Experimental Investigation of Wave-Current Loads on a Bridge Shuttle-Shaped Cap–Pile Foundation

To scrutinize the characteristics of wave-current loads on a bridge shuttle-shaped cap–pile foundation,a 1:125 test model was considered in a laboratory flume.The inline,transverse and vertical wave–current forces acting on the shuttle-shaped cap-pile group model were measured considering both random waves and a combination of random waves with a current.The experimental results have shown that the wave-current forces can be well correlated with the wave height,the wavelength,the current velocity,the incident direction and the water level in the marine environment.An increase in the current velocity can lead to a sharp increase in the inline and transverse wave-current forces,while the vertical wave-current force decreases.Moreover,the wave-current forces are particularly strong when a combination of high tide,strong wave and strong current is considered.

Flume Experiment Investigation on Propagation Characteristics of Tidal Bore in A Curved Channel

Tidal bore is a special and intensive form of flow movement induced by tidal effect in estuary areas, which has complex characteristics of profile, propagation and flow velocity. Although it has been widely studied for the generation mechanism, propagation features and influencing factors, the curved channel will complicate the characteristics of tidal bore propagation, which need further investigation compared with straight channel. In this study, the flume experiments for both undular and breaking bores’ propagation in curved channel are performed to measure the freesurface elevation and flow velocity by ultrasonic sensors and ADV respectively. The propagation characteristics,including tidal bore height, cross-section surface gradient, tidal bore propagation celerity, and flow velocity are obtained for both sides of the curved channel. And three bore intensities are set for each type of tidal bores. The freesurface gradients are consistently enlarged in high-curvature section for undular and breaking bores, but have distinct behaviors in low-curvature section. The spatial distributions of tidal bore propagation celerity and flow velocity are compared between concave and convex banks. This work will provide experimental reference for engineering design of beach and seawall protection, erosion reduction and siltation promotion in estuary areas with the existence of tidal bores.

Sedimentary characteristics and internal architecture of a river-dominated delta controlled by autogenic process:implications from a flume tank experiment

Autogenic processes are widely found in various sedimentary systems and they play an important role in the depositional evolution and corresponding sedimentary architecture.However,autogenic processes are often affected by changing allogenic factors and are difficult to be identified and analyzed from modern and ancient records.Through the flume tank experiment under constant boundary conditions,the depositional process,evolution principles,and the sedimentary architecture of a river-dominated delta was presented,and a corresponding sedimentary architecture model was constructed.The evolution of river-dominated delta controlled only by autogenic process is obviously periodic,and each autogenic cycle can be divided into an initial progradational stage,a middle retrogratational stage,and a late aggradational–progradational stage.In the initial progradational stage,one feeder channel incised into the delta plain,mouth bar(s)was formed in front of the channel mouth,and small-scale crevasse splays were formed on the delta plain.In the middle retrogradational stage,the feeder channel was blocked by the mouth bar(s)which grew out of water at the end of the initial stage,and a set of large-scale distributary splay complexes were formed on the delta plain.These distributary splay complexes were retrogradationally overlapped due to the continuous migration of the bifurcation point of the feeder channel.In the late aggradational–progradational stage,the feeder channel branched into several radial distributary channels,overlapped distributary channels were formed on the delta plain,and terminal lobe complexes were formed at the end of distributary channels.The three sedimentary layers formed in the three stages constituted an autogenic succession.The experimental delta consisted of six autogenic depositional successions.Dynamic allocation of accommodation space and the following adaptive sediments filling were the two main driving factors of the autogenic evolution of deltas.

