Influence of Sluice Gate Contraction Coefficient on Distinguishing Condition

Sluice gates are widely used for flow control in open channels. Flow through the gate may be free or submerged depending on tailwater depth. One may determine whether the flow will be free or submerged by determining the maximum tailwater level that permits free flow. This is called the distinguishing condition. This paper derives a theoretical equation for the distinguishing condition including the contraction coefficient as a parameter, based on the basic equations for free flow and the hydraulic jump. The equation is investigated using experimental data from two different gate types. The results show that the contraction coefficient varies with gate type and that this affects the distinguishing condition. The results also show that for a given upstream depth, tainter gates (radial gates) are less likely to become submerged than vertical gates due to larger contraction coefficients. The present study results are useful in the design and operation of sluice gates.     

Role of Energy Loss on Discharge Characteristics of Sluice Gates

A theoretical method was used to derive an equation for the discharge coefficient of sluice gates in rectangular channels under orifice-flow (both free and submerged) conditions. The proposed equation allows for the effects of energy dissipation between the upstream section of the gate and the vena contracta. The hydraulic energy loss in the upstream pool is attributable to the induced turbulence by the recirculating region and to the growth of bottom boundary layer. For the submerged-flow condition, turbulent shear-layer entrainment is also responsible for the energy loss. This energy loss is introduced into the equations through a coefficient k that has been conventionally assumed to be negligible. Experimental data from the literature were used to validate the equation, which showed good agreement with the measured values. It is also shown that the magnitude of the energy-loss factor is a function of the geometry of the gate and can modify the discharge coefficient. An equation for the distinguishing condition between free and submerged flows is also presented. The new equations can be used to predict the performance of sluice gates with different edge shapes under free- and submerged-flow situations.     

Benchmark of Discharge Calibration Methods for Submerged Sluice Gates

Real accuracy of several calibration methods for sluice gates working in the submerged orifice flow condition was determined considering water discharge from water levels and gate openings. Data were taken from three gates of the same laboratory canal covering a large operational range. Using accurate hydraulic data, most of the methods produce errors of up to ±10%. However, errors can rise up to ±40% with methods using typically recommended calibration values or constant discharge coefficients. The best results were obtained by a method based on dimensional analysis and the incomplete self-similarity theory proposed recently in the literature. Calibration with field data, in this case, produced errors not higher than ±3%. On the other side, when the gate discharge data are not available, the use of a contraction value of 0.611 within a good theoretical formulation gives very good results.     

Refined Energy Correction for Calibration of Submerged Radial Gates

The energy-momentum (E-M) method for calibrating submerged radial gates was refined using a large laboratory data set collected at the Bureau of Reclamation hydraulics laboratory in the 1970s. The original E-M method was accurate in free flow, and when the gate significantly controls submerged flow, but for large gate openings with low head loss through the gate, discharge prediction errors were sometimes large (approaching 70%). Several empirical factors were investigated with the laboratory data, including the combined upstream energy loss and velocity distribution factor and the submerged flow energy correction. The utility of the existing upstream energy loss and velocity distribution factor relation was extended to larger Reynolds numbers. The relation between the relative energy correction and the relative submergence of the vena contracta was shown to be sensitive to the relative jet thickness. A refined energy correction model was developed, which significantly improved the accuracy of submerged flow discharge predictions. Although the focus of this work was radial gates, the energy correction concept and these refinements potentially have application to all submerged sluice gates.     

Flow through Side Sluice Gate

The hydraulic characteristics of a side sluice gate were studied experimentally. It was found that the specific energy remains constant along the side sluice gate. The coefficient of discharge for the side sluice gate is related to the main channel Froude number and the ratio of upstream depth of flow to sluice gate opening for free flow. It also depends on an additional parameter: the ratio of tailwater depth to the gate opening for submerged flow. Suitable equations for discharge coefficient are obtained.     

