Near-Full-Scale Hydraulic Modeling of Fish-Friendly Culvert with Full-Height Sidewall Baffles

Abstract

The adoption of baffles is relatively common in the construction of culverts, to assist with the upstream passage of migrating fish species. However, there still is a lack of systematic studies of the complicated hydraulic conditions induced by the baffles to optimize the designs. Herein, near-full-scale physical modeling was performed, focusing on the oscillation and instability of open-channel flow in a fish-friendly culvert equipped with full-height sidewall baffles. High-resolution measurements of the instantaneous flow velocity were obtained using an acoustic Doppler velocimeter. The physical results were marked by the existence of some low-frequency oscillations. A triple decomposition technique was applied to the free-surface and velocity time series. The low-pass components confirmed a unique flow structure, consisting of a high-velocity zone in the main channel and a low-velocity flow reversal within the lateral cavities. The band-pass components corresponded to the low-frequency flow oscillations, highlighting the complicated transverse interactions between the lateral cavity and the main channel. The high-pass velocity components were related to the true turbulence characteristics. This study provides a quantitative data set in support of the sustainable design of culverts to assist with upstream fish migration in artificial and natural fast waterways.