International Journal of Sediment Research 27 (2012) 178-187

Experimental study on flow pattern and sediment transportation

at a 90° open-channel confluence
Tong-huan LIU1, Li CHEN2, and Bei-ling FAN3

Abstract
In this paper, the evolutions of flow pattern and sediment transportation at a 90° open-channel
confluence with different discharge ratios (q*) of the tributary flow to the total flow were studied. The
experimental result showed that the water surface profile at channel confluence was influenced by
tributary mixing action. The vertical distribution of the time-averaged flow velocities correlated with
the discharge ratio as well as with the flow regime. The increase of the discharge ratio q* induced a
gradually decline of the time-averaged velocity upstream of the confluence; high and low velocity
regions were generated as well and a back flow separation region was formed in the cross sections
downstream. When the discharge ratio q* was relatively large, the development of the separation
region was restricted. During scouring experiments with no supplementary sediment, the motion of
the bed load was intermittent and fluctuated, while the bed load discharge initially increased and then
decreased monotonically. When the water in the tributary was clear, the largest local scour appeared
near the shearing surface downstream of the confluence. The bed load transport rate and the
accumulative sediment transport amounted in time were recorded and analyzed for different discharge
ratios q* in each cases. According to the results, the distinctive characteristics of a sharp-edged,
channel confluence flow might be divided into six main zones. These experimental results are helpful
for the analysis and regulation of shoals at a tributary mouth.

Key Words: Channel confluence, Flow pattern, Separation region, Sediment transportation

1 Introduction
Flow pattern and sediment transportation at channel confluence is very complex, influenced by the
inflow of water and sediment, the confluence angle, the discharge ratio between the main channel and the
tributary, Reynolds and Froude numbers and the physical nature of the fluid. Researches on flow pattern
at channel confluence can be traced back to the fourth decade of the last century, when Taylor (1944)
studied the changes of water level at channel confluence with the tributary joining the main channel at
angels of 45° or 135°. The water was kept as slack flow and a rectangular tributary flume with constant
width, a flat bottom, and an inclined joint of 45° were used. It was the first time that an open channel
confluence with a rectangular cross section had been studied. Inclined joints were then extended to 30°,
60°, and 90° in experiments by Webber and Greated (1966). Since the 1980s, tributaries of unequal sizes
have been considered in research. Ramamurthy et al. (1988) researched the energy loss coefficient,
momentum transportation from the tributary to the main channel and the geometric shape of the
confluence region for different discharge ratios. Mosley (1976) observed the laws of sediment
transportation and bed evolution near the mixing region. He studied the flow pattern and sediment
1
PhD. candidate, Engineer, Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, Wuhan 430010, China, E-mail:
liuth@mail.crsri.cn
2
Ph.D., Professor, State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan
University, Wuhan 430072, China
3
Prof., Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, Wuhan 430010, China
Note: The original manuscript of this paper was received in June 2009. The revised version was received in Sept.
2011. Discussion open until Mar. 2013.
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transportation at a Y shaped confluence by means of a natural river model, using mixed bed material with
a medium diameter of 0.34 mm and a sand content of just 19%. Ashmore and Parker (1983) carried out a
scouring experiment with fine grain sands at channel confluence. Through flume experiments and using
observed data, Best and Reid (1984) and Best (1987; 1988) systemically studied sediment transport and
bed form at channel confluence, proposed three independent factors characterizing bed form and deduced
that these three factors primarily correlated with the confluence angle and the discharge ratio. Biron et al.
(1993) and Biron and Best (1996) presented new laboratory flume data that demonstrated the significant
influence of bed discordance on flow at an acute angled confluence. Bernard et al. (1999) provided a
physically based explanation of the controls upon flow structure generation for both a laboratory
(rectangular) and a field confluence (the confluence of the Kaskaskia River and copper slough) and to
identify the particular conditions under which particular flow structures were observed. Bradbrook et al.
(2001) studied laboratory open-channel confluences using a 3D, elliptic solution of the
Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stoks equations, including a method for approximating the effects of water
surface elevation patterns and a renormalization group modified form of the N-H turbulence model. Lu et
al. (2010) employed a 2D mathematical model in the boundary-fitting orthogonal curvilinear coordinate
system to predict the space-time variations of sedimentation at the confluence of the Jialingjiang and the
Yangtze River over a period of 100 years with 1961–1970 hydrological series being used reputedly for
the scenarios of with and without the construction of upstream reservoirs. In recent years, many
researchers (Weber et al., 2001; Wu et al., 2003; Mao and Zhao, 2004; Mao et al., 2005; Liu et al., 2009)
have studied the flow pattern and sediment transportation at channel confluence by means of energy
equations, momentum equations, and potential theory.
Channel confluences are common in natural large and small rivers in China, and the density of mountain
river confluences is lower than that of plain rivers. According to collected data for mountain river
confluences, the confluence angles are generally large, and most of the angles are 90 degrees. Thus, the
angles between the main and tributary flumes were selected to be 9ein the experiments reported here,
and different experimental flow and sediment conditions were studied. These studies included the
changing characteristics of the flow pattern in the tributary and the main channel, the sediment
transportation, the characteristics of bed form after scouring, and the sediment transport in the main
channel.

