Experimental Investigation of Curved Trash Screens
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 146, Issue 6
Abstract
Conventional trash screens are widely used to prevent debris from being transported to downstream reaches of waterways and to allow safe passage along the same waterways. However, debris accumulation at the screens can significantly affect their hydraulic performance, resulting in negative economic and environmental consequences. Thus, this study aims to find applicable solutions for a range of screen arrangements and blockage ratios to reduce the negative hydraulic impacts caused by using the classical screen. This paper reports the results of a laboratory investigation of trash screen models in which four screen angles to the flow direction, four blockage ratios, and five flow discharges are studied. A novel curved screen shape () and circular bars were developed, methodically investigated, and compared to classical screens with respect to their head losses and the downstream screen velocities. The results demonstrate that the curved screens are more advantageous than the classical screens used in open channels because of the appreciably reduced head loss coefficients and improved hydraulic performance. New head loss relationship prediction formulas are developed with the tested parameters, which are strongly interrelated, for optimum engineering solutions.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The support provided by the Channel Maintenance Research Institute (CMRI) and the National Water Research Center (NWRC) for this research is gratefully acknowledged.
References
Albayrak, I., C. R. Kriewitz, W. H. Hager, and R. M. Boes. 2018. “An experimental investigation on louvres and angled bar racks.” J. Hydraul. Res. 56 (1): 59–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2017.1289265.
Baines, W. D., and E. G. Peterson. 1951. “An investigation of flow through screens.” Trans. Am. Soc. Mech. Eng. 73: 467–480.
Blanc, J. 2013. “An analysis of the impact of trash screen design on debris related blockage at culvert inlets.” Ph.D. thesis, School of the Built Environment, Heriot-Watt Univ.
Bradley, J. B., D. L. Richards, and C. D. Bahner. 2005. Debris control structures: Evaluation and countermeasures. Washington, DC: USDOT, Federal Highway Administration.
Buckingham, E. 1914. “On physically similar systems—Illustrations of the use of dimensional equations.” Phys. Rev. 4 (13): 345–376. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.4.345.
Chang, F. F. M., and H. W. Shen. 1979. Debris problems in the river environment. Washington, DC: USDOT, Federal Highway Administration.
Clark, S. P., J. M. Tsikata, and M. Haresign. 2010. “Experimental study of energy loss through submerged trashracks.” J. Hydraul. Res. 48 (1): 113–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221680903566026.
County, K. 2008. Knox County Tennessee stormwater management manual, technical guidance: Volume 2. Knoxville, TN: Dept. of Engineering and Public Works.
Diehl, T. H. 1997. Potential drift accumulation at bridges. Washington, DC: USDOT, Federal Highway Administration.
Di Stefano, C., and V. Ferro. 2016. “Stage–discharge relationship for an upstream inclined grid with transversal bars.” J. Irrig. Drain. Eng. 142 (2): 04015049. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000967.
Dongol, M. S. 1989. Effect of debris rafting on local scour at bridge piers. Auckland, New Zealand: School of Engineering, Univ. of Auckland.
EA (Environment Agency). 2002. Trash screens: Design and operation manual. Bristol, UK: EA.
EA (Environment Agency). 2009. Trash and security screen guide. Bristol, UK: EA.
Eraky, O. 2016. “Maximizing the hydraulic efficiency of aquatic weed barriers in open channel.” M.Sc. thesis, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo Univ.
Fellenius, W., and E. G. W. Lindquist. 1929. “Experiments on the head loss caused by protecting racks at water-power plants.” Hydraul. Lab. Pract. 533–538.
FHWA (Federal Highway Administration). 1971. Debris control structures: Hydraulic engineering circular no. 9. Washington, DC: FHWA.
Gamal, T. 2014. “Design and operation of floating weed’ barriers for controlling scour in open channels.” Ph.D. thesis, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams Univ.
Heller, V. 2011. “Scale effects in physical hydraulic engineering models.” J. Hydraul. Res. 49 (3): 293–306. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2011.578914.
Hughes, S. A. 1993. “Advanced series on ocean engineering 7.” In Physical models and laboratory techniques in coastal engineering. London: World Scientific.
Ibrahim, H., E. A. Osman, T. A. El-Samman, and M. Zayed. 2015. “Aquatic weed management upstream New Naga Hammady Barrages.” In Proc., 18th Int. Water Technology Conf., IWTC18. Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt: International Water Technology Association. https://doi.org/10.13140/rg.2.1.2510.8560.
Jones, J., J. C. Y. Guo, and B. Urbonas. 2006. “Safety on detention and retention pond designs.” StormWater, January 10, 2006.
Josiah, N. R., H. P. S. Tissera, and K. P. P. Pathirana. 2016. “An experimental investigation of head loss through trash racks in conveyance systems.” Engineer 49 (1): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.4038/engineer.v49i1.6913.
Kirschmer, O. 1926. Vol. 1 of Untersuchungen über den gefällsverlust an rechen. [In German.] Munich, Germany: Mitteilungen des hydraulischen Instituts der TH München.
