Effect of vortex formation on sediment transport at dual pipe intakes

Vortex formation and subsequent sediment transport into the intake due to sea water withdrawal is one of the problems in coastal engineering. The effect of vortex formation on rate of sediment transport at coastal dual pipe intakes was investigated using a scaled physical model. Experiments were performed on dual pipe intakes at three common intake withdrawal directions (vertical, horizontal and with angle of 45°). In each experiment, the class of vortex with respect to its strength was determined. Particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) was employed to measure tangential velocity of vortices. Results indicated that the rate of sediment transport was considerably affected by the strength of formed vortices. The rate of transported sediment was increased by increasing the strength of formed vortex. Moreover, amount of sediment transport was affected by angle of pipe intakes. It could be concluded that the minimum and maximum rates of sediment transport occur for inclined and horizontal intakes, respectively.