Wakulla Springs, located in the Woodville Karst Plain (WKP) of Florida’s Big Bend, is a complex phreatic cave system characterized by convoluted, irregular, conduit geometry—reaching depths between 45 meters to 90 meters (Werner, 2001). The depth and expanse of the underground conduit system makes the calculation of volumetric flow a challenging phenomenon to interpret. However, despite the challenges the Wakulla system presents to researchers, it poses as a unique system for study in that at least 60 kilometers of the system have been mapped to date—providing an extensive amount of well documented information about the conduits that is unavailable in other systems (Xu et al., 2015). Wakulla demonstrates distinct flashy spring characteristics, where there is a temporary high volume discharge in the springs. The dynamic nature of a flashy spring is of interest because of their inherent complex flow behavior compared to that of a static (near constant flow) spring. Early studies by Darcy (1865), Nikuradse (1933), Colebrook (1939), and Moody (1944) provide valuable phenomenological equations for describing flow behavior in pipe systems where a high degree of relative roughness (/D) is minimal. However, their studies lack detailed data pertaining to flow where the relative roughness was greater than five percent, which is common in natural karst conduit systems like Wakulla (Kandlikar et al., 2006). This study utilized a laboratory model to investigate the nature of flow through conduits with relative roughness greater than five percent as it pertains to karstic conduit systems, and determines the type of flow regimes that are achieved under various relative roughness. Parameters utilized in the experiment are categorized as having either a major or minor loss effect to the overall flow of the system. The minor loss parameters of hydraulic diameter, constriction and expansion, flow path modification, sinuosity, and major loss parameter of relative roughness were proven to have significant impacts on the flow velocity through a conduit. While each parameter had a major impact on fluid flow, the roughened pipes proved to have the greatest effect. The roughened pipes (/D of 0.00015 - 0.236) utilized in the experiment demonstrated similar behavior to pipes with relative roughness’ less than five percent and had reductions in flow up to 80 percent. The minor loss factor of hydraulic diameter also proved to be the most effective at reducing flow velocity, with velocities 70 percent less than those produced by unaltered pipe of the same hydraulic diameter. Minor loss parameters of expansion and contraction of the pipe diameter, and sinuosity also demonstrated a significant impact on flow velocity with reductions in flow upwards of 50 percent. The effects demonstrated by the parameters of the study contribute to the general understanding of the influence morphodynamics has on flow through Wakulla Springs conduit system and phreatic conduit systems, globally. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Spring Semester 2018. / April 16, 2018. / Includes bibliographical references. / Stephen Kish, Professor Directing Thesis; James Tull, Committee Member; Leroy Odom, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_653401 |
| Contributors | Derf, Kassandra Karrkens (author), Kish, Stephen A. (professor directing thesis), Tull, James F. (committee member), Odom, A. L. (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, master thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (101 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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