Turbulence Characteristics in a Rough Open Channel Under Unsteady Flow Conditions

Abstract

AbstractThe majority of open channel flows of interest to hydraulic engineers and hydrologists are unsteady. In unsteady flow cases, some aspects of flow (velocity, depth, viscosity, pressure, etc.) will be evolving in time. However, more numbers of issues identified with the unsteady flow have been roughly accepting as steady flow (for example, constant peak discharges in floodplains). Very few experimental investigations have been conveyed in previous literature to examine turbulence qualities in an open channel flow under unsteady flow states over rough beds. The present study investigates the vertical and horizontal fluctuating velocity profiles under unsteady flow states in a rectangular open channel. An experiment is conducted to observe the turbulence characteristics under unsteady flow conditions in a rough bed open channel for two different flow depths. One identical hydrograph is passed repeatedly through the rectangular flume with a fixed rough bed. The dense rough mat is used as a rough bed which replica of a dense grass bed. The flow patterns are investigated at both lateral and longitudinal positions over three different cross-sections by using a micro Pitot tube and Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV). For two given flow depths, the velocities on both the rising and falling limbs are observed and analyzed. Hysteresis effect loop between stage-discharge (h ~ Q) rating curve between the rising and falling limbs is illustrated. Turbulence characteristics, i. e., variations of lateral and vertical Reynolds stresses, are analyzed from measured fluctuation velocities.KeywordsOpen channel flowUnsteady flowRough bedHydrographFluctuating velocityHysteresis loopReynolds stress