Dimensionless Stage–Discharge Relationship in Radial Gates

Dimensional analysis was used to obtain stage–discharge relationships under submerged and free flow conditions in radial gates to develop a management tool. Experimental data from a laboratory flume and the indicial method of dimensional analysis were used for this purpose. The resulting equation relates the discharge (or critical depth) to upstream and downstream water depth and gate opening. These equations were then validated by experimental data obtained from field radial gates and compared with the conventional gate equation. Results showed that there was a good agreement between dimensionless equations and field and laboratory data under submerged or free flow conditions. Dimensionless equations are more general and accurate than the conventional ones when there is not an accurate estimation of discharge coefficients.     

Flow Upstream of Orifices and Sluice Gates

Potential flow solutions of a point/line sink are extended to study the velocity field upstream of a finite-size orifice and sluice gate. It is found that, in the “near field” zones, the iso-velocity surfaces appear to be semiellipsoidal; while in the “far field” zones they become hemispheres. The shape and size of the orifice/sluice gate were found to be of no effect on the flow behavior beyond a certain distance. The development of velocity profile away from the orifice and sluice gate is examined, and the effects of water depth are studied. The results of this study compare very well with other numerical and experimental studies, and provide a general understanding of the flow field upstream of orifices and sluice gates.     

Energy and Momentum Velocity Coefficients for Calibrating Submerged Sluice Gates in Irrigation Canals

There is renewed interest in developing calibration methods for gates operating in submerged conditions in irrigation canals. In the present study, a new method based on a generalization of the standard energy-momentum method that accounts for variations in the energy and momentum velocity coefficients is proposed, for the following reasons. First, it was found that the assumption of uniform submerged jet velocity to account for the kinetic energy head and momentum flux is in reality equivalent to assuming a parabolic relationship between the Coriolis and Boussinesq coefficients. Second, literature investigations showed that the coefficients for the downstream side of submerged gates are notably greater than unity, and the implicit parabolic relationship between these coefficients in the standard energy-momentum method is inadequate, at least for high submergence conditions. The proposed energy-momentum method was evaluated using the data obtained from four gates operating in an irrigation canal in Southern Spain. Improvements in accuracy compared to the standard energy-momentum method (with a constant contraction coefficient Cc = 0.61) were obtained. The results indicate that the calibration of coefficient approach provides a means to improve the energy-momentum method by (indirectly) accounting more accurately for nonuniform velocity effects in the energy-momentum equations.     

Experiments on Discharge Equations of Compound Broad-Crested Weirs

A linear combination of traditional discharge equations for simple rectangular and/or triangular weirs is proposed to describe the discharge equations of compound broad-crested (CBC) weirs. The CBC weirs are composed of rectangular, triangular, and/or truncated triangular weirs. Dimensionless discharge equations have been also derived. Laboratory experiments on discharge relations for flows over four CBC weirs were conducted in this study in order to calibrate the proposed discharge equations. The experiments were carried out under the conditions of the H1/H2-ratio of water heads above upper and lower crests less than 0.54, and a dimensionless discharge less than 2.174. The result shows that the differences between the calculated discharges by the proposed equations and the measured ones are less than 3% for flows over these CBC weirs under the present experimental conditions.     

Discharge Coefficient of a Triangular Side-Weir Located on a Curved Channel

This study aims to obtain sharp crested triangular side-weirs discharge coefficients both in the straight channel and along the bend by using a total of 1,735 experiments. It was found that triangular side-weirs discharging coefficients along the bend depend on the upstream Froude number in the main channel (F), the apex angle of side-weir (θ), and the bend angle (α). Because there is much greater intensity of secondary flow created by lateral flow with an increase of the overflow length, sharp crested triangular side-weirs discharge coefficients of the apex angle θ = 120° were achieved more frequently than the others even at the straight channel in subcritical flow conditions. In a curved channel, the path of maximum velocity and the secondary current created by the bend both cause a much greater deviation angle towards the side-weir which is involved within F and L/b. Therefore, triangular side-weirs discharging coefficients along the bend are greater than the values obtained in the straight channel.     

