Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Flow under Sluice Gates

Abstract

The flow characteristics upstream and downstream of sluice gates are studied experimentally and numerically using Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes two-dimensional simulations with a volume of fluid method. Special attention was brought to large opening and submergence, a frequent situation in distribution canals that is little seldom addressed in the literature. Experimental results obtained by ADV measurements provide mean velocity distributions and turbulence characteristics. The flow is shown to be mostly two-dimensional. Velocity fields were simulated using renormalization group k-epsilon and Reynolds stress model turbulence models, leading to an estimation of energy and momentum correction coefficients, head loss, and bed friction. The contraction coefficient is also shown to increase with gate opening at large submergence, which is consistent with the energy-momentum balance. This result can be used to derive accurate discharge equations.