Document Type
Report
Publication Date
January 1975
Abstract
Reaeration process studies were conducted on a mountain creek and a large laboratory flume. The method of evaluating the dispersion coefficient, mean velocity, and reaeration coefficient for both creek and flume consisted of finding these values for a deoxygenated portion of the flow containing a conservative tracer (dye). The deoxygenated slug is measured as it moved downstream and the three values are best fit in the analytical solution of the longitudinal dispersion equation which dynamically describes the flow of the dispersing slug in the stream. The best fit was accomplished by using the method of least squares of the differences between the dissolved oxygen and dye concentration calculated from the dispersion equation and those obtained from the actual measurements is minimized. A reaeration coefficient prediction model of general form was developed. The model is composed of two dimensionless parameters which were identified from the normalized dissolved-oxygen balance equation. A simplified model which has two model parameters was also developed. Both model parameters were evaluated specifically for the mountain creek and laboratory flume. A comparison of this simplified model with existing models revealed that most existing models are incomplete in form. It was found that inclusion of the dispersion coefficient in the reaeration coefficient model improved the prediction accuracy. The information obtained from this study would aid in determining the oxygen balance of mountain creeks which is essential to the resource management of mountain watersheds.
Recommended Citation
Chen, Cheng-Lung and Davis, Keith D., "Process Studies and Modeling of Self-Cleaning Capacity of Mountain Creeks for Recreation Planning and Management" (1975). Reports. Paper 557.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/water_rep/557