Experimental Study of Pore Water Pressure and Bed Profile Change Under Regular Breaking Waves

There lies a close relationship between the seabed destruction and the distribution of pore water pressure under the action of breaking wave. The experiments were carried out in a wave flume with a 1：30 sloping sandy seabed to study regular breaking wave induced pore water pressure. A wide range of measurements from the regular wave runs were reported, including time series of wave heights, pore pressures. The video records were analysed to measure the time development of the seabed form and the characteristics of the orbital motion of the sand in the wave breaking region. The pore water pressure in the breaker zone showed the time variation depending on the wave phases including wave breaking and bore propagation. The time-averaged pore water pressure was higher near the seabed surface. The peak values of pore water pressure increase significantly at the breaking point. The direction of pore water pressure difference forces in the breaker zone is of fundamental importance for a correct description of the sediment dynamics. The upwards- directed pressure differences may increase sand transport by reducing the effective weight of the sediment, thereby increasing the bed form evolution. The seabed configuration changed greatly at the wave breaking zone and a sand bar was generated remarkably. The amplitude of the pore water pressure changed with the seabed surface. The results are to improve the understanding of sand transport mechanisms and seabed responses due to breaking regular waves over a sloping sandy bed.

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of A Vertical-Axis Eccentric-disc Variable-Pitch Turbine(VEVT)

A combined experimental and numerical investigation is carried out to study the performance of a vertical-axis eccentric-disc variable-pitch turbine(VEVT).A scheme of eccentric disc pitch control mechanism based on doubleblock mechanism is proposed.The eccentric control mechanism and the deflection angle control mechanism in the pitch control structure are designed and optimized according to the functional requirements of the turbine,and the three-dimensional model of the turbine is established.Kinematics analysis of the eccentric disc pitch control mechanism is carried out.Kinematics parameters and kinematics equations which can characterize its motion characteristics are derived.Kinematics analysis and simulation are carried out,and the motion law of the corresponding mechanical system is obtained.By analyzing the force and motion of blade of VEVT,the expressions of the important parameters such as deflection angle,attack angle and energy utilization coefficient are obtained.The lateral induced velocity coefficient is acquired by momentum theorem,the hydrodynamic parameters such as energy utilization coefficient are derived,and the hydrodynamic characteristics of VEVT are also obtained.The experimental results show that the turbine has good energy capture capability at different inflow velocities of different sizes and directions,which verifies that VEVT has good self-startup performance and high energy capture efficiency.

Experimental Investigation of the Response of Monopiles in Silty Seabed to Regular Wave Action

Excessive displacement responses of monopiles affect the serviceability of offshore structures.Related to complicated pile−seabed−wave interactions,the actual behavior of monopiles in silty seabed under periodic wave action remains unclear,and relevant studies in the literature are limited.A series of experiments were conducted in a wave flume containing single piles in silty seabed with relative density of 0.77 subjected to regular waves.Two stages of wave loading were applied successively,accompanied by data recording which included pore water pressure,water surface elevation,pile head displacement,and pile strain.Development of pile-head displacement and pore pressure in silty seabed was the main focus,but the effects of pile diameter,pile type,and pile stiffness were also investigated.The experimental results indicate that,in silty seabed,piles of large diameter or with fins accelerate soil liquefaction,resulting in strengthened soil which allows a higher upper boundary of pore pressure.Using fins at deeper locations led to a quick failure of the piles,but the opposite result was observed with an increase in fin dimensions.Once pile-head displacement entered its rapid development period,the wave load calculated via the pile moment was an overestimation,especially for the piles of large diameter.

Experimental Simulation Study of the Dominant Enrichment Area of Terrestrial Organic Matter in the Shallow-Delta Sedimentary System of the Yacheng Formation in the Qiongdongnan Basin

