Daniele Pietro Viero

Open channel flow through a linear contraction

In this work we study the open channel flow through a linear contraction. We focus on the flow configuration with a two-dimensional jump in the contraction discussed by Akers and Bokhove [Phys. Fluids 20, 056601 (2008)] and propose a simple quasi-two-dimensional model to assess equilibrium conditions and explore their stability. We show that both bed friction and bed slope contribute to the stability of this flow configuration, which otherwise would be unstable. Results of the theoretical model are compared to both experimental data and the results of numerical simulations, and the comparison confirms the reliability of the proposed model. We also show that channel flow through a linear contraction can experience two different nested hysteretic loops.

Bed friction effects on the stability of a stationary hydraulic jump in a rectangular upward sloping channel

The issue of the bed friction effect on the stability of a stationary hydraulic jump in a rectangular upward sloping channel is investigated through a combined theoretical and experimental approach. The theoretical stability criterion proposed by Defina and Susin [Phys. Fluids 15, 3883 (2003)] is generalized to include rough wall flows. The results of an extensive series of experiments are then presented. The adopted experimental procedure is detailed, and results are compared with theoretical predictions. It is shown that the proposed stability criterion successfully predicts both the stable and unstable behavior of the jump for smooth and rough wall flow, at least in the range of small upward bottom slopes.

Numerical study of the Guderley and Vasilev reflections in steady two-dimensional shallow water flow

We present high-resolution numerical solutions of the depth-averaged two-dimensional inviscid shallow water equations which provide new information on shock reflection configuration within the von Neumann paradox conditions. The computed flow field and shock wave patterns close to the triple point for the Guderley and the Vasilev reflections confirm the four-wave theory. We suggest that the most likely Guderley reflection model is a four-wave pattern with a compression wave that originates along the downstream boundary of the supercritical patch. The compression wave, after being refracted by the slip stream, turns the flow behind the Guderley stem further toward the wall until critical condition is achieved.

Free surface waves induced by vortex shedding in cylinder arrays

ABSTRACT The paper presents and discusses the results of an accurate and extensive experimental investigation on the waves that originate when an array of cylinders is placed in an otherwise uniform open channel flow. The study was originally aimed at providing new and more accurate data to calibrate and validate a theoretical model recently proposed in the literature. However, two interesting characteristics of the phenomenon at hand, never reported in the literature, also emerged from the experimental study, i.e. (i) the wave produced by the cylinders is actually a metachronal wave rather than a pure transverse seiche; (ii) two different resonant conditions exist for each single wave mode, i.e. two typical Strouhal numbers characterize the resonance frequency of vortex shedding from the cylinders in an array. Evidence of the metachronal wave, as well as some preliminary data on the longitudinal component of this wave, are given in the paper. Also, the double resonance condition is experimentally demonstrated and discussed.

Extended theory of hydraulic hysteresis in open channel flow

AbstractThe occurrence of hysteresis in a supercritical, open-channel flow approaching an obstacle has been recognized and investigated both experimentally and theoretically over the last few decad...

Floods, landscape modifications and population dynamics in anthropogenic coastal lowlands: the Polesine (northern Italy) case study

It is widely recognized that the complex relationship between humans, soil, and water has become increasingly complicated due to anthropogenic activities, and is further expected to worsen in the future as a result of population dynamics and climate change. The present study aims at shedding light on the multifaceted links between floods, landscape modifications, and population dynamics in anthropogenic coastal lowlands, using a large flood-prone area (the Polesine Region, northeastern Italy) as a significant case study. Based on the analysis of historical events and the results of hydraulic modeling, it is shown that human interventions on both the landscape and the subsoil have substantially altered the flood dynamics, exacerbating hydraulic hazard. Furthermore, the combined analysis of people and assets exposure to inundation reveals that flood risk is not properly taken into account in land-use planning, nor it is properly understood by people living in areas subject to low-probability, high-impact flood events.

Multiple states in the flow through a sluice gate

Abstract This paper addresses the problem of hydraulic hysteresis for a supercritical open channel flow approaching a sluice gate when subcritical flow can establish downstream, against the gate. The possible flow configurations across the gate are classified on the basis of the Froude number of the incoming and downstream flows, and of the ratio of gate opening to the upstream supercritical flow depth. Within the above parameter space, two regions exist in which the problem admits a dual solution, that is, two different flow configurations can establish for the same gate opening and undisturbed flow conditions. In one of these regions, both smooth flow (i.e. the fluid flows under the gate without interacting with the gate) and free outflow conditions can establish; in the other region, both smooth flow and submerged flow can establish. For flow conditions in the above regions, the configuration that actually establishes depends on the previous history of the flow, thus implying the hysteretic character of the flow.