Vegetation effects on vertical jet structures

This paper deals with measurements of the three-velocity components of a vertical, round, turbulent jet discharged into a vegetated cross flow. Over the last years, a large number of experimental studies and numerical models on turbulent jets discharged into a cross flow have been carried out, as well as several studies on vegetated channels. However, these studies show a lack of data regarding the combination between the vegetated channels and jets. The present study aimed at obtaining a more thorough understanding of the vegetation effects on the jet behaviors. To simulate the vegetation, arrays of emergent, rigid, circular steel cyl-inders were used. The jet source was placed at the centre of the experimental vegetated area. The time-averaged velocity field was investigated in the longitudinal, cross and horizontal planes of the channel. The results show that vegetation has significant effects on the jet structure as compared with the case of non-vegetated channel. Above all, the rigid stems reduce streamwise velocities, giving rise to an increase of the jet penetration height within the ambient flow. Moreover, the familiar pair of counter-rotating vortices and kid-ney shape observed in the cross section of the jet discharged into the non-vegetated channel disappears and transforms under the effects of stems into a complex flow motion structure for the jet discharged into the vegetated flume.