Abstract

WANG, Zhongyu et al. Effects of vegetation height and relative submergence for rigid submerged vegetation on flow structure in open channel. Earth Sci. Res. J. [online]. 2022, vol.26, n.1, pp.39-46.  Epub Feb 12, 2023. ISSN 1794-6190.  https://doi.org/10.15446/esrj.v26n1.76187.

Vegetation commonly existing in natural rivers interact with water flow in a strongly nonlinear manner. In this research, vegetation height and a concept of relative submergence are adopted to experimentally investigate the effects of rigid submerged vegetation on flow structure. The results reveal that the relative submergences decrease along the submerged vegetation section. From the perspective of case-average, the linear relationship between water depth and vegetation height demonstrates a decrease trend of average relative submergence with the increase of vegetation height. The differences between the maximum and minimum water depths of submerged cases can be described by a positive linear function with vegetation height and a negative power function with relative submergence, by which, the raised water depths induced by vegetation block can be predicted under similar hydraulic conditions. The findings of the research, especially the introduction of relative submergence and its functional relationship with the water depth alternation induced by submerged vegetation, may improve the comprehensive understandings of the hydraulic behaviors in vegetated open channel and give some guidance to the practices of river ecological restoration.

Keywords : Rigid submerged vegetation; Vegetation height; Relative submergence; Flow structure; Water depth; Flow velocity distribution.

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