Department of Civil & Infrastructure Engineering

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Flow characteristics around a circular cylinder positioned near a plane boundary (on which laminar boundary layer flow develops in the absence of circular cylinder), are investigated for Reynolds numbers R ranging from 7.8 × 102 to 1.15 × 104. Particle image velocimetry and fiber laser Doppler velocimetry were used to measure the velocity fields and velocity time histories, respectively. Flow structures are particularly revealed using flow visualization technique at R=7.8 × 102 for gap ratios G/D (where G is the net gap between the surface of circular cylinder and the plane boundary), varying from 0 to 4. Based on the experimental results, the variation of Strouhal number of shedding vortex (or eddy) with G/D, the mechanism of vortex shedding suppression, and the streamwise velocity profiles of the upper shear layers and gap flows for small G/D are all discussed. Although the regular, alternate vortex shedding is suppressed for G/D&lt;0.5, the periodicity could be detected due to the vortex (or eddy) shedding from the upper shear layer of the circular cylinder. Gap flow switching randomly is found and first put forward to be the main reason of multipeak or broadband spectral characteristics of the shedding event at a certain small gap ratio. It is also found that the streamwise velocity profiles of the upper shear layer, where periodic shedding eddies originate, exhibit well-behaved similarity. In addition, a unique similarity of mean streamwise velocity profiles of the gap flows is demonstrated for G/D≤0.3. For R &lt; 4 × 103, the S increases as G/D decreases to its maximum around G/D ≅ 0.5 and then decreases as G/D decreases. For R ≥ 4 × 103, although most of the previous studies indicate that the S is insensitive to G/D, the present study shows that S still increases as G/D decreases but the variations of S are in a small range (i.e., 0.18≤S≤0.22). © 2009 ASCE.

World University root node

Journal of Engineering Mechanics

Flow characteristics around a circular cylinder placed horizontally above a plane boundary

The paper presents a design method to determine the maximum equilibrium scour depth at piers embedded in a sand-bed overlain by a thin armor-layer of gravels using the experimental data of Dey and Raikar and those of Ettema. The proposed equation is in terms of empirical relationships, termed K-factors, which account for the effects of flow depth, pier shape, flow intensity, bed sediment size and armor gravel size on scour depth for individual cases of scour holes as identified by Dey and Raikar. These K-factors are determined by fitting envelope curves to the experimental data. The estimated largest possible scour depths that can occur at circular and square piers with an armor-layer are 3.15 and 3.47 times the pier width, respectively. © 2009 Korean Society of Civil Engineers and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg GmbH.

KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering

Maximum scour depth at piers in armor-beds

The one-dimensional (1D) momentum equation for free surface flow over curved boundaries has so far been traditionally developed integrating the Reynolds equations across the flow section in a boundary-fitted system of coordinates, such as flows over spillways and round-crested weirs. The formulation of the Reynolds equation was performed in a Cartesian coordinate system instead of boundary-fitted coordinates. Consequently, the traditional free surface flow equations do not strictly apply to the flow over curved boundaries. In this study, a novel generalized (1D) momentum equation for steady free surface flow over curved boundaries is developed by considering a modified formulation of the boundary-fitted coordinates. In an application of the present model, the singular-point of a round crested weir is found to be closer to the crest than as predicted by the traditional theory. A generalized expression for the pressure distribution is also proposed. © 2009 International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research.

Journal of Hydraulic Research

One-dimensional channel flow equations with curvature revisited

Steady state suspended-load of sediment transported in flow over erodible beds usually is treated by the advection-diffusion approach, though in recent years, it is being treated as a two-phase flow phenomenon incorporating kinetics of sediment particles. Among the advection-diffusion approaches, Rouse's (1937) equation is the well-known, although a number of researchers in later periods have attempted to improve it by modifying the mixing length concept taking into account other aspects. In this paper, the advection-diffusion approach and associated logarithmic law of flow velocity are revisited. It is concluded from the logarithmic law that the Reynolds shear stress is a linear function of height above the bed, which reduces to bed shear stress in the case of a long horizontal channel. As a consequence, it is shown that the volumetric concentration of sediment is best approximated by the sum of two power laws of height above the bed. An equation is derived for the suspended-load transport rate in terms of elementary functions. © 2009 International Research and Training Centre on Erosion and Sedimentation and the World Association for Sedimentation and Erosion Research.

International Journal of Sediment Research

Suspended load in flows on erodible bed

Based on the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and the time-averaged continuity equation, a theory of turbulent shear flow over an undulating sand bed is developed addressing the instability criterion of plane sand beds in free-surface flows leading to the formation of sand waves. In the analysis, the integration of RANS equations leads to generalized Saint Venant equations, in which the time-averaged streamwise velocity is characterized by a power law obtained from turbulence closure, treating the curvilinear streamlines by the Boussinesq approximation. As a consequence, the modified pressure distribution has a departure from the traditionally linear hydrostatic pressure distribution. The instability analysis of a plane sand bed yields the curves of the Froude number versus nondimensional wave number, determining an instability zone for which at lower Froude numbers (less than 0.8), the plane bed becomes unstable with the formation of dunes; whereas at higher Froude numbers, the plane bed becomes unstable with the formation of standing waves and antidunes. For higher Froude numbers, the experimental data for antidunes lie within the unstable zone; while for lower Froude numbers, the same is found for dunes with some experimental scatter. © 2009 The American Physical Society.