Shallow-delta sedimentary systems receive both terrestrial and marine organic matter. As oil and gas exploration activities determine that the source rocks of the deep-water area of the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea, are generally rich in and even dominated by terrestrial organic matter, this has led many researchers to examine the rules governing terrestrial organic matter enrichment in shallow-delta sea sedimentary systems. However, the deep burial of source rocks in deep-water areas and the relatively small amount of drilling undertaken have greatly restricted the study of these rules. In this study, the ‘forward modeling' research method was used to observe and analyze the deposition and preservation of terrestrial organic matter through flume experiments, where the depositional results were carefully depicted and sampled. The total organic carbon content of selected samples was measured and when combined with qualitative observations and quantitative comparison results, the dominant enrichment areas of terrestrial organic matter were identified. The experimental results show that the overbank parts of the delta front, the dune countercurrent surface, the low-lying parts, the delta front slope area and the shallow-prodelta sea area are where terrestrial organic matter is predominantly enriched. This provides an important basis and guidance for the prediction of the development areas of marine source rocks with terrestrial input in the deep-water areas of the Qiongdongnan Basin.

Flume Experiment on Stream Blockage by the Debris Flow From Tributary

Stream blockage by the debris flow from tributary valleys is a common phenomenon in mountainous area,which takes place when large quantities of sediment transported by debris flow reaches a river channel causing its complete or partial blockage.The dam formed by debris flow may causes upstream and downstream flooding,and presents great threat to people and property.Because of the catastrophic influence on people and property,debris-flow dam has attracted many attentions from the researchers and local adm...

Hydrodynamic Characteristics of the Biplane-Type Otter Board with the Canvas Through Flume−Tank Experiment

Hydrodynamic characteristics of a biplane-type otter board,equipped with nylon canvas of 2 mm in thickness was investigated through flume-tank experiment in this study.A series of predesigned structures with different gap-chord ratios G/c(0.75,0.90,1.05),stagger anglesθ(30°,45°,60°),and proportions of flexible area relative to the whole wing areaƒr(0,55%,65%,75%),at an aspect ratio of 2.0 and a camber ratio of 15%,were experimentally carried out.The results showed the solution referring to the usage of flexible canvas replacing part of rigid structure for the biplane-type otter board was efficient for the trawling in the middle or shallow water area.The improvement of lift and stability for the biplane-type otter board was concluded,and drag of the structure was reduced by 1.9%atƒr=55%.In addition,the coefficient of variation of the lift and drag coefficient at different current velocities were 2.69%and 2.28%,respectively,which was smaller than those at relatively large proportion of the flexible area.Compared with the other tested structures,the frame-type flexible structure with the gap-chord ratio of 0.9 and a stagger angle of 45°and the proportion of the flexible area of 55%,performed best,and its drag was reduced by 5.72%and lift increased by 4.8%,compared with the rigid biplane-type otter board at the angles of attack from 18°to 28°.

Modeling of breaching parameters for debris flow dams

The debris flow dam is a common type of barrier dams,which shows significant differences from other types of barrier dam such as landslide dam,moraine dam in their formation processes,dam body shapes,and internal compositions.The basic breaching parameters such as flood peak discharge are vital indicators of risk assessment.In this study,we elucidated the failure process of the debris flow dam through the flume experiment,and built the calculation equation of the breaching parameters by selecting critical factors.The result shows that the overtopping failure process of the debris flow dam is capable of forming significantly retrogressive scarps,and the failure process experiences three stages,the formation of the retrogressive scarp,the erosion of the retrogressive scarp,and the decline of the retrogressive scarp.Five factors used for establishing the calculation equations for peak discharge(Qp),final width(Wb)of the breach,and duration(T)of the debris flow dam failure are dam height(h),reservoir capacity(V),the fine grain content(P0.075)of the soil,the nonuniformity coefficient(Cu)of the soil,and the upper limit grain size(D90)of the soil,respectively.In the three equations,the correlation coefficients between Qp,Wb,T and the five factors were 0.86,0.70,0.63,respectively.The equations still need to be modified and verified in actual cases.