2 Experimental method
Figure 1 showed the schematic of the experimental setup and the locations of the flow measurements.
Here the z axis was taken as normal to the bed, x was defined as the horizontal main flow direction, and y
was perpendicular to the principal flow direction. The intake of the flume had a valve and a quiescent
tank, and measuring support frames were used along the flume to measure the flow characteristics. An
adjustable tail gate was used to control the downstream water level. The flow discharges in the main river
and tributary were modulated by electromagnetic flow meters. Depth measurements were operated using
a point gauge while velocity measurements were taken using a three-component Acoustic Doppler
Velocimeter (MicroADV) at a series of grid-defined points throughout the confluence region. The
velocity was investigated for 20 seconds at each point at a sampling frequency of 25 Hz.
In the study, the flush water valve was gradually opened, the tail-water was adjusted, the movement of
flow and sediment was observed, the time periods from the initiation of the bed load motion were counted,
sediment discharge was investigated, the sediment transport rates were calculated, and the volume of
accumulated sediment was investigated with a vertical sand funnel and spring balance. When the
sediment transport rate was very small for a long time, the bed form reached a steady state in about five
hours. The corresponding velocities in the x, y and z directions were represented by u, v and w,
respectively. The discharges in the main channel, the tributary, and downstream of confluence was
signified by Qm, Qt, and Qd, respectively, and hence Qd=Qm+Qt. Since the difference in the discharge
between the main channel flow and the tributary was the main factor influencing the hydrodynamics near
the confluence, the researchers defined the discharge ratio as q*=Qt/Qd (i.e. the ratio of the tributary
discharge to the total discharge) to account for this effect, Tables 1 and 2 listed the specific parameters of
the experiments.

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Fig. 1 Schematic of the experimental setup and locations of flow pattern measurements

Table 1 Summary of the flow interactions between the main river and the tributary
Main river Tributary
No Qd (l s-1) q*=Qt/(Qd)
Width (m) Slope (‰) Qm (l s-1) Width (m) Slope (‰) Qt (l s-1)
1 0.60 1.0 81.6 0.40 1.0 14.4 96.0 0.15
2 0.60 1.0 72.0 0.40 1.0 24.0 96.0 0.25
3 0.60 1.0 62.4 0.40 1.0 33.6 96.0 0.35
4 0.60 1.0 55.7 0.40 1.0 40.3 96.0 0.42

Table 2 Factors of bed form experiment under scouring with no supplementary sediment
Slope Main River Tributary Depth Time
Case Bed material gradation q*=Qt/(Qd)
(‰) Qm (l s-1) Qt (l s-1) (m) (h)
2 mm (30%), 3 mm (30%), 5
A 1.0 96 0 0 0.22 4.5
mm (20%), 20 mm (20%)
B 2 mm˄100%˅ 1.0 72 24 0.15 0.22 5.0
2 mm (30%), 3 mm (30%)ˈ5
C 1.0 72 24 0.25 0.22 5.0
mm (20%), 10 mm (20%)
D 2 mm˄100%˅ 1.0 62.4 33.6 0.35 0.22 5.0
2 mm (30%), 3 mm (30%)ˈ5
E 1.0 55.7 40.3 0.42 0.22 5.0
mm (20%), 10 mm (20%)

3 Analysis of the experimental results

3.1 Time-averaged velocity distribution

Figure 2 showed the velocity profiles over the vertical at different transverse positions in the section
upstream from the confluence for two discharge ratios. The distance between the profiles was 10 cm, and
profile 0.05 was located across from the tributary entrance 5 cm from the far side of the main channel,
while profile 0.55 was located nearest the tributary entrance 5 cm from the near side of the main channel.
The velocity distributions along the vertical direction at different locations showed that the influence of
the tributary on the vertical velocity distribution at different locations was different. The time-averaged
velocity distribution characteristics along each vertical line were similar in section M3#, and the velocity
value increased with decreasing discharge ratio in the whole section. The water surface slopes of the main
channel and the tributary upstream from the confluence were influenced by the mixing action. The mixing
action was increased by increased in q* (i.e. the fraction of the tributary discharge increased), which

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induced an increasing water surface slope in the tributary and a decreasing slope in the main channel, and
vice versa. However, the water surface slope near the confluence to the mixing region downstream from
the confluence increased with increasing main channel discharge and decreased with increasing q*.


