Flume Test Simulation and Study of Salt and Fresh Water Mixing Influenced by Tidal Reciprocating Flow

The salt-fresh water mixing is one of the basic topics of estuarine dynamics research. In partially mixed and highly stratified mixed estuaries, the structure of stratified flow is complicated by density gradient and tidal reciprocating flow. The velocity and salinity structures have been experimentally studied in a flume which is 167.8m long, 0.5m wide, and 0.5m deep. The processes of the tidal levels, the flood and ebb current, and the salt-fresh water mixing have been simulated. Furthermore, the partially mixed and highly stratified mixed types have been repeatability showed in the flume, by solving the problems of experiment control and saltwater recycling. The control variable method has been used to dialectically analyze the influence of tidal range and runoff volume on the velocity and salinity distribution. The tide and runoff are respectively considered to affect the mixing type in two contradictory ways. In the condition of tidal reciprocating flow, the periodical change of interface stability has been investigated. It is considered that the interface stability is closely related to the vertical gradient of density and velocity. As a result, the critical value of interface stabilization has been presented. The experimental data and research results can be used for the basic study of estuarine dynamics and applied to practical problems such as estuarine saltwater intrusion.