Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 May 2011
This paper presents the experimental results of the characteristics of hydraulic shock waves in an inclined chute contraction with consideration of the effects of sidewall deflection angle φ, bottom inclination angle θ and approach Froude number Fr0. Seventeen runs of laboratory experiments were conducted in the range of 27.45° ≤φ≤ 40.17°, 6.22°≤ θ ≤ 25.38° and 1.04 ≤ Fr0 ≤ 3.51. Based on the experimental data, three empirical dimensionless relations for the shock angle, maximum shockwave height, and corresponding position of maximum shockwave were obtained by regression analyses, respectively. These empirical relations would be useful for hydraulic engineers in designing chute contraction structures.