Experimental study on triangular central baffle flume

In this paper the results of the experiments performed to study the flow through a Triangular Central Baffle Flume (TCBF) are reported. The investigated flume consists of a triangular baffle of the apex angle of 75° with a given base width. The theoretical stage-discharge formula was deduced by applying the Buckingham's Theorem and incomplete self-similarity hypothesis and was calibrated using the laboratory measurements carried out in this investigation. The proposed stage-discharge formula is characterized by a mean absolute relative error of 7.4% and 72% of the data points are in an error range of ±5%. The results indicate that TCBF flume is characterized by a flow capacity higher than that of a typical central baffle flume. Experimental observations show that the contraction ratio is a key parameter to distinguish between free and submerged flow regimes through a TCBF. Finally, to identify the flow condition, submergence threshold condition was formulated.