The Performance Assessment of the Hybrid Cells in Series and Transient Storage Models in the Tracer Routing through the Interconnected Reservoirs

Some parts of the free surface flow including river networks in which the velocities is low, can act as dead or hyporheic zones. These areas can help to the temporary storage of the tracers and consequently increasing the residence time parameter. In this study, the effects of consecutive reservoirs caused by construction of gabion flood control structures have been investigated in terms of dead zones creation and residence time expansion. For this purpose, 36 experiments were performed in the laboratory flume, including two gabion dams. The experimental variables included three rock median diameters, four entrance discharges and three entrance concentrations. The HCIS model, which includes temporal parameters of the λ, T1, and T2, has been used to obtain the residence time, the reservoirs volume behind the gabion dams and flow hydraulic parameters. The results showed that the transport time parameters were increased linearly with reservoir volume (V) and number (N). Also, linear regressions were established between the number of dams and the other temporal parameters obtained from experimental breakthrough curves (BC). It was found that the slopes of N- and V- ( is total duration time of the BC) linear regressions were bigger than the similar values for  (time from the injection time origin to the rising point of BC curve), indicating a higher residence time due to transient storage of the pollution. Also, it was found that the time parameters obtained from HCIS model are increased linearly with N and distance from the injection point.