Effect Of Debris Accumulation Research Articles

Experimental study of debris-induced scour around a slotted bridge pier

One of the most common problems for river engineers is the accumulation of waterborne debris upstream of the bridge piers. In addition to reducing the cross-sectional flow area, debris increases the drag force exerted to the pier and contributes to scour. Several studies have been carried out by previous researchers to examine the usefulness of different types of countermeasures. The effectiveness of these countermeasures is not well understood when debris accumulation occurs. In this study, the effect of debris accumulation on the efficiency of a bridge pier slot, as scour countermeasure, is investigated experimentally. A total of 54 experiments were carried out under different hydraulic and debris geometrical conditions. The results showed that slots were effective in protecting bridge piers against scouring in presence of debris. Depending on the debris shape, the reduction efficiency may increase or decrease for a slotted pier in presence of debris accumulation when compared to the standard pier conditions without debris accumulation. Except for the inverse pyramid shape, the maximum scour is generally more reduced due to sheltering effect when the debris is located on the bed. While debris accumulation can lead to a reduction of the slot efficiency, the slot can be considered a reliable countermeasure against scouring. The outcome of this study can help the design of new bridges affected by large wood debris accumulations.

Effect of debris accumulation on scour evolution at bridge pier in bank proximity

Abstract Large debris transported by flood affects scour features at bridge piers and increases the risks of structural failure. Geometric characteristics of the debris and the relative position of the pier with respect to the river bank are important parameters for the scour process. The interaction between the water flow and debris accumulation increases the shear stress, turbulence and consequently enhances the scour depth at the pier. This paper aims at analyzing such effects on scour evolution at bridge piers. To this end, two series of tests were carried out under clear water condition with different debris geometries and percentage blockage ratios. Experimental evidences showed that the pier position only influences scour evolution and equilibrium morphology for low water depths. Conversely, its effect becomes negligible for scour at bridge piers with debris accumulation and higher water depths. Useful practical relationships have been derived, with satisfactory prediction capability of the scour evolution for all the tested configurations.

Debris-Blocking Sensitivity of Piano Key Weirs under Reservoir-Type Approach Flow

The collection of floating woody debris at flow control structures, such as spillways and weirs, can potentially result in reduced discharge efficiency (higher upstream head for a given weir discharge). Compared to less hydraulically-efficient control structures, piano key weirs have higher discharge efficiency (lower upstream heads for a given discharge), which may increase the likelihood of woody debris collection. A systematic laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the interaction between various piano key weir geometries and woody debris types and sizes. The results of individual (noncumulative) debris tests indicated that floating debris blockage probability is highly influenced by trunk diameter and upstream head. The effects of debris accumulation on the upstream head varied with the value of the debrisfree reference upstream head condition. At lower upstream reference head values, the cumulative debris tests indicated a relative increase of the debris-associated upstream head of approximately 70%; higher upstream reference head values produced upstream head increases limited to approximately 20%.

The Effect of Debris Accumulation On and Filter Resistance to Airflow for Four Commercially Available Vacuum Cleaners

Mortar removal with right-angle grinders can cause excessive exposure to respirable crystalline silica. To control this dust exposure, vacuum cleaners need to exhaust 2.3 m3/min (80 cubic feet per minute) from the grinder's exhaust hood. Maintaining this airflow while collecting as much as 15.9 kg (35 lb) of debris in the vacuum cleaner has been problematic. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate how mortar debris affects vacuum cleaner airflow and filter pressure loss. Four vacuum cleaners were tested. Two of the vacuum cleaners used vacuum cleaner bags as a prefilter; the other two vacuum cleaners used cyclones to reduce the amount of debris that reaches the filter. Test debris was collected by a masonry restoration contractor during actual mortar removal using a grinder fitted with a hood. The hood is attached to a vacuum cleaner with cyclonic pre-separation. The vacuum cleaner fan curves were obtained experimentally to learn how pressure loss affects vacuum cleaner airflows. Then, 15.9 kg (35 lb) of mortar removal debris was sucked into the vacuum cleaner in 2.27-kg (5-lb) increments. Before and after adding each 2.27-kg (5-lb) increment of debris, vacuum cleaner airflows were measured with a venturi meter, and vacuum cleaner static pressures were measured at the inlet to the vacuum cleaner motor, and before and after each filter. The vacuum cleaners equipped with cyclonic pre-separation were unaffected by the mass of debris collected in the vacuum cleaner and were able to maintain airflows in excess of 1.98 m3/min (70 cfm) throughout the testing program. As debris accumulated in the vacuum cleaners that used bags, airflow decreased from 2.3 m3/min (80 cfm) to as little as 0.85 m3/min (30 cfm). This airflow loss is caused by the increased airflow resistance of the bags that increased from less 0.03 kPa/m3/min (0.1 inches of water per cfm) to 16.7 kPa/m3/min (1.9 inches of water/cfm). Apparently, vacuum cleaners using bags should be used in applications where adequate dust control can be achieved at airflows less than 0.85 m3/min (30 cfm). Vacuum cleaners with cyclonic pre-separators provided superior and cost-effective dust control compared with vacuums with bags when dust loading was high and when more than 30 cfm of airflow is needed for dust control.

Effect of Debris Accumulation on Machining Speed in EDM

Effect of Debris Accumulation on Machining Speed in EDM