Laminar and Turbulent Overland Flow Hydrographs

An understanding of the physical flow phenomenon is important to the investigator as he formulates a computer-solved mathematical model to synthesize flow. To further this understanding this paper presents an application of the kinematic flow assumptions to the analysis of experimental overland-flow hydrograph data. The results of this analysis give an indication of flow regime, roughness, and the nature of the change from laminar to turbulent flow. The hydrographs are put in dimensionless form using the rainfall and the kinematic time to equilibrium as normalizing factors. Included is an analysis of a computer-solved mathematical model. The results from the data analysis are used in this model to synthesize a turbulent and a laminar hydrograph which compare favorably with the original experimental data.