Fig. 2 Velocity profiles at cross section m3# for discharge ratios of q* = 0.25 and 0.42

The experimental results revealed that near the confluence region, flows in the main channel and the
tributary mixed strongly, and flow from the tributary effectively compressed the main channel. Figure 3
indicated time-averaged velocity profiles in section M6# near the confluence at different discharge ratios.
Because of the action of lateral inflow and compression by the tributary on the main channel flow, the
velocity near the confluence region tended to increase with increasing distance from the vertical line to
the point of intersection. This was obvious at profiles 0.05 and 0.15. Profiles 0.05 and 0.15 belonged to
the high velocity region. For example, the average velocity of profile 0.15 reached 70 cm s-1 when the
discharge ratio q* was 0.35, while the average velocity of profile 0.45 was about 55 cm s-1 at this
discharge ratio, and profile 0.45 was in the low velocity region. In the whole section, time-averaged
velocity became more uniform with increasing discharge ratio.

Fig. 3 Velocity profiles at cross section m6# for discharge ratios of q* = 0.35 and 0.42

As the discharge in the main channel sharply increased, the tributary flow was cut by the main channel
flow from the surface to the bottom near the confluence and the current rose from the bottom to the
surface at the right side (close to the confluence) of the main channel flow downstream from the
confluence. The combination of the tributary flow and the main channel flow caused the formation of a
backwater separation region close to the confluence side of the main channel downstream. The backwater
separation region was created when the flow outside this region formed a contraction region leaning to
the left boundary of the main channel flow. The maximum mean velocity of the cross section appeared in
the contraction region. The distribution of the water level and the velocity then returned to the open
channel flow regime. Figure 4 showed the curves of the variation of the time-averaged velocity with
water depth at different discharge ratios for section M9# downstream but near the confluence. Different
regions, such as the high or low velocity regions, appeared close to, but downstream the confluence.
There was a very irregular, warped water surface in the separation region downstream from the
confluence and the water level here was lower than that elsewhere in the same cross section. When the

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discharge ratio was small, the velocity distributions in sections downstream from the confluence were
similar to that observed in open channel flows without a tributary and the velocity in the backwater
separation region that decreased slightly.

Fig. 4 Velocity profiles at cross section m9# for discharge ratios of q* = 0.25 and 0.42

3.2 U-V vector field

Figure 5 showed the two dimensional velocity vector fields in the u-v plane at different discharge ratios
q* and at different relative water depths of z*=z/h (including positions near surface, near bottom, and z/h =
0.6). The data showed a very irregular, warped surface in the separation region downstream from the
confluence, and the water level here was lower than elsewhere in the same section. A backwater
separation region was created when the flow outside this region formed a contraction region leaning to
the left boundary of the main channel flow. The maximum mean velocity in this section appeared in the
contraction region. Due to the interaction of the main channel and the tributary flows and the existing
angle of the tributary flow and its lateral boundary, the confluence angle was not 90°.

 

 

 
Fig. 5 U-V vector field near the confluence in the flume with different q* and z*

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 Compared with the flow near the surface, the near-bed flow deflected downstream of the main channel
flow (in the direction of the x axis) at the confluence. Thus, the confluence angle near the bed was smaller,
causing smaller momentum of the y axis motion which decreased the confluence angle near the surface.
Figure 5 showed that the confluence angle varied with the change of z* and, at the same time, the size of
the separation region (including length and width) changed from the bed to the surface. The size of the
separation region near the surface was larger than that near the bed, primarily owing to the difference
between the confluence angles at the upper and lower depths of the tributary. In addition, the near-bed
velocity was higher than the surface velocity in the contraction reach downstream from the confluence
caused by the difference of the confluence angles. However, downstream of this reach, the velocity
distribution returned to that of normal open channel flow, particularly in terms of the near-bed velocity.
Due to the difference in the momentum and the confluence direction between the upper and lower depths,
different velocity fields, separation regions, and flow recovery regions formed. According to the analyzed
results of the velocity fields, the size of the separation region was primarily correlated to the discharge
ratio q*.
The effective compression and mixing action of the tributary flow on the main channel flow, and the
contraction region downstream from the confluence, all increased with increasing q*, and the region of
maximum velocity formed away from the confluence side downstream from the confluence. When q*= 0,
i.e. water flow across the confluence all rose from the main channel, the flow didn’t not separate near the
boundary downstream from the confluence. When q* was smaller, the velocity vectors deviated little from
the inside boundary and the velocity distribution in the y axis returned to a uniform level a short distance
downstream from the confluence. With the increase of q*, the discharge and momentum of the tributary
increased and the mixing degree of the tributary flow with the main channel flow was enhanced before it
deviated against the main channel flow direction. This led the separation region (including the length and
width) to increase in size. The effective flow area contracted severely and the difference in the confluence
angle between the surface and the bottom increased. Meanwhile, the stagnation point transferred from the
side of the tributary to the main channel upstream from the confluence. This was somehow particularly
true near the bed, since, with the reduction of the main channel flow area and the decrease of the
confluence angle, the tributary flow and the main channel flow tended to flow in one direction and had a
larger velocity near the bed. The size of the separation region increased with increasing q*, which had
been demonstrated by results of previous and current experiments. The experimental results showed that
there was a limitation to the increase in the size of the separation region. When q* was bigger, the
relatively large discharge of the tributary flowed to the opposite boundary of the main channel and then
the flow swerved away from this boundary. Consequently, the flow was unstable downstream from the
confluence and the length of the separation region was shortened.

