Wavelet Coherency Structure in Open Channel Flow

Abstract

Many studies based on single-point measurement data have demonstrated the impressive ability of wavelet coherency analysis to catch the coherent structures in the wall-bounded flows; however, the question of how the events found by the wavelet coherency analysis relate to the features of the coherent structures remains open. Time series of velocity fields in x–y plane of the steady open channel flow was obtained from a time-resolved particle imaging velocimetry system. The local wavelet spectrum found shows that one of the main energetic scales in open channel flows is 3h motions. The wavelet coherent coefficients of u and v series from the same measurement points successfully detected the occurrence and the scale of these 3h motions, and the phase angle indicates their inside velocity structure is organized by the Q2 and Q4 events. The wavelet coherency analysis between different measurement points further reveals the incline feature of the 3h scale motions. All the features of this 3h motion found by the wavelet coherency analysis coincide well with the flow field that is created by the passing of hairpin packets.