Investigation of the flow characteristics of slit check dams using novel models

Abstract

Floods, which cause loss of life and property and destruction of the environment, have devastating effects on socio-economic welfare. Slit-check dams are essential structures for managing the transport of silt and woody debris, especially in events of significant floods. The current study presents the hydraulic characteristics of slit-check dams with different geometries for experimental and numerical tests. First, the Butterfly model was produced with a 3D printer and examined experimentally. Then, the Butterfly model was validated extensively using OpenFOAM (v7) software for the numerical analysis. Finally, the other models were examined numerically using the k-ε turbulence model. The changes in water surface profile, velocity profiles, energy dissipation rates, and streamlines were comprehensively examined and discussed. The results showed that slit-check dams caused hydraulic jumps and dissipated flow energy. The Arced and Rectangular models, in particular, demonstrated a significant performance for energy dissipation, which is essential for flood management. Water surface profiles are directly affected by discharge. Moreover, the cross-sectional length of the model in question significantly affects the water surface profile. Accordingly, an increase was observed in the velocity profiles along the slit-check dam. While the maximum velocity for all unit discharge was observed in the V-shaped model, the minimum velocities were observed for the Arced and Rectangular models. Thus, the energy absorption performance of Arced and Rectangular models is higher.