3.3 V-W vector field

Figure 6 showed the velocity vector in the v-w plane at different discharge ratios downstream from the
confluence. The surface current flowed towards the side of the main channel opposite the tributary (at y =
60 cm). Though the surface momentum was greater than those at the bottom and the surface and flow had
a velocity component in the y axis direction, the flow could not approach the boundary further under the
flow continuity theorem. The tributary flow returned near the shear plane, and there was a negative
velocity component in the z axis direction due to gravity. Meanwhile the tributary flow reversed in the
direction of the main channel flow, therefore the negative velocity component existed in the y axis at the
opposite side of the confluence. This flow characteristic resulted in an obvious secondary flow
phenomenon on the side from the confluence in the overflow section. The velocity component decreased
gradually in the flow direction against the y axis (the direction of the x axis). Similar to the motion of the
surface flowed flowing towards the opposite boundary near the confluence, when the near-bed flow flows
toward the side of the tributary mouth, it turned upwards and flowed into the separation region
downstream of the open-channel confluence because of the tributary mixing action, and deviated
downstream meanwhile. Finally, the separation region was filled with the counter-rotating secondary flow
in the overflow section.

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Fig. 6 V-W vector field near the confluence at different locations

3.4 Sediment transportation with no supplementary sediment

(1) Variation of the sediment transport rate
The bed load transport primarily depended on the flow conditions near the bed and the bed composition.
Under the same flow conditions, great changes of the bed load discharge rate were evident with the
various bed compositions. Compared with the upper water, turbulent fluctuation of flow near the bed was
more obvious when the bed composition was stable. The experimental observations found that when there
was clear water flowing, the bed materials at the channel confluence had an incipient motion, while at the
same time the bed load discharge investigated with the sediment collection tank at the end of the flume
was approximately zero. Following the incipient motion of a large quantity of bed particles, the quantity
of transported particles, including those particles exported from the channel confluence, increased and the
transport rate investigated with the sediment collection tank increased with time and reached a maximum
at the end of the experiment. Meanwhile, the river bed became coarser and the sediment movement
tended to decrease. After the sediment transport rate reached its maximum, the movement of the river bed
was restricted to a greater degree, which resulted in the reduction of the sediment transport rate. The
sediment transport rate approached zero when the river bed was coarsened completely. The bed load
moved in a pattern of sand waves. Owing to the different sand wave sizes, the spacing between the sand
wave changed, the quantity of bed material exchanged varies, and the sediment transportation was
completely random. The bed load discharge rate was random during the process of bed coarsening. Figure
7 showed curves of the bed load transport of the main channel flow and the cumulative sediment
discharge at different discharge ratios.
Comparing the curves of the bed load transport rate at different discharge ratios in Fig. 7, each rate was
intermittent and pulsating, and decreased with time, which was similar to the case for a single main
channel flow, while for the mixing and mixing action, the bed load transport rate had special
characteristics. This figure also showed the trend of the bed load transport rate that during scour
experiments with no supplementary sediment at the channel confluence, the transport rate initially
increased monotonically and subsequently decreased monotonically with time. During the incipient stage
of experiment, (the duration of which was less than 10,000 s), the bed load transport rate pulsated
strongly and its amplitude was larger, whereas the pulsation period (about 1,800s) at each discharge ratio
was less than that in the case of a single main channel flow (about 2,400 s). The intensity of the pulsations
increased with the increase in the discharge ratio. During the final stage of the experiment (after 10,000 s),
the intensity of the bed load transport rate diminished, while the pulsation period (about 1,800 s)
increased and the peak value decreased. The intensity of the pulsations decreased with the increase in the
discharge ratio.
It could be seen from Fig. 7 that the cumulative sediment discharge curves at discharge ratios of 0.15,
0.25, 0.35, and 0.42, across the curve for the case for a single main channel flow at the points marked 1, 2,
3 and 4 in the figure. Before the crossing point, the cumulative sediment discharge at the channel
confluence was more than that in the case of a single main channel flow, and increased with the increase
in the flow discharge ratio q*. After the crossing point, the cumulative sediment discharge at the channel
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confluence was smaller than that in the case of a single main channel flow, and increased with the
increase in the flow discharge ratio q*. The accumulated sediment discharge points all came together at t
= 12,000s. This convergence of results happened due to the mixing action of the main channel flow and
the tributary flow which was strong near the confluence. The sediment transport rate accelerated near and
downstream from the confluence, the scouring intensity increased and the intensity of the sediment
transport rate was higher. With the accumulation of sediment movement, the river bed tended to become
stable. During the last period, both the intermittent bed load transport rate and the rate of rose in the
accumulated sediment discharge were insignificant.

