Analysis of Depth Averaged Velocity in Meandering Compound Channels

Abstract

Analysis of flow in a compound channel is strongly influenced by the complex geometry associated with uncertainties on every measurable property such as the width ratio, aspect ratio, relative depth and the channel sinuosity. For the present work, experimentations have been conducted in three different rigid smooth compound channels with sine generated rectangular compound channel flanked by floodplains on one or both sides. The meandering compound channels are having three different width ratio, aspect ratio. Sinuosity of the main channel are 1.225, 1.210, 1.043 respectively. An analysis has been done to present the lateral distribution of cross sectional depth averaged velocity, which in turn is used to quantify the momentum transfer at the interface of the main channel and the flood plain and to predict the flow distribution at different sub sections of the compound meandering channel. Modifications to the approaches are proposed. The study serves for a better understanding the flow and velocity patterns in a meandering compound channel.