Evolution of Flow Velocities in a Rectangular Channel with Homogeneous Bed Roughness

The flow velocity above large scale roughness is investigated for low and steep slope between 0 and 4%. The experiments were conducted in the laboratory of Fluid Mechanics Institute of Toulouse-IMFT. For the velocity measurement, the channel is equipped with a fast camera and a lightening system. The originality of the study lies in the application of a particle tracking technique (Particle Tracking Velocimetry). It is a non-intrusive measurement technique to measure instantaneous velocity in two-dimensional fields in stationary and unsteady flows. Analysis of the results is performed by processing images taken by the camera using a developed detection algorithm. A logarithmic distribution has been found for the velocity profiles which are influenced by roughness and slope. The obtained results show a depression of the maximum speed below the free surface. This behavior indicates a delay of the flow in the vicinity of the free surface and this is a direct consequence of the secondary flows presence in these areas.