Fig. 7 Curves of bed load transport rate and cumulative sediment discharge with time

(2) Characteristics of bed form after scouring

The experimental results showed that the separation region was unobvious near the surface as the
scouring of the bed was severe downstream from the confluence when there was no upstream supply of
sediment (I. e, no supplementary sediment). In the region of highest velocity near and downstream from
the confluence, as a consequence of the severe mixing action, the sediment was transported rapidly to the
right side (the side of the confluence) of the main channel and downstream from the confluence. A deep
central local scour gradually formed near the confluence along the shear plane and the area of the
inflowing section downstream from the confluence became larger. The local scour became deeper and
larger and then stabilized, with no supplementary sediment. The size and position of the local scour were
correlated with the discharge ratio, the bed composition, and the scouring action near and downstream
from the confluence. The size of the local scour (including length and width) increased with the increase
in the discharge ratio, the growth of the mixing intensity, and the turbulence intensity. The scale and
position of the local scour changed with the bed material composition altering at the same discharge ratio.
According to Best’s research (1987), three distinct elements-avalanche faces at the mouth of each
confluent channel, a deep central local scour, and a bar within the separation zone forming at the
downstream confluence corner were the basic units of bed form at the channel confluence. The bed form
of the local scour was tested, and then, the characteristics of the bed form were summarized. The
experimental results showed that: the bed form of a single channel gave an instruction that sediment
transported from upstream to downstream and deposited there, while the elevation adjusted marginally.
At the channel confluence, a deep central local scour formed because of the mixing action near the
separation region. Due to the lack of sediment replenishment from upstream, the local scour developed
downstream. Scour occurred quickly during the initial stage of the experiments and slowed down when
the local scour reached the state of equilibrium. A curved local scour at confluence formed in the
constricted flow region at a small discharge ratio. The scour range (including length, depth and width)
increased with the increase of the discharge ratio. For instance, the scour width was 45ˁ of the main
channel flow at q* = 0.25, while it reached to 80ˁ at q* = 0.42 (Fig. 8).

4 Conclusions
Study on flow pattern and sediment transportation at channel confluence is of great value in the fields of
river engineering, the design of river networks and channels, and in river mechanics and stream evolution.

International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 27, No. 2, 2012, pp. 178–187 - 185 -
 Fig. 8 Bed form contours after the scour experiment with different bed cases

According to the results, the distinctive characteristics of a sharp-edged, channel confluence flow might
be divided into six main zones: a stagnation region immediately upstream of the confluence, a flow
deflection zone near the confluence, a zone of separation immediately downstream of the confluence
branch channel, a maximum velocity region in the main channel due to the separation zone, a flow
recovery in the main channel after the maximum velocity region, and a shear plane developed between
the two combining flows. The bed load transport rate and its accumulative sediment transport amount in
time were recorded and analyzed for different discharge ratios q* in each cases. In addition, 2D mapping
of bed morphology for each cases were also presented. The results indicated that the characteristics of bed
load transport and local scoured bed form strongly depended on the flow and sediment conditions from
the tributary and the relationship between main and tributary rivers, as far as hydraulic factors were
concerned.

Acknowledgements
Partial financial support of the work presented in this paper from China’s National Natural Science
Foundation (No. 10932012 ) and Transportation Construction Science and Technology Project ( No.
201132822430) is gratefully acknowledged.

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