Secondary Currents and Sediments Control by Delta Vanes in Open Channels

Abstract

The streamwise development of pairs of longitudinal vortices and their effects on the sediments were investigated experimentally for different vortex pair configuraions. Three-components velocity measurements have been made in an open channel flow with a vortex pair artificially generated by two delta vanes protruding from the flatbed. The experimental results showed that delta vanes produced sand ribbons and controlled the longitudinal vortices, the mean motion of the vortex centers qualitatively followed a vortex filament model and the vortices with the flow depth spacing indicated a significant interaction between them.