Physical Modeling of the Scour Volume Upstream of a Slit Weir Using Uniform and Non-Uniform Mobile Beds

Abstract

This study presents new laboratory data on the time-varying scour upstream of a slit weir used for sediment release near hydropower intake. The governing parameters in temporal and spatial scour hole development under steady and unsteady flow conditions were experimentally investigated. This study includes 40 scenarios for steady flow at center and side slit weirs for uniform and non-uniform sediment with median sizes of d50 = 0.24, 0.55 mm and four scenarios of unsteady flow conditions at a center slit weir under different flow intensities. The steel slit weirs were built in a rectangular brick and concrete flume with dimensions of 1.25 m wide, 8.0 m long and 1.0 m deep. The dimensional analysis supports recent studies. This study demonstrates an increment in the resulted scour volume for fine and uniform sands at the center slit weir of about 2 times the value of coarse sand and 1.25 times the value measured with the side slit weir for uniform and non-uniform sands. However, the resulted scour volume for fine non-uniform sand at the center slit weir was recorded as 2.5 times that of coarse sand. There was a dramatic increase in the scour volume of about 4 times at the center slit weir and 3–3.5 at the side slit weir when the flow rate increased by 4 times.