Discharge Characteristics of Chimney Weir under Free-Flow Conditions

The assumption of a constant coefficient of discharge in the linear head-discharge relationship of a chimney weir is reinvestigated. Based on dimensional analysis and subsequent experiments conducted with three different chimney weirs at various crest heights and channel widths, it is found that the coefficient of discharge in the linear relationship is not a constant, but is found to vary with the ratio of head to altitude, h/d; half-vertex angle in the form of w/d, w being the half crest width; h/(h+P), P being the crest height; and the channel width contraction ratio, w/C, C being the channel width. A linear regression equation correlating the coefficient of discharge with the above variables is proposed that, along with the linear head-discharge relationship, provides an accurate prediction of free-flow discharge.     

Use of Brink Depth in Discharge Measurement

The behavior of free surface flow at a rectangular free overfall is studied experimentally to obtain a relation between the brink depth and the flow rate. A series of experiments were conducted in a tilting flume with wide range of flow rates covering subcritical, critical, supercritical regimes, and two different roughnesses in order to develop a relationship between the discharge and the brink depth. An equation is proposed to determine the flow rate using the brink depth for a channel of known roughness and bed slope.     

Hydraulic Relations for Clinging Flow of Sharp-Crested Weir

Available discharge coefficient formulas for sharp-crested weirs are only applicable to the free-flow regime. To extend the range of discharge measurement by a rectangular sharp-crested weir, critical heads of the transition flow regime, the head-discharge relation for clinging and free flow, and the discharge coefficient for clinging flow were investigated experimentally based on more than 300 experimental points with head ranging from 0.0048 to 0.0455 m. The results indicate that the transitions from clinging to free flow and vice versa do not occur at the same head. Upper and lower critical heads, Hu,crit and Hl,crit, can be identified at which these transitions occur. For the condition studied, the head relation between clinging and free flow is found to be linearly correlated at the same discharge. Expressions for the discharge coefficient for clinging flow are developed.     

Channel Bed Slope Effect on the Height of Gravity Waves Produced by a Sudden Downstream Discharge Stoppage

We derive a simple analytical correction of a well-known standard formulation of the gravity wave height produced in a prismatic channel due to a sudden discharge stoppage at the downstream end of the channel. The proposed analytical correction considers the vertical growth of the wave and, as a result, takes into account the effect of the channel bed slope on the wave height. This simple correction is useful to be considered in preliminary designs of relatively long channels subject to unsteady flow conditions.     

Direct Solution to Problems of Open-Channel Transitions: Rectangular Channels

The specific energy equation has many applications in rectangular open-channel flow problems. The existing methods of solving this equation are as follows: trial-and-error solution, graphical solution, and design tables prepared from the specific energy equation expressed in dimensionless form. No direct solutions are available in the technical literature for this equation to date because it was presumed that finding roots of this equation requires a series of substitutions. In this technical note, the writer develops an analytical solution for transitions located in rectangular open channels: (1) to avoid the inconvenience in available solutions; (2) to derive a less time consuming method; and (3) to achieve more accurate results than those as a result of using existing methods.     

Application of Several Depth-Averaged Turbulence Models to Simulate Flow in Vertical Slot Fishways

Vertical slot fishways are hydraulic structures which allow the upstream migration of fish through obstructions in rivers. The velocity, water depth, and turbulence fields are of great importance in order to allow the fish swimming through the fishway, and therefore must be considered for design purposes. The aim of this paper is to assess the possibility of using a two-dimensional shallow water model coupled with a suitable turbulence model to compute the flow pattern and turbulence field in vertical slot fishways. Three depth-averaged turbulence models of different complexity are used in the numerical simulations: a mixing length model, a k?ε model, and an algebraic stress model. The numerical results for the velocity, water depth, turbulent kinetic energy, and Reynolds stresses are compared with comprehensive experimental data for three different discharges covering the usual working conditions of vertical slot fishways. The agreement between experimental and numerical data is very satisfactory. The results show the importance of the turbulence model in the numerical simulations, and can be considered as a useful complementary tool for practical design purposes.     

