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Virginia Tech

Flow through Rigid Vegetation Hydrodynamics

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Better understanding of the role of vegetation in the transport of fluid and pollutants requires improved knowledge of the detailed flow structure within the vegetation. Instead of spatial averaging, this study uses discrete measurements at multiple locations within the canopy to develop velocity and turbulence intensity profiles and observe the changes in the flow characteristics as water travels through a vegetation array simulated by rigid dowels. Velocity data were collected with a one dimensional laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) under single layer emergent and submerged flow conditions, and through two layers of vegetation. The effects of dowel arrangement, density, and roughness are also examined under the single layer experiments. The results show that the velocity within the vegetation array is constant with depth and the velocity profile is logarithmic above it. The region immediately behind a dowel, where the vorticity and turbulence intensity are highest, is characterized by a velocity spike near the bed and an inflection point near the top of the dowel arrays. With two dowel layers, the velocity profile in the region behind a tall dowel exhibits multiple inflection points and the highest turbulence intensities are found there.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Civil Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Civil Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2008

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Liu, David
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Diplas, Panayiotis
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Gutierrez, Marte S.
  • Hession, W. Cully

Subjects

dc:subject × 6

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-09152008-092311
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/35068

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Liu, David. Flow through Rigid Vegetation Hydrodynamics. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35068