Gate Regulation Speed and Transition Process of Unsteady Flow in Channel*

The operation methods of channel and the speed of gate regulation have great influence on the transformation of flow in water conveyance channels. Based on characteristics method, a 1-D unsteady flow numerical model for gate regulation was established in this study. The process of water flow was simulated under different boundary conditions. The influence of gate regulation speed and channel operation methods on flow transition process was analyzed. The numerical results show that under the same conditions, with increasing regulation speed of the gate, the change rates of discharge and water level increase, while the response time of channel becomes shorter, and ultimately the discharge and water level will transit to the same equilibrium states. Moreover, the flow is easier to reach stable state, if the water level in front of the sluice is kept constant, instead of behind the sluice. This study will be important to the scheme design of automatic operation control in water conveyance channels.