This study provides insights into the mechanisms of drag generation on fish-shaped bodies in turbulent open-channel flows. We conducted a set of experiments with rigid 3D-printed models of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), recording velocities upstream and downstream of a model along with drag force. For a range of fish Reynolds numbers, we have (1) assessed mean values of drag and drag coefficients, and (2) investigated drag force fluctuations and their link with upstream undisturbed turbulence. Correlation functions confirm a direct link between upstream velocity fluctuations and drag force fluctuations, although other mechanisms contributing to drag force fluctuations are likely and remain to be studied further. Insights into the hydrodynamics of fish-shaped bodies may lead to improvements in the design of fish passageways.

The three-dimensional morphology of swordfish skin roughness remains poorly understood. Subsequently, its importance to the overall physiology and hydrodynamic performance of the swordfish is yet to be determined. This is at least partly attributable to the inherent difficulty in making the required measurements of these complex biological surfaces. To address this, here two sets of novel high-resolution measurements of swordfish skin, obtained using a modular optical coherence tomography system and a gel-based stereo-profilometer, are reported and compared. Both techniques are shown to provide three-dimensional morphological data at micron-scale resolution. The results indicate that the skin surface is populated with spiny roughness elements, typically elongated in the streamwise direction, in groups of up to six, and in good agreement with previously reported information based on coarser measurements. In addition, our data also provide new information on the spatial distribution and variability of these roughness features. Two approaches, one continuous and another discrete, are used to derive various topographical metrics that characterize the surface texture of the skin. The information provided here can be used to develop statistically representative synthetic models of swordfish skin roughness.

Time-averaged velocity fields in uniform open-channel flows over rough beds may exhibit spatial heterogeneities due to the effects of bed roughness and secondary currents (SCs). The latter typically originate from the turbulence anisotropy and spatial heterogeneity introduced by the solid and mixed corners (i.e., between sidewalls and water surface), but may also appear due to roughness spanwise heterogeneities, e.g., associated with patchy vegetation distributions or streamwise sediment ridges on the channel bed. In this paper, we propose rigorous conservation equations for momentum, kinetic energy and fluid stresses accounting for the contributions of bed roughness and SCs, separately. Particular attention is given to the terms regulating the energy exchanges between roughness-induced and SC-related motions, which are expected to provide information on the physical mechanisms leading to the generation of roughness-induced SCs. The proposed approach is illustrated using a large-eddy simulation of a rough-bed open-channel flow.

The paper reports the results of laboratory experiments to investigate the effect of vegetation patch mosaics on hydraulic resistance. Experiments were run for seven levels of vegetation coverage with square patches of flexible plastic grass in aligned and staggered configurations and a wide range of hydraulic conditions. Hydraulic resistance was substantially higher for staggered than aligned configurations, particularly for intermediate ranges of vegetation coverage. The results indicate that hydraulic resistance differs between regimes of isolated roughness flow, wake interference flow, and skimming flow. Two types of models are proposed to predict hydraulic resistance (i.e. Manning's coefficient n) for aligned and staggered configurations, one as a function of the nondimensional spatially-averaged hydraulic radius and another as a function of relative submergence and surface area blockage factor. To account for the effects of vegetation patch alignment, an additional factor alpha is introduced. This work provides comprehensive datasets and models that can be used to improve the prediction of hydraulic resistance in open-channel flows with vegetation patches.

Large-scale coherent structures are key elements of open-channel flow turbulence, quantification of which remains elusive. In this work, we use empirical mode decomposition (EMD) to break down a velocity time series into different modes, denoted as "intrinsic mode functions" (IMFs). Analysis of velocity auto- and co-spectra indicates that large-scale (LSMs) and very large-scale (VLSMs) fluid motions are sufficiently represented by particular groups of IMFs. A correlation between LSMs and VLSMs, identified by the EMD analysis, was found to generate 7% of the Reynolds shear stresses. However, the EMD analysis of surrogate velocity signals with randomized spectral phases demonstrated that the revealed correlation is actually an artefact of the EMD approach and should not be interpreted physically.

The results of large-eddy simulations of open-channel flows over spanwise heterogeneous surface ridges at two representative spanwise spacings are presented. Flows at moderate Froude and Reynolds numbers over smooth channel beds with streamwise-orientated rectangular ridges are considered. The ridge spacing has a profound effect on the flow: at small spacing relatively small secondary cells occur, whilst at large ridge spacing secondary cells occupy the entire flow depth. The instantaneous flow features secondary flow instabilities and the meandering of alternating low- and high-momentum regions. The quasi-periodical nature of the meandering of the instantaneous large-scale motion is visualised and quantified for both ridge spacings. Although time-averaged clockwise and counter-clockwise secondary current cells are symmetrical about the ridge-axis, they exhibit quasi-periodical increase and decrease in size as well as lateral and vertical movement in space over the meandering period.