Application of Riprap and Collar to Prevent Scouring around Rectangular Bridge Piers

Various methods to control scour around bridge piers have been proposed, including application of riprap and installing a collar around piers. In the present study application of riprap alone and a combination of riprap and collar were examined experimentally for scour control around rectangular bridge piers. Piers aligned with the flow and skewed at 5, 10, and 20° to the flow were tested. Piers with three different aspect ratios equal to 1:3, 1:5, and 1:7 were used in this study. A collar three times wider than the piers’ width was installed around the piers at the streambed level. All experiments were conducted at the threshold of motion of the bed material. The size and extent of stable riprap stones for prevention of scouring around the piers was found by experiment with and without the collar. A method previously given for calculating stable riprap size around circular piers is extended for rectangular piers with different aspect ratios and skew angles with and without collar protection. The extent of stable riprap layer in all tests is also presented.     

Case Study of Precision of GPS Differential Correction Strategies: Influence on aDcp Velocity and Discharge Estimates

The precision of four differential global positioning systems (DGPS) was evaluated in the context of fluvial water velocity and discharge measurement. DGPS is used to resolve water velocities measured with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (aDcp) into earth coordinates if bottom tracking is unavailable. The DGPS systems assessed were: (1) the dual frequency real time kinematic (RTKL1L2); (2) the single frequency real time kinematic (RTKL1); (3) the code-phase Canadian Coast Guard (CG); and (4) the code-phase Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). Repeat discharge surveys (n = 22) were conducted at a transect of the Gatineau River, Canada, simultaneously collecting bottom track boat velocity (vBT) and boat velocity from all four DGPS (vDGPS). The mean absolute single ping differences between vBT and vDGPS were 3.1 (RTKL1L2), 3.2 (RTKL1), 8.9 (CG), and 9.8?cm/s (WAAS). Errors were observed more often near channel margins, presumably due to obstruction and multipath associated with riverbank vegetation and buildings. DGPS velocity errors were random, and a large number of DGPS positions were utilized across the section to record discharge. Accordingly, errors in discharge were relatively small, with maximum percentage differences between single transect QBT and QDGPS of 0.9 (RTKL1L2), 1.0 (RTKL1), 2.4 (CG), and 3.1% (WAAS). Simulations suggest large discharge errors (up to 51%) are possible under low sampling intensity (20 pings) and small channel velocity relative to average vDGPS error (ratio of 1).     

TRT煤气流量测量装置的选型与应用

介绍了几种常用的流量测量装置的测量原理、特点及适用场所,通过对宣钢TRT发电机组中使用过的煤气流量测量装置实际应用情况的分析,对TRT煤气流量测量装置的选型提出了建议,并详细介绍了弯管流量计在宣钢TRT煤气流量测量中的实际应用情况。     

Application of Optical Measurement Techniques to Supersonic and Hypersonic Aerospace Flows

Experimental investigation is essential to improve the understanding of aerospace flows. During the last years, effort has been put on the development of optical diagnostics capable of imaging or yielding data from the flow in a nonintrusive way. The application of some of these techniques to supersonic and hypersonic flows can be highly challenging due to the high velocity, strong gradients, and restricted optical access generally encountered. Widely used qualitative and semiquantitative optical flow diagnostics are shadowgraph, schlieren, and interferometry. Laser-based techniques such as laser Doppler anemometry and particle image velocimetry are well established for investigation of supersonic flows, but as yet their use in hypersonic flows has been limited. Other relevant measurement techniques include particle tracking velocimetry, Doppler global velocimetry, laser-two-focus anemometry, background oriented schlieren and laser induced fluorescence methods. This paper reviews the development of these and further optical measurement techniques and their application to supersonic and hypersonic aerospace flows in recent years.