Flow characteristics and energy dissipation over single step broad – crested weirs

Abstract EN

The main purpose of traditional broad - crested weir is to rise and control upstream (U / S) water level.

In this study a new performance was added to this weir, by making it as an energy dissipater.

In order to study the energy dissipation percent (E%), the downstream (D / S) height of the weir (12 cms U/ S height) was reduced four times as 9.8, 8,6 and 3.8cms.Thirty experiments were performed in a laboratory horizontal channel of 12 m length, 0.5 m width and 0.45 m depth for a wide range of discharge.

A mathematical model to compute theoretical coefficient of discharge (Cdth) was modified depending upon momentum equations.

Experimental results gave a high validity to the computed values of the proposed model.

On the other hand, three empirical non dimensional relations were obtained.

The first is liner relation to estimate the ratio for D / S water head to U / S weir height (h/P1) in terms of the ratio for U / S water head to U /S weir height (H / P1).

The second relation is nonlinear relation to estimate the discharge coefficient (Cd) in terms of H / P1 and the ratio of D / S weir height to U / S weir height (P2 / P1).

While the third relation is to estimate E% in terms of h / P1 and P2 / P1 with high correlation coefficients.

The experimental results of the study showed that E% increased up to 46%.

Furthermore, Cd was improved and gets higher values in comparison with traditional weirs.