Dam Break Wave of Thixotropic Fluid
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 3
Abstract
Thixotropy is the characteristic of a fluid to form a gelled structure over time when it is not subjected to shearing, and to liquefy when agitated. Thixotropic fluids are commonly used in the construction industry (e.g., liquid concrete and drilling fluids), and related applications include some forms of mud flows and debris flows. This paper describes a basic study of dam break wave with thixotropic fluid. Theoretical considerations were developed based upon a kinematic wave approximation of the Saint-Venant equations down a prismatic sloping channel. A very simple thixotropic model, which predicts the basic rheological trends of such fluids, was used. It describes the instantaneous state of fluid structure by a single parameter. The analytical solution of the basic flow motion and rheology equations predicts three basic flow regimes depending upon the fluid properties and flow conditions, including the initial “degree of jamming” of the fluid (related to its time of restructuration at rest). These findings were successfully compared with systematic bentonite suspension experiments. The present work is the first theoretical analysis combining the basic principles of unsteady flow motion with a thixotropic fluid model and systematic laboratory experiments.
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Acknowledgments
The writers thank Dr. Nicolas Roussel (Division BCC, LCPC Paris) for his valuable comments. They further acknowledge the technical assistance of the LMSGC.
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Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 132 • Issue 3 • March 2006
Pages: 280 - 293
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Sep 17, 2004
Accepted: Feb 11, 2005
Published online: Mar 1, 2006
Published in print: Mar 2006
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