Experimental Investigation of the Hydraulic Performance of Arced Labyrinth Weirs

Labyrinth weir is an effective option to increase the discharge capacityý. This increases the crest length for a ýgiven width and head. The efficiency of a labyrinth weir can be increased with an arced configuration by improving the orientation of the weir cycles to the approach flow and to further increase the weir crest length. In this study, the hydraulic performance of the arced ýlabyrinth weirs is studied experimentally.ý The discharge coefficient is correlated to headwater ratio, downstream sidewall angle, and weir arc ýangle. Their effects on the weir efficiency are also investigated. The results ýindicate that by increasing the arc angle, the efficiency of the labyrinth weir can be increased ýup to 50%.ýþ þIn addition, the efficiency of the arced labyrinth weir can be increased up to ýalmost 4.5 times of that of a linear weir. Finally, according to the limitations of present study, ýa method is proposed for designing arced labyrinth weirs.ý