Laws, E. M., and J. L. Livesey. 1978. “Flow through screens.” Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 10 (1): 247–266. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.fl.10.010178.001335.
Meusburger, H. 2002. “Energieverluste an einlaufrechen von flusskraftwerken.” [In German.] Ph.D. thesis, Bau-Ing, ETH-Zürich.
Meusburger, H., P. Volkart, and H. E. Minor. 2001. “A new improved formula for calculating trashrack losses.” In Proc., 29th IAHR Congress, 804–809. Beijing: International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research.
Novak, P., and J. Cabelka. 1981. Models in hydraulic engineering. Boston: Pitman.
Osborn, J. F. 1968. “Rectangular-bar trashrack and baffle headlosses.” J. Power Div. 94 (2): 111–124.
Pagliara, S., and I. Carnacina. 2010. “Temporal scour evolution at bridge piers: Effect of wood debris roughness and porosity.” J. Hydraul. Res. 48 (1): 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221680903568592.
Parola, A. C. 2000. Debris forces on highway bridges. Washington, DC: National Cooperative Highway Research Program.
Parola, A. C., D. J. Hagerty, and S. Kamojjala. 1998a. Vol. 417 of Highway infrastructure damage caused by the 1993 upper Mississippi river basin flooding. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board.
Parola, A. C., S. Kamojjala, J. Richardson, and M. Kirby. 1998b. “Numerical simulation of flow patterns at a bridge with debris.” Water Resour. Eng. 240–245.
Perham, R. E. 1987. Floating debris control: A literature review. Hanover, Germany: US Army Cold Regions Research Laboratory.
Raynal, S., L. Chatellier, D. Courret, M. Larinier, and L. David. 2013a. “An experimental study on fish-friendly trashracks—Part 2. Angled trashracks.” J. Hydraul. Res. 51 (1): 67–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2012.753647.
Raynal, S., D. Courret, L. Chatellier, M. Larinier, and L. David. 2013b. “An experimental study on fish-friendly trashracks—Part 1. Inclined trashracks.” J. Hydraul. Res. 51 (1): 56–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2012.753646.
Reihsen, G., and L. J. Harrison. 1971. Debris-control structures. Washington, DC: USDOT, Federal Highway Administration.
Schalko, I., L. Schmocker, V. Weitbrecht, and R. M. Boes. 2018. “Backwater rise due to large wood accumulations.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 144 (9): 04018056. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001501.
Schmocker, L., and W. H. Hager. 2013. “Scale modelling of wooden debris accumulation at a debris rack.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 139 (8): 827–836. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000714.
Spangler, J. 1929. “Investigation of the loss through trash racks inclined obliquely to the stream flow.” Hydraul. Lab. Pract. 461–470.
Stefan, H. G., and A. Fu. 1978. Headloss characteristics of six profile-wire screen panels. Minneapolis: St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory, Univ. of Minnesota.
Syamalarao, B. C. 1989. “A review of trashrack failures and related investigations.” Int. Water Power Dam Constr. 41 (1): 28–36.
Taylor, G. I. 1944. Air resistance of a flat plate of very porous material. London: HMSO.
Taylor, G. I., G. K. Batchelor, H. L. Dryden, and G. B. Schubauer. 1949. “The effect of wire gauze on small disturbances in a uniform stream.” Q. J. Mech. Appl. Math. 2 (1): 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmam/2.1.1.
Tyler, R. N. 2011. River debris: Causes, impacts, and mitigation techniques. Fairbanks, AK: Alaska Center Energy Power, Univ. Alaska Fairbanks.
Wahl, T. L. 1992. Trash control structures and equipment: A literature review and survey of Bureau of reclamation experience. Denver: US Bureau of Reclamation.
Wallerstein, N., C. R. Thorne, and S. R. Abt. 1997. Debris control at hydraulic structures in selected areas of the United States and Europe. Vicksburg, MS: US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station.
Yeh, H. H., and M. Shrestha. 1989. “Free-surface flow through screen.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 115 (10): 1371–1385. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1989)115:10(1371).
Zayed, M., A. El Molla, and M. Sallah. 2018a. “An experimental investigation of head loss through a triangular ‘V-shaped’ screen.” J. Adv. Res. 10 (2018): 69–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2017.12.005.
Zayed, M., A. El Molla, and M. Sallah. 2018b. “An experimental study on angled trash screen in open channels.” Alexandria Eng. J. 57 (4): 3067–3074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2018.05.005.
Zimmermann, J. 1969. Widerstand schräg angeströmter Rechengitter [Resistance of racks caused by oblique inflow]. [In German.] Karlsruhe, Germany: Theodor-Rehbock-Flußbaulaboratorium, Universität Fridericana Karlsruhe, DE.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 6 • June 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 14, 2019
Accepted: Jan 7, 2020
Published online: Apr 9, 2020
Published in print: Jun 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Sep 9, 2020
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.