Local Scour and the Laws of Scour Pit's Shape Downstream of Debris Flow Sabo Dam

The erosion shape and the law of development of debris flow sabo dam downstream is a weak part in the study on debris flow erosion. The shape and development of scour pit have an important effect on the stability and safety of debris flow sabo dam, which determines the foundational depth of the dam and the design of protective measures downstream. Study on the scouring law of sabo dam downstream can evaluate the erosion range and reasonably arrange auxiliary protective engineering. Therefore, a series of flume experiments are carried out including different debris flow characteristics （density is varying from 1.5 t/m3 to 2.1 t/m~） and different gully longitudinal slopes. The result shows that the scour pit appears as an oval shape in a plane and deep in the middle while superficial at the ends in the longitudinal section, the position of the maximum depth point moves towards downstream with an increase of flume slope angle. The maximum depth of scour pit is mainly affected by the longitudinal slope of gully, density of debris flow, and the characteristics of gully composition （particle size and the viscosity of soil）. The result also indicates that the viscosity of soil will weaken the erosion extent. The interior slopes of scour pit are different between the upstream and the downstream, and the downstream slope is smaller than the upper one. For the viscous and non-viscous sands with the same distribution of gradation, the interior slope of non- viscous sand is smaller than the viscous sand.According to tbe regression analysis on the experimental data, the quantitative relationship between the interior slope of scour pit, slope of repose under water and the longitudinal slope of gully is established and it can be used to calculate the interior slope of scour pit. The results can provide the basis for the parameter design of the debris flow control engineering foundation.

A Comparative Study on Hydrodynamic Performance of Double Deflector Rectangular Cambered Otter Board

In the present work,the hydrodynamic performance of the double deflector rectangular cambered otter board was studied using wind tunnel experiment,flume tank experiment and numerical simulation.Results showed that the otter board had a good hydrodynamic performance with the maximum lift-to-drag ratio(K_(MAX) = 3.70).The flow separation occurred when the angle of attack(AOA) was at 45?,which revealed that the double deflector structure of the otter board can delay the flow separation.Numerical simulation results showed a good agreement with experiment ones,and could predict the critical AOA,which showed that it can be used to study the hydrodynamic performance of the otter board with the advantage of flow visualization.However,the drag coefficient in flume tank was much higher than that in wind tunnel,which resulted in a lower lift-to-drag ratio.These may be due to different fluid media between flume tank and wind tunnel,which result in the big difference of the vortexes around the otter board.Given the otter boards are operated in water,it was suggested to apply both flume tank experiment and numerical simulation to study the hydrodynamic performance of otter board.

Hydrodynamic characteristics of the double-winged otter board in the deep waters of the Mauritanian Sea

In this paper, we tested the hydrodynamic characteristics of a new, double-winged otter board that consists of a forewing, a leading edge slat and a trailing edge flap. Flume experiments were conducted in a circulating flume tank by using a model with an aspect ratio(AR) of 0.85 and a horizontal planform area( S) of 0.09 m^2. The results indicated that the critical angle( α_(cr)) of the model was 44°, whereas the maximum lift coefficient( C_(Lmax)) was up to 1.715, and the door efficiency( K) was 1.122. The attack angle( α) ranged from 30° to 48° and from 10° to 46° when the lift coefficient( C_L) and door efficiency( K) were greater than 1.2 and 1.0, respectively. To compare the difference between double-winged otter board and traditional Morgere Polyvalent Ovale, same model of Morgere Polyvalent Ovale was also tested under the same experimental conditions. The critical angle( α_(cr)) and maximum of lift coefficient( C_(Lmax)) of the doublewinged otter board were 37.5% and 14.6% larger than those of the Morgere Polyvalent Ovale. Therefore, we concluded that the novel, double-winged otter board was more suitable for bottom trawling fisheries in the deep water of the Mauretania Sea due to its better hydrodynamic characteristics and stability.

