Double-louver gate for flow control in flumes = Compuerta de doble persiana para el control del flujo en canales artificiales.

Abstract

The downstream border condition of an open channel, subcritical flow in a laboratory flume is typically materialized through a gate, which imposes a gradually varied conditions upstream. A number of different gates are used for flow control, but the flow alteration they produce in most cases is unknown. In this paper, we analyze the effects of a double louver gate on the upstream flow in a laboratory flume. The flow properties are measured through a particle image velocimetry. Vertical velocity profiles, recirculation zones, and turbulent kinetic energy distributions are analyzed. Results show that the double louver gate is less flow-altering than the common vertical sluice gate, being best suited for the outflow control in flumes, as it conserves parallel streamlines, with a minimum deformation of the vertical velocity profiles, avoiding the formation of recirculation zones and concentrations of turbulent kinetic energy. The double-louver gate is recommended for its implementation in hydraulic laboratories.