Experimental study of friction factor for groundwater flow in a single rough fracture

To study the relationships between the friction factor f and the flow type in a single rough fracture, the formulae of f for both unconfined and confined flows are deduced based on previous studies. The relationships between f and the Reynolds number (Re) for different relative roughnesses are investigated experimentally. The Moody-type diagram, based on the deduced formula of f, is also plotted and the hydraulic characteristics of the flow in a rough fracture are analyzed. Results show that the Moody-type diagram of the experiment has a similar distribution to that of the conventional Moody diagram. It is found that the value of f in the experiment is much smaller than that of the conventional Moody diagram and turbulent flow appears easier for rough fractures, which can be explained by the separation phenomenon in boundary layers. The critical Re ranging from 650 to 700 in rough fractures is concluded based on the experimental results. It also can be concluded that the friction factor f is related not only with the Re and the relative roughness but also with the absolute roughness.