THE EFFECT OF TWO LATERAL INFLOW CHANNELS ON MAIN CHANNEL DISCHARGE

Abstract

In this study, we examined the flow from two lateral inflow channels in a man-made open rectangular channel of an incompressible Newtonian fluid. The influence of cross-sectional area, length of two lateral inflow channels, and angles as they vary directly proportionally to each other for two lateral inflow channels from zero to ninety degrees on how they affect the flow rate in the main rectangular open channel were investigated. When the flow rate increases, the discharge increases as well, and when the flow velocity decreases, the discharge decreases as well, since the discharge is directly proportional to the flow velocity. The flow-regulating equations are the continuity and momentum equations of motion that are extremely nonlinear and cannot be solved by an exact method. The method of finite differences is then used to numerically compute an approximate solution to these partial differential equations because of its precision, consistency, stability and convergence. MATLAB software used to generate the results which are analyzed using graphs. The analysis found that the rise in lateral inflow channels' cross-sectional area increase the flow velocity in the main channel and decrease in lateral inflow channel length increases the flow velocity in the main channel. Furthermore, inclined lateral inflow channels at 450 increase the main channel's flow velocity more than 600 and 720, while 900 maintains the main channel's flow velocity constant.