Use of bottom slots and submerged vanes for controlling sediment upstream of duckbill weirs

Abstract Duckbill weir is one of the water level control structures in irrigation networks, which is of interest to many engineers. Sediments transported in irrigation networks that accumulate upstream of duckbill weirs cause problems in operation, and affect the upstream water level. In this paper, submerged vanes and bottom slots are investigated for flushing the sediment downstream of the said weir. The experiments were conducted in a rectangular flume, 12 m long, and 0.6 m wide. The vanes placed in four sections were perpendicular to the sidewall. Flow-3D software was used for simulation of flow and sedimentation patterns. The results showed that submerged vanes create a secondary flow which is very useful for flushing the sediment, especially in the value of (H is head over the sidewall and P is the weir height). Further, the results showed duckbill weir efficiency (which is defined as the ratio of sediment trap to flow capacity of the weir) is as high as 47% (for values of H/P = 0.1–0.5 and total models). Finally, image processing results showed a maximum relative error of 14.4% for the simulation of the sediment pattern with Flow-3D software.

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Calibration of Stainless Steel-edged V-Notch Weir Stop Logs for Water Level Control Structures

Applied Engineering in Agriculture ◽

10.13031/aea.13350 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (5) ◽

pp. 745-749

Author(s):

L. E. Christianson ◽

R. D. Christianson ◽

A. E. Lipka ◽

S. Bailey ◽

J. Chandrasoma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stainless Steel ◽

Water Level ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Subsurface Drainage ◽

Conservation Practices ◽

Nutrient Loads ◽

Level Control ◽

Control Structures ◽

Flow Monitoring ◽

Flow Through

Abstract. Dependable flow rate measurements are necessary to calculate flow volumes and resulting nutrient loads from subsurface drainage systems and associated conservation practices. The objectives of this study were (1) to develop appropriate weir equations for a new stainless steel-edged 45° V-notch weir developed for AgriDrain inline water level control structures and (2) to determine if the equation was independent of flow depth in the structure. Weirs for 15 cm (6 in.) and 25 cm (10 in.) inline water level control structures were placed at three heights in each structure: at the base, 48 cm from the base, or 97 cm from the base, and the height of the nappe above the weir crest was recorded over a range of flow rates. The resulting data were fitted to equations of the form Q = aHb where Q is the flow rate, H is the height of the nappe above the weir crest, and a and b are fitted parameters. There were no significant differences in the fitted parameters across the two structure sizes or across the three weir placements. The fitted equation for these new stainless steel-edged V-notch weirs was Q = 0.011H2.28 with Q in liters per second and H in centimeters, and Q = 1.44H2.28, with Q in gallons per minute and H in inches. These equations can be used for measuring flow through AgriDrain in-line structures, although in-house weir calibration is highly recommended for specific applications, when possible. Keywords: Drainage, Flow monitoring, Subsurface drainage, V-notch weir, Weir calibration.

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