The effect of inlet width on the performance of sediment retention ponds in thermally induced flows

Abstract

The effects of inlet configurations in sediment retention ponds (SRPs) have been widely investigated by several researchers. However, when considering temperature differentials in the ponds where density and buoyancy change with temperature the challenges associated with the proper inlet design still exist. The buoyancy forces are generated due to the differences in temperature potentially changing the flow in the pond by forming density currents. This study evaluates the effects of different inlet width ratios (IWRs) on the flow pattern and residence time in a sediment retention pond when inflow is colder or hotter than the water in the pond. In this research, an innovative experimental setup was used to create the temperature differentials. The results in the present study show that when the inflow temperature is colder than the water temperature in the pond, increasing the inlet width to the full pond width can effectively increase the pond’s performance. Likewise, when the inflow temperature is hotter than the water temperature in the pond decreasing the inlet width to 30% of the pond width can successfully improve the performance of the pond.