Experimental Study of Smooth Asymmetric Compound Channels Flow: An Investigation of the Interaction of Flow Using Scaling Argument for Prediction of Overall Discharge

A simple model for the apparent shear stress on the vertical interface between the floodplain and main channel in asymmetric smooth compound channels is proposed using experimental data obtained in this study. The turbulent structure, including Reynolds shear stress in asymmetric compound channel flows, is investigated for three different flow depths. The lateral distribution of the apparent shear stress obtained shows that the total apparent shear stress has a negative peak near the junction edge in the main channel. Furthermore, the intensity of the advection terms and the Reynold shear stress near the interface are investigated as the function of the bankfull height and floodplain width. The momentum transport due to Reynolds stress and secondary current between main channel and floodplain is finally modeled as depth ratio using scaling argument. The validation of the current model on three datasets shows an accurate prediction of overall discharge for the asymmetric smooth compound channels.