged Block Ramps

Abstract

Block ramps represent structures that produce high energy dissipation and have a unique characteristic of preserving the ecological balance in a river restoration project. The energy dissipation of a block ramp changes with the tailwater level. In this technical note the relative energy dissipation in submerged flow conditions has been investigated. The experiments were conducted at the Hydraulic Laboratory of the University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy on ramps characterized by different block materials, submergence conditions, and ramp slopes. The study shows that the relative energy loss, varying the hydraulic jump location on the ramp, is essentially a function of the scale roughness, the ramp slope, the ratio between the critical water depth, and the ramp height and the ratio between the ramp length and the reduced length in submerged conditions. The differences in energy dissipation for a submerged hydraulic jump in different bed conditions are also investigated.