Calculation of the ultimate depth of a scour pit after debris flow through drainage canal ribs

Drainage canals are engineering structures widely used for debris flow mitigation.When passing through a drainage canal,debris flow usually scours the gully bed at the back of the rib sill of the drainage canal,which leads to failure of the rib sill.Therefore,the scour depth at the back of the rib sill is an important design problem and it is related to the economic benefits of engineering and service years.To explore the law of the depth of the scour pit after debris flow through drainage canal ribs,we first proposed a formula for the calculation of the maximum scour depth at the back of a rib sill based on energy conservation.We then conducted a series of simulation experiments to test the proposed formula.The experimental results show that the scour depth,trench slope and the distance between ribs all increase with a decrease in debris flow density.We then compared the results of experiments and formula calculations.Through the testing analysis,we found that the calculation results of the conductedformula correspond with the experimental results better.Finally,taking Qipan Gully as an example,we designed the ultimate depth of a drainage canal for debris flow using the calculation formula.

Natural consolidation characteristics of viscous debris flow deposition

Pore water pressure and water content are important indicators to both deposition and consolidation of debris flows, enabling a direct assessment of consolidation degree. This article gained a more comprehensive understanding about the entire consolidation process and focused on exploring pore water pressure and volumetric water content variations of the deposit body during natural consolidation under different conditions taking the viscous debris flow mass as a study subject and by flume experiments. The results indicate that, as the color of the debris changed from initial dark green to grayish-white color, the initial deposit thickness declined by 3% and 2.8% over a permeable and impermeable sand bed, respectively. A positive correlation was observed between pore water pressure and depth in the deposit for both scenarios, with deeper depths being related to greater pore water pressure. For the permeable environment, the average dissipation rate of pore water pressure measured at depths of 0.10 m and 0.05 m were 0.0172 Pa/d and 0.0144 Pa/d, respectively, showing a positivechanging trend with increasing depth. Under impermeable conditions, the average dissipation rates at different depths were similar, while the volumetric water content in the deposit had a positive correlation with depth. The reduction of water content in the deposit accelerated with depth under impermeable sand bed boundary conditions, but was not considerably correlated with depth under permeable sand bed boundary conditions. However, the amount of discharged water from the deposit was greater and consolidation occurred faster in permeable conditions. This indicates that the permeability of the boundary sand bed has a significant impact on the progress of consolidation. This research demonstrates that pore water and pressure dissipations are present during the entire viscous debris consolidation process. Contrasting with dilute flows, pore pressure dissipation in viscous flows cannot be completed in a matter of minutes or even hours, requiring longer completion time — 3 to 5 days and even more. Additionally, the dissipation of the pore water pressure lagged the reduction of the water content. During the experiment, the dissipation rate fluctuated substantially, indicating a close relationship betweenthe dissipation process and the physical properties of broadly graded soils.

Effects of simulated submerged and rigid vegetation and grain roughness on hydraulic resistance to simulated overland flow

Better understanding of the role of vegetation and soil on hydraulic resistance of overland flow requires quantitative partition of their interaction. In this paper, a total of 144 hydraulic flume experiments were carried out to investigate the hydraulic characteristics of overland flow. Results show that hydraulic resistance is negatively correlated with Reynolds number on non-simulated vegetated slopes, while positively on vegetated slopes. The law of composite resistance agrees with the dominant resistance, depending on simulated vegetation stem,surface roughness, and discharge. Surface roughness has greater influence on overland flow resistance than vegetation stem when unit discharge is lower than the low-limited critical discharge, while vegetation has a more obvious influence when unit discharge is higher than the upper-limited critical discharge. Combined effects of simulated vegetation and surface roughness are unequal to the sum of the individual effects through t-test, implying the limitation of using linear superposition principle in calculating overland flow resistances under combined effect of roughness elements.

Seismism and Fluxoturbidite in Front of Delta

Seism is one of the main triggering mechanisms of forming fluxoturbidite in front of delta. The forming process of fluxoturbidite in front of delta under seismism was experimentally simulated in lab. The results show that there are two kinds of slumping and three kinds of fluxoturbidites in front of delta under seismism. The liquefied fluxo- turbidite and secondary overlapped turbidite move by their own gravity, and develop mainly on the base of foreslope and the frontal bed slope. They have a small sedimentary scale and can’t move too far. On the contrary, the faulted fluxoturbidites have a larger scale and can move a long distance. The collision- power from hinder overlapped sand body is also the motivity of the faulted fluxoturbidite’s migration besides its own gravity. They mostly develop in the deep sag in front of delta, and are the favorable room to accumulate petroleum. Finally, according to the demonstration and inversion of similarity, at least 7.35 M of earthquake had happened in middle- Shasan period of Paleogene, which induced the slumping of delta front. So the tectonic action of northern steep slope is the main reason to induce earth- quake.

Wave Height Distribution for Spilling Waves in and outside the Surf Zone

The wave characteristics affecting coastal sediment transport include wave height, wave period and breaking wave direction. Wave height is a critical factor in determining the amount of sediment transport in the coastal area. The force of sediment transport is much more intense under breaking waves than under non-breaking waves. Breaking waves exhibit various patterns, principal- ly depending on the incident wave steepness and the beach slope. Based on the equations of con- servation of mass, momentum and energy, a theoretical model for wave deformation in and outside the surf zone was obtained, which is used to calculate the wave shoaling, wave set-up and set- down and wave height distributions in and outside the surf zone. The analysis and comparison were made about the breaking point location and the wave height decay caused by the wave breaking and the bottom friction. Flume experiments relating to the spilling wave height distribution across the surf zone were conducted to verify the theoretical model. Advanced wave maker, data sampling de- vices and data processing system were utilized in the flume experiments with a slope covered by sands of different diameters to facilitate the observation and research on the wave transformation and breaking. The agreement between the theoretical and experimental results is good.

Scour around submarine pipes due to high-amplitude transient waves

Estimation of scour dimensions below submarine pipelines is a vital step in designing offshore infrastructure.Extreme events like tsunami waves produce strong erosive forces below the underwater pipes,apt to create scour holes,jeopardizing the safety of the structure.Despite the importance of this issue,previous studies have mainly focused on steady flow cases,and the scour pattern below submarine pipes induced by high-amplitude transient waves has rarely been investigated.This paper reports the results of 40 experimental runs on transient wave-induced scour below a model pipe in a laboratory flume under a variety of initial conditions.The variables included the bed particle size and gradation,initial water depth,wave height,and slope of the bed layer.Waves were generated by a sudden release of water from a sluice gate,installed in the middle of the flume.A pressure transducer data acquisition system was used to record the wave heights at different time steps.The results indicate that,with a shallower initial depth of flow,the scour depth is relatively large.It was also found that there exists a direct correlation between the induced wave height and the size of the scour hole.It was observed that,in clear water conditions,the size of the scour hole in coarse sediments is smaller,while in live-bed conditions,larger scour holes are created in coarser sediments.It was also observed that at high wave amplitudes,the live-bed conditions are dominant,and consequently the bed elevation is altered.

Connector configuration effect on the dynamic characteristics of multi-modular floating structure

In this study,a wave flume experiment is implemented in order to investigate the effect of connector topology on the dynamic characteristics of a modular floating structure.Three configurations of flexible connectors were designed for the experiment tests of a three-modular floating platform under various wave conditions.The results illustrate the module responses,relative displacements of connecting points between adjacent modules,and connector loads for floating structures with different types of connectors in the parameters region of non-dimensional module length.The comparison study demonstrates that the connector type III,which can provide appropriate constraint stiffness in all three degrees of freedom,generally delivers better dynamic stability to the floating platform.The longitudinal loads for the three types of connectors remain at the same level.Additionally,the mechanism of different types of connec-tors on the dynamic features of system is analyzed.This work can provide a few experimental guidelines for the connector design of floating structure in engineering practice.