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A new pH-based tracing method for flow mixing studies in closed-loop experimental flumes: evaluation in an open-channel confluence

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Abstract

Laboratory experiments based on the dispersion and mixing of passive scalars in open-channel flows are invaluable to investigate flow patterns and to provide empirical values of the mixing coefficient in well-controlled conditions. The study details a new flow tracing method measuring the concentration of a passive scalar in laboratory open-channel flows based on pH measurements. Its main advantage is that the scalar exiting from the open-channel is eliminated downstream of the measuring locations, allowing long-time experiments in closed loop. The method is first validated in a uniform flow in a straight, rectangular channel. It is then used in a complex 3D flow, at the confluence of two open-channel flows. The pros and cons of the new method, in terms of performance and implementation, are finally discussed in view of other widely used tracing methods such as conductivity probes, fluorometers and video-imaging optical methods. The study confirms that the present tracing method is efficient for long-time closed-loop experiments. The calibration procedures are detailed, as well the sources of errors, leading to a relative uncertainty equal to a few percent of the concentration.

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Data availability

All dimensionless concentration data (Fig. 5) are provided in Appendix.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are grateful to Claire Séhan for her participation to preliminary experiments. Authors are indebted to many colleagues for their invaluable advices concerning different aspects of chemistry: Drs. Bouscharain, Querry, Travin and Profs. de Brauer, Germain and Millet at INSA Lyon, and Profs. Riviere at Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.

Funding

This work was supported by the "Institut des Sciences de l'Univers" (INSU) of the French CNRS [Grant Number EC2CO Cytrix 2011-231], by Fédération de Recherche Inge’LySE (FR CNRS 3411) and by OTHU (Field Observatory for Urban Water Management), the RMC Water Agency and Lyon Metropolis. Sébastien Pouchoulin held a doctoral fellowship from Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Wei Cai held a M.Sc. fellowship from the China Scolarship Council. This work was performed within EUR H2O’Lyon (ANR-17-EURE-0018) of Université de Lyon (UdL), as part of the program "Investissements d'Avenir” operated by the French National Research Agency (ANR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LMFA, UMR5509, INSA Lyon, CNRS, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69621, Villeurbanne, France

    Nicolas Riviere, Sébastien Pouchoulin, Wei Cai & Emmanuel Mignot

  2. DEEP, EA7429, INSA Lyon, 11 Rue de la Physique, 69621, Villeurbanne, France

    Gislain Lipeme Kouyi

  3. UR RiverLy, River Hydraulics, INRAE, 5 Rue de la Doua, 69100, Villeurbanne, France

    Jérôme Le Coz

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  1. Nicolas Riviere
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  2. Sébastien Pouchoulin
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  4. Gislain Lipeme Kouyi
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  5. Jérôme Le Coz
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Contributions

The first draft of the manuscript was written by N.R. and S.P., and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. N.R. and E.M. designed the experimental procedure. S.P. and W.C performed the experimental measurements. All authors contributed to the data analysis. G.L, J.L.C and N.R. led the review of existing measuring techniques. All authors approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Nicolas Riviere.

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Appendix: Measured dimensionless concentration data

Appendix: Measured dimensionless concentration data

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Table 2 Dimensionless concentrations in the single channel experiments (Fig. 3)
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2 and

Table 3 Dimensionless concentrations measured in the confluence experiments (Fig. 5)
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3.

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Riviere, N., Pouchoulin, S., Cai, W. et al. A new pH-based tracing method for flow mixing studies in closed-loop experimental flumes: evaluation in an open-channel confluence. Environ Fluid Mech (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-024-09990-0

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