Compound Channel’s Cross-section Shape Effects on the Kinetic Energy and Momentum Correction Coefficients

Abstract

Abstract Since accurate estimation of the flow kinetic energy (α) and momentum (β) is not easily possible in compound channels, determining their accurate correction coefficients is an important task. This paper has used the “flood channel facility (FCF)” data and the “conveyance estimate system (CES)” model (which is 1D, but considers a term related to the secondary flow) to study how the floodplain width and the main channel wall slope and asymmetry affect the values of α and β. Results have shown that their maximum values at the highest floodplain width are, respectively, 1.36 and 1.13 times of those at the lowest case; an increase in the slope increased their maximum values by 1.05 and 1.01 times, respectively. The mean of error values showed that the CES model estimated the values α and β more accurately than the flow discharge. The maximum differences between the estimated and experimental values were 12.14% for α and 4.3% for β; for the flow discharge, it was 24.4%.