EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE ENERGY DISSIPATION IN THE STEPPED CHANNELS: COMPARISON WITH THE EMPIRICAL MODEL

Abstract

Water flowing over stepped chute can dissipate a major proportion of its energy. To show the importance of studying these flows, we made an experimental approach in the laboratory of civil engineering at the University of Laghouat (Algeria), in three models: model A (4cm x 4cm x7.5cm) , model B (8cm x 8cm x 7.5cm), and model C (12cm x 12 cm x 7.5 cm). In what follows, we set the rate of flow and vary the slope of the channel. As result, the effect of the rate flow allowed us to see that: For low flows, the energy dissipation (nappe flow) is maximum is around 95% for the three models. For a large flow, the energy dissipation (nappe flow) is minimal and in the order of 82%, 80% and 77% for models A, B and C respectively, The energy dissipation relative maximum and minimum flows in skimming flow are of the order of 73% and 70% respectively.