Effect of Hydraulic and Geometric Parameters on Plunge Point in Density Current

Abstract

When the dense flow mass intersect to stagnant fluid, dense flow penetrates into statically fluid and plunge depth occurs. In this research, hydraulic parameters of density current and bed slope have been investigated, which these have a considering effect on plunge point. To achieve on purposes of this research a physical model in hydraulic laboratory of Shahid Chamran University was built and various experiments were performed. At all of the experiment, plunge depth was measured in the various discharges of density current, different of density 6, 9, 13 and 16 kg/m3 at three slope 8, 12 and 16 percent. Then using Flow-3D depth of plunge point for these experimental conditions was simulated. Findings show that depth of plunge point derived with Flow-3D is more than measured values as in 12% slope, mathematical model overestimate about 30%. While, for all of the slope bed, simulated results 27 percent is more than corresponding measured values. Statistical evaluation shows that ratio of measured valued to results of Flow-3D is about 0.8.

Keywords

• density current
• plunge point
• flow-3d
• physical model