Abstract Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry measurements of open-channel flows over streamwise-orientated triangular-shaped ridges were used to explore interactions between ridge-induced secondary currents (SCs) and turbulence. Terms in the double-averaged (in space and in time) momentum and energy conservation equations were analysed for a range of ridge spacings ($s$) between 0.4 and 4.0 flow depths ($H$). The double-averaged equations neatly partition momentum and energy fluxes into turbulence and SC contributions, making them well suited to this study. The obtained data indicate that for a range of $s/H$ between 0.4 and 2.0, the normalised momentum and energy fluxes due to SCs approximately collapse when plotted as functions of $(z-d)/s$, where $z$ is the vertical coordinate and $d$ a constant that aligns the elevations of SC cell centres. The SCs controlled the shape of the mean velocity distribution with the vertical gradient of the double-averaged streamwise velocity found to be inversely proportional to $s$ near the elevations of SC cell centres. Partitioning the total kinetic energy into double-mean (DMKE), dispersive (DKE) and turbulent (SATKE) components and considering the balance equation for each component indicated that at the elevation of SC cell centres the production rate of SATKE via exchange with DMKE was comparable in magnitude to the production rate via exchange with DKE (due to SCs). For all ridge spacings, SATKE was reduced compared to a no-ridge benchmark case due to suppression of very-large-scale turbulent motions by the SCs. Finally, it is demonstrated that energy is supplied to SCs by turbulence.

Expressions for particle image velocimetry (PIV) mean error and error variance are derived for iterative deformation method algorithms. The analytical expressions explicitly account for the role of in- and out-of-plane displacements, displacement gradients, particle image diameter, fill factor of the imaging sensor, image noise, light sheet intensity distribution, seeding particle concentration, the interpolation function used to deform PIV images, and the interrogation window size and weighting window. The newly derived analytical expressions show good agreement with errors estimated using synthetic image sets.

The channel length required for the development of the flow, from the channel entrance to full establishment, is often a prerequisite when designing hydraulic structures or planning research experiments in open channels. However, the information on the flow development length (L-D) is scarce, and even its definition remains vague. In hydraulic experiments, this lack of knowledge introduces great uncertainty, often making comparisons of findings from different studies questionable. This paper offers a physics-based definition for L-D, and reports results of systematic laboratory studies to provide guidance on its quantitative assessment. Our data for uniform flows suggest that up to 100 flow depths (H) are required for mean velocity field (including sidewall secondary currents), turbulent stresses (except streamwise variance), velocity skewness and kurtosis, and depth-scale large-scale-motions to become essentially independent of the streamwise coordinate. However, very large-scale-motions, streamwise velocity variance, and roughness-induced secondary currents are found to require longer L-D of around 150H.

Automating hydraulic engineering experiments may allow an increased number of scenarios or repetitions to be studied within a research programme and additionally increase measurement precision by reducing human errors.Several aspects of the Aberdeen Open Channel Facility (AOCF) have already been automated, including flow configuration and control and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry deployment and calibration.We expect these developments to contribute to scientific progress through enabling larger systematic data sets in future studies.

We explore the double-averaged momentum and energy conservation budgets for open-channel flows with hydraulically-rough beds. Three 'self-affine' roughness patterns were constructed with the spectra of surface height profiles designed to have power law scaling with exponents of -1, -5/3, and -3. Measurements were made using a 'robotic' stereoscopic PIV system that was programmed to record velocity fields in a sequence of planes on a periodic roughness tile. Our results showed that both secondary currents and roughness-induced near-bed spatial fluctuations of the time-averaged velocity contributed significantly to the dispersive stress. The distribution of drag force within the roughness canopy was shifted downwards for the '-3ʹ surface compared to the '-1ʹ surface reflecting increased penetration of the flow into the more open roughness structure. Production of turbulent energy via exchange with the double mean kinetic energy was found to be around three times larger than via exchange with the dispersive kinetic energy.

Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) configured in two orthogonal planes was utilised to capture the flow structure at the instant of entrainment of spherical bed particles in open-channel flow. Experiments were conducted with lightweight target particles amongst a bed of coplanar fixed spheres with diameters of 16 mm. The protrusions of the target particles were set to give an average entrainment rate of . These protrusions were established from extensive initial experiments which utilised an automated mechanism to place spheres on the bed of the flume and record the time elapsed until they were entrained by the flow. The results showed that at lower flow depth to particle diameter ratios, bed particles are more stable and require larger protrusions to entrain at the same rate as at a larger depth. This effect is consistent with observations of reduced velocity variance and reduced drag force variance for lower flow submergences. The PIV measurements indicated that particle entrainment is associated with very large-scale motions which extend up to 50 flow depths in the streamwise direction. Contributions of smaller scale velocity and pressure spatial fluctuations are suppressed by a spatial averaging effect related to the particle size, and a temporal averaging effect related to the time taken to fully entrain a particle from its resting pocket. These observations are relevant to sediment transport modelling. However, further data are required to clarify the role of particle lift forces and particle shape in the entrainment process.

The equations for double-mean, form-induced and spatially averaged turbulent energy budgets are employed to analyse data from direct numerical simulations of turbulent open-channel flows over transitionally rough mobile beds with intermediate flow submergence. Two scenarios were considered related to (i) near-critical bed condition, and (ii) fully mobile bed condition. The bed was composed of a layer of mobile spherical particles moving on the top of one layer of fixed particles of the same size. Data analysis showed the leading energy exchanges between double-mean, form-induced, turbulent flow field contributions as well as particle motions. Above the fixed particles tops, the turbulent flow receives kinetic energy directly from the mean flow as well as from moving bed particles, which in turn also receive energy from the mean flow. For near-critical bed condition, particle aggregations enhanced mean-flow heterogeneity, strengthened turbulent stresses and their effects on the flow, while at increased bed-mobility, energy transport mechanisms became weaker and conversions induced by viscous stresses and pressure became stronger.

AbstractThis Technical Note reports on new experiments focused on hydraulic resistance in open-channel flows over beds covered with streamwise ridges. Extensive bulk friction factor measurements, c...

This paper reports the morphology of a natural patch of Ranunculus penicillatus and presents high-resolution measurements of flow velocities in its wake using a stereoscopic PIV field measurement system. The patch was 3.80 m long, 1.24 m wide and caused substantial changes to downstream mean velocities and turbulence. Vertical profiles of streamwise mean velocity were not logarithmic and flow was redirected under the positively buoyant canopy, enhancing vertical turbulent mixing in the wake and generating a large region where the velocity covariance u′w′¯ was positive. Turbulent kinetic energy was enhanced downstream from the patch lateral shear layer, but not at the centre of the wake. Spectra downstream from the patch showed that turbulence was neither dominated by fine-scale nor large-scale structures, likely due to the low energy of the flow conditions and lack of a developed vortex street within the measurement domain. Sedimentation was observed at the upstream end of the patch, but not underneath the floating canopy. The methods and results of this work will be useful for planning other in situ studies. Also, the reported data on macrophyte geometry and biometrics will assist with the design of more realistic replicas for use in laboratory studies.

The paper reports a high-resolution experimental study focused on statistical properties of particle trajectories starting with detachment from the bed. This local range of particle motion can either be considered to start from a collision with the bed of an already mobile particle, or from the entrainment of a previously immobile particle. Both approaches are investigated and compared based on the particle diffusion concept. From the point of entrainment, local particle diffusion in all three coordinate directions displays an exponent significantly greater than that of ballistic diffusion. In contrast, particle motion after collision with the bed demonstrates ballistic diffusion in all three coordinate directions. The results highlight clear differences between the diffusion of an already mobile particle and one starting from a position of rest. These differences are attributed to variations in physical mechanisms acting at the initial phase of particle motion after detachment from the bed.

The double-averaging methodology is used in this paper for deriving equations for the second-order velocity moments (i.e. turbulent and dispersive stresses) that emerge in the double-averaged momentum equation for incompressible Newtonian flows over mobile boundaries. The starting point in the derivation is the mass and momentum conservation equations for local (at a point) instantaneous variables that are up-scaled by employing temporal and spatial averaging. First, time-averaged conservation equations for mass, momentum, and turbulent stresses for mobile bed conditions are derived. Then, the double-averaged hydrodynamic equations obtained by spatial averaging the time-averaged equations are proposed. The derived second-order equations can serve as a basis for the construction of simplified mathematical and numerical models and for interpretation of experimental and simulation data when bed mobility is present. Potential applications include complex flow situations such as free-surface flows over vegetated or mobile sedimentary beds and flows through tidal and wind turbine arrays.