Experimental study on flow behavior at open channel confluences

Abstract

Channel confluences are common in natural rivers and hydraulic engineering, and the flow behavior at confluences becomes very complex because of the interaction between the tributary and the main river. In this study, the experiments were performed in a combined flume with a 30º angle between the main and tributary flume located at Sichuan University. The velocity was measured by using a three-component acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) over a grid defined throughout the junction region. Based on the analysis of the velocity at the confluence, the distinctive characteristics of a channel confluence flow may be divided into several zones including a zone of separation immediately downstream of the junction branch channel, the maximum and minimum velocity regions at the upstream and downstream in the confluent channel, and a shear plane developed between the two combining flows downstream of the confluent channel. In addition, secondary circulations in different directions at the higher and lower velocity zones are observed as well.