Physical Review E - Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics

Reynolds averaged theory of turbulent shear flows over undulating beds and formation of sand waves

Experiments on clear-water scour below underwater pipelines (initially laid on the sediment bed) in uniform and nonuniform sediments under steady flow were conducted. Equilibrium scour profiles were modeled by a cubic polynomial. The experimental results are examined to describe the influence of various parameters on equilibrium scour depth. The equilibrium scour depth ds increases with increase in approach flow depth h for shallow flow depths, becoming independent of higher flow depths when h/b&gt;5, where b=pipe diameter. However, the curves of scour depth versus sediment size d and Froude number Fb have a maximum value of ds/b=1.65 at b/d=27 and Fb=0.6. The influence of sediment gradation on scour depth is prominent for nonuniform sediments, which reduce scour depth to a large extent due to the formation of armor layer within the scour hole. The influence of different shaped cross sections of pipes on the scour depth was investigated, where the shape factors for circular, 45° (diagonal facing) and 90° (side facing) square pipes obtained as 1, 1.29, and 1.91, respectively. Using the data of scour depths at different times, the time variation of scour depth is scaled by an exponential law, where the nondimensional time scale increases sharply with increase in Froude number characterized by the pipe diameter. In addition, clear-water scour below circular pipelines laid on a thinly armored sand bed (the sand bed is overlain by a thin armor layer of gravels) was experimentally studied. Depending on the pipe diameter, armor gravel, and bed-sand sizes, three cases of scour holes were recognized. The comparison of the experimental data reveals that the scour depth below a pipeline with an armor layer under limiting stability of the surface particles (approach flow velocity nearly equaling critical velocity for surface particles) is greater than that without armor layer for the same sand bed, if the secondary armoring formed within the scour hole is scattered. In contrast, the scour depth with an armor layer is less than that without armor layer for the same sand bed, when the scour hole is shielded by the secondary armor layer. © 2008 ASCE.

Journal of Hydraulic Engineering

Clear-water scour below underwater pipelines under steady flow

Results of an experimental study on clear-water scour at submerged cylindrical obstacles (circular cylinders) in uniform bed sediments under steady flow are presented. The scour depths at submerged circular cylinders are compared with the scour depths at corresponding unsubmerged cylinders (extended above the free surface of flow) of the same diameters under similar flow and bed sediment conditions. The scour depth decreases with an increase in submergence ratio. A submergence factor is introduced to determine the scour depth at a submerged cylinder from the information of the scour depth at an unsubmerged cylinder of the same diameter. In addition, the flow fields along the upstream vertical plane of symmetry of unsubmerged and submerged cylinders are presented through vector plots, which reveal that the dimension and strength of the horseshoe vortex decreases with an increase in submergence ratio. The horseshoe vortex circulations, which decrease with an increase in submergence ratio, are computed from the vorticity contours by using the Stokes theorem. © ASCE 2008.

Scour at submerged cylindrical obstacles under steady flow

Erratum: "Characteristics of turbulent flow in submerged jumps on rough beds" (Journal of Engineering Mechanics (2008) vol. 134 (1) (49-59))

This paper reports an experimental investigation on the velocity and turbulence characteristics in an evolving scour hole downstream of an apron due to submerged jets issuing from a sluice opening detected by an acoustic Doppler velocimeter. Experiments were carried out for the conditions of submerged jets, having submergence factors from 0.96 to 1.85 and jet Froude numbers from 2.58 to 4.87, over sediment beds downstream of a rigid apron. The distributions of time-averaged velocity vectors, turbulence intensities, and Reynolds stress at different streamwise distances are plotted for the conditions of initial flat bed, intermediate scour holes, and equilibrium scour hole downstream of an apron. Vector plots of the flow field show that the rate of decay of the submerged jet velocity increases with an increase in scour hole dimension. The bed-shear stresses are determined from the Reynolds stress distributions. The flow characteristics in evolving scour holes are analyzed in the context of self-preservation, growth of the length scale, and decay of the velocity and turbulence characteristics scales. The most significant observation is that the flow in the scour holes (intermediate and equilibrium) is found to be plausibly self-preserving. © 2008 ASCE.

Characteristics of submerged jets in evolving scour hole downstream of an Apron

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the characteristics of a horseshoe vortex system near the juncture of a square cylinder and a horizontal base plate, using particle image velocimetry and flow visualization technique. Experiments were conducted for Reynolds numbers (based on the free stream velocity and the width of square cylinder) ranging from 2.0 × 102 to 6.0 × 103. The flow patterns are first classified into four major regimes: Steady horseshoe vortex system, periodic oscillation vortex system with small displacement, periodic breakaway vortex system, and irregular vortex system. The classifications can be demonstrated as a figure of Reynolds number versus the ratio of the height of square cylinder to undisturbed boundary layer thickness. The study then mainly focused on the characteristics of steady horseshoe vortex system (corresponding to Reynolds numbers ranging from 2.0 × 102 to 2.5 × 103). The nondimensional characteristics, including the horizontal and vertical distances from the primary vortex core to frontal face of the vertical square cylinder and bottom boundary of the base plate, respectively, the height of stagnation point at frontal face of the square cylinder, and the down-flow discharge as well as circulation of the primary vortex, all increase with increase of the ratio of the height of square cylinder to undisturbed boundary layer thickness. However, they all decrease with the increase of the aspect ratio (i.e., the height-to-width ratio) of the square cylinder. The study provides essential properties of a steady horseshoe vortex system and gives an insight for related engineering applications. It can be served as a basis for more complicated horseshoe vortex systems occurring at high Reynolds numbers. © 2008 ASCE.