Experimental study of wave propagation in open channels by using electronic circuits and comparison with theory

In this study, propagation of flood waves in open channels which is one of the importanttopics of hydromechanic science is investigated experimentally and theoretically.Experimental studies are carried out on an experimental set up which has been built inHydraulic Laboratory of Civil Engineering Department of Dokuz Eylül University.Theoretical analysis is performed by numerical solution of mathematical models given for onedimensional unsteady open channel flows, with the use of computer.Experimental set up comprises a rectangular open channel, a downstream containersupplying water to the system, an upstream container incorporated to the channel, and adevice manufactured to provide flood hydrograph.The wave characteristics are measured at three different sections located near upstreamend, approximately at the middle of the channel and near downstream end. The potentialdifference is provided by means of a power supply unit via electronical circuit and probes.These potential differences are related to water depths in the channel and a curve fittinganalysis is achieved. The experimental results are transferred to the computer by means ofActivedaq data card and its software.The differential equations defining the problem are solved by using computer programsbased on characteristics method and finite differences techniques, and the numerical resultsare compared to experimental ones.It is seen that the numerical results obtained from the implicit scheme are much more inaccord with experimental results. There is an agreement between the results obtained from theexplicit approach and those obtained from the characteristics method.