Vegetated channel effects on round, vertical, turbulent, momentum jet behavior

In subsequent years up to now a large number of experimental studies and models on turbulent jets discharged into a crossflow have appeared in the literature. These studies have taken into consideration the different jet characteristics (e.g. nozzle shape, dimensions, submerged port height, flow rate, orientation, etc.) and those of the ambient flow (flow regime, depth, density stratification, stagnation, wave motion, etc.). As regards these studies, a lack of data concerning the ambient boundary effect on the jet behavior was observed. The present study was directed toward obtaining a more thorough understanding of the effects of a vegetated bed channel on a round momentum (non-buoyant) jet discharged vertically into a crossflow. To achieve this, several experimental runs were carried out in the hydraulic laboratory of the Water Engineering and Chemistry Department of the Technical University of Bari (Italy). The hydrodynamic features of the jet have been studied with details via turbulence statistical analyses. It was found that the background turbulence generated by the vegetation strongly affects the jet behavior, i.e. the jet turbulence structures become more complex and the jet penetration height, dilution, and spreading increase significantly