Author(s): M. Zsugyel; G. Luko; S. Baranya

Linked Author(s): Sándor Baranya

Keywords: UAV; Lagrangian surface flow; Large rivers; Mixing processes; Particle tracking velocimetry

Abstract: A data processing method is presented for characterizing large rivers surface mixing processes in a groyne field, using an affordable, i.e. low-cost and easy-to-learn, new field data acquiring technique: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In the last decade, indirect video based velocity measurement methods are available to investigate river surface flow, e.g. large-scale particle image velocimetry (LSPIV) and space-time image velocimetry (STIV). These methods deal with the Eulerian analysis of the flow, i.e. the flow is described at fixed points. However, in the last few years, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in engineering surveys became very popular thanks to the increasing value-for-money and the always developing, user-friendly attitude of this tools. UAVs have a huge potential also in river engineering measurements, since the airborne video recordings inherently allow us to observe the surface processes based on a Lagrangian view, i.e. to describe the flow field with moving particles in the water. In this study the Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) method was applied to assess the spatially complex nature of the flow field in a large river. To the authors’ knowledge no such analysis has been performed yet to describe the flow field and mixing processes in large rivers.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/978-981-11-2731-1_